I attended a scrutiny committee looking into policing and crime reduction issues and it was good to hear how much crime had been reduced in Stockton Borough recently - a 47% reduction really is something to shout about. There were distractions on cycling on pavements (intersted in views on this - for and against), but even so people were pleased with the progress. Next meeting was...
Any hope that the Government will support the local steel industry while it looks for a buyer who will invest in the site looks to be over. A £60m package of investment announced by the Government makes no mention of a future steel industry. Lord Mandleson, speaking after a meeting with the area's business and political leaders, said the investment was designed to help the area's transition beyond traditional heavy industry. He seems to have given up on Teesside's core industries. Ian Swales, Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar, said: "This confirms what we have thought all along, that the ...
Further to my previous articles about concerns regarding street lighting policy in the city (click on headline above to view - or go to http://tinyurl.com/dundeelights) the City Council's Chief Executive has now advised me of a change in policy with immediate effect. This will reverse the policy of not replacing street lights damaged by motor vehicles where the cost could not be reclaimed via the driver's insurance policy. Having first raised concerns about the impact of not replacing street lights back in May, I was disappointed that it seemed to take an age to address the issue, particularly as the ...
I have been a member of the National Liberal Club for over 25 years, but I never realised that underneath the cavernous basement reception rooms there is another subterranean layer which has recently been turned into an upmarket, ultramodern (if narrow) entertainment suite: the wine cellar. The Biographers Club (which likes to try fresh venues ...
A Redcar Councillor, who is the wife of a local steelworker, has hit out at the Government's announcement of £60m which she feels is not going to to help the steel industry? Coatham ward Lib Dem Councillor Irene Curr said: "There's some for Wilton, which certainly needs help, some for apprentices and some to help start-up businesses all of which is old news. The rest is to help the area move away from heavy industry. "This is all very noble but the country needs a manufacturing industry, and therefore a steel industry, if it is to avoid relying on other ...
Basically, don't expect anything until PEP! comes out on Xmas day, other than the Beatles reviews. All my writing time currently is being devoted to getting PEP! together and to my contribution to the Mindless 'zine. I also have various other constraints on my time at the moment. So expect blogging to be light ...
Senator Harry Reid (D-Nevada) invoked slavery in criticizing Republicans for their efforts to stall President Obama's healthcare legislation and agenda. "Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all Republicans can come up with is this: Slow down, stop everything, let's start over," Senator Reid said Monday. "If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right," Reid also said from the Senate floor. "When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said slow down, it's too early, let's wait, things aren't bad enough." What a bastard! ...
At the City Council's City Development Committee last night, councillors considered a report on the city's attempts to secure more Scottish civil service jobs. This report was as a result of my motion agreed by committee on 24th August calling for officers to update councillors on Dundee's record in attracting these posts to the City over the past few years. You can read the report by clicking on the headline above or by going to http://tinyurl.com/dundeecivilservicejobs. What the report makes clear is that, although Dundee was successful in attracting civil service jobs under the previous LibDem/Labour Executive (243 jobs from ...
The Guardian, today: Boris Johnson today signed City Hall up to the 10:10 climate change campaign. Mayor's Question Time, two months ago: I supported the 10:10 campaign when it was launched in September, and have signed up City Hall to the initiative. Re-announcing something you've already announced previously? How very Gordon Brown. Mind you, it's often been rumoured that Boris Johnson has his eyes on 10 Downing Street, so perhaps he's just putting in some practice [IMG: :-)]
Today a resident showed me a response from our MP to her objection to the school in the park issue. According to Ms Taylor she was hoping to engage people in debate. There's a first! She also claims to have secured the funding for the school rebuild. It's a pity that no-one has told Stockton Council that. In fact the government department concerned specifically told Stockton Council that
Here's the answer in a picture (with data from Google for the US): [IMG: Google trends] Or to put it even more simply: [IMG: Tiger Woods]
Lord Ashcroft, the Conservative peer and multi-million pound donor is the party's strategist responsible for winning marginal seats. Is he a UK resident/ tax-payer? Does he have a vote in the UK? According to the Independent, "In the House of Lords' annual report on peers' expenses for the year 2003-04, his main residence is recorded as being in Belize, in Central America. In other years, there is no official record of where he was living. Unlike many other peers, Lord Ashcroft did not claim expenses for overnight stays in London or for travelling to and from his main residence, and ...
As many people will be aware, I resigned as Liberal Youth's Vice-Chair: Membership Development on Sunday. I have my reasons, that I need to spend more time with my family, and also my degree. After all, the next six months will shape the rest of my life. It was a very hard decision to make. I have really enjoyed my time working on the Liberal Youth Executive and feel that the organisation has come a long way in that time. I have gained much experience, and have made many new friends, and the last 14 months will be remembered for ...
A report, published today by NHS London, investigating the allegations of Kim Holt is the result of the investigation that I got for Kim to try and get justice for her (see previous post). But it wasn't only justice for Kim - it was also about trying to make sure that the management of the child protection health team came under the same spotlight that the sacked managers in Haringey Children's Service had come under for their part in the Baby Peter tragedy. The failings that Kim (with three other senior consultant paediatricians) had alerted Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) ...
Some time ago I received a letter which had the salutation Dear Insert Name Here. Of course we are used to the impersonal nature of how large organisations communicate with their customers using computer generated letters, and on a scale of 1-10, ten being apocalyptic, this probably rates as a minus 2, but still, it is ...
Charlotte Gore recently changed her Blog site from a Lib Dem Blog to a non-partisan Libertarian blog (which is where her true heart really is). I think Charlotte Gore is much better for it. Charlotte did not feel free to blog as freely as she wished. Charlotte Gore has held herself back from some articles through I expect a sense of loyalty. I also very much agree with Charlotte that the Lib Dems do have some central left tendencies. I think we are slightly held back by our central/left tendencies myself. Charlotte Wrote "The adventurous, insatiable hungering drive for liberty, ...
And this is what Fraser Brown tweeted last Tuesday: fvdfzsrsazxzzxcvbnmadgfhjjkqwrtyuuuiop It's got a certain charm about it. And you have to admire Sarah Brown, his mother, for not getting it deleted.
I joined the Liberal Party in 1979. I have been a Liberal Democrat since the foundation of the party. I have been a passionate and avowed Liberal Democrat and a liberal of a fairly libertarian stripe all my adult life. My family have been committed to the party not just in recent wilderness years but all through the real darkness of the 1950s and indeed over four generations back to the beginning of the twentieth century. I have stood for innumerable, unwinable, elections and donated, over the years, many thousands of pounds to a cause that I deeply believe in. ...
Speaking ahead of the PBR, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable today announced Liberal Democrat proposals for restraint and fairness in public sector pay. The proposals would cap public sector pay rises at £400 per person to limit the growth of the public sector pay bill while ensuring fairness for teachers, nurses, police officers and other ...
Lord Bonkers writes exclusively for Liberal England: Isn't this new Electric Youtube clever? Terribly Clever? I wonder who thought of it? Anyway, while I am proud to see that young Clegg is Doing His Bit, I can't help thinking that he is missing a trick. It happens that I had the pleasure of dining chez Clegg over the summer and was charmed by his three young sons. So much energy! It was a shame to see it going to waste, so in my letter of thanks to the Cleggs I suggested that he install a treadmill. I note, howeverm that ...
I want to open this blog by saying that I am a non-smoker. I write this because it is amazing how many people assume you smoke because you defend smokers. Or, in the words of David Sexton in today's Evening Standard "Smokers have no allies at all among non-smokers." Well they do Mr. Sexton and we are called Liberals ( of whatever variety!) Mr. Sexton has written what I can only describe as quite a spiteful article against smokers which really begs the question - what has a smoker done to him for him to feel so much anger towards ...
The former Spotted Cow Pub in Hither Green Lane is a very distinctive building that has considerable historic significance for the area and the fact that it is not working anymore as a pub is to me a major concern as it makes that end of Hither Green Lane much less vital than it once ...
Ever since the new council started work, there have been complaints from local taxi drivers that they are not allowed to pick up fares across the county but are still restricted to the old North Cornwall area. In reality, most Launceston taxi drivers will want to remain working in the town and the surrounding area. It is the area they know best and where they have a large number of 'regulars'. But, because we have no rail stations in North Cornwall and because passengers often want to be taken to Newquay Airport or even to Truro, drivers want the flexibility ...
I would imagine that the main reason to be a doctor is that you want to save people's lives and make the ill healthy, but it appears I am wrong. It seems the BMA think that the profession is made up largely of people who are worried about not receiving hefty performance bonuses on top of their £100,000 a year salaries. I wonder how proud the medical profession will be of themselves when we find out in six months time how many under fives died of swine flu needlessly because they were worried about their bonuses ?
You know what they say about a woman's prerogative no sooner do they say one thing but they change their mind. On this occasion I'm very glad that said woman did indeed change her mind. On Thursday Subrosa shocked the blogging world by shutting up shop. With one thing or another, a move to a new office with incredible inadequate bandwidth I've been too busy at work and too tired after to notice her return. Yes I'd spotted the odd link to her post but was unable to read them at the time. Having been someone who was one of ...
In which I stir the pot again about climate change conspiracy, and draw attention to an excellent letter to the FT from the point of view of Lib Dems.
December 8th must have some political resonance for Wales, as in addition to it being the day that Rhodri Morgan finally submitted his resignation as First Minister it is also the first anniversary of Kirsty Williams' election as leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. Kirsty has had quite an impact in the last 12 months, getting out of the Cardiff Bay bubble to meet and listen to as many people as possible, modernising the party's organisation, putting in some impressive performances in the chamber and on the media and even at one stage, forcing the Rhodri Morgan onto the back ...
Just on my way to the railway station to get the train up to Ilkley for the K&I LD AGM. Packed agenda, looks really exciting. Shall take of book of railway poetry for the journey.
My irregular watch on the Conservative party to see to what extent they are upholding the statement by George Osborne when reflecting on the current recession at the Tories' Conference in October he said that 'we are all in this together'. On a recent flight from Paris to Manchester following the Strasbourg plenary session of the European ...
Maybe this is the best way to bring North Korea 'in from the cold'? However I do feel a bit uneasy about trading with a country whose human rights record is about as far away from perfect as you can get! I'm surprised that the Swedish government doesn't feel this way. I suppose you could say that willingness to trade is part of the reason why China is now more open and hopefully this will lead to an improved human rights record. North Korea has a long way to go before it gets to that point though.
Nearly a whole term has passed and students up and down the country are still waiting to receive funding from the Student Loans Company. A report from Professor Hopkin said that delays meant that individual universities had to pay out hundreds of ...
Congratulations to Redcar Lib Dems on their latest by-election win, in Dormanstown Ward. It's good to know there is SOME good news for the area after the bad news of job losses at the Corus steel works. I used to go to school there and my father (GEPS) taught at Sir Willy T's. Ooh, I see the Tories did particularly badly. From Redcar Liberal Democrats' website: Liberal Democrats have won the Dormanstown Ward By Election for Redcar and Cleveland Council. The result was as follows: Ken Lucas (Lib Dem) - 809 Marion Fairley (Lab) - 667 Lynn Payne (BNP) - ...
Last night I went to hear President Mehmet Ali Talat talk about- Cyprus: The Peace Settlement Process. Chaired by Professor Sevket Pamuk, who is the Chair of Contemporary Turkish Studies at the European Institute, LSE, when introducing President Talat, pointed out that he was the elected leader of Turkish Cypriots, and this was his first visit to the UK since his election. Talat is constantly referred to as the "so-called" President. Security was tight, after a far right Greek-Cypriot group in London (Hellenic something or other) had urged Greek -Cypriots to go along to the event and 'demonstrate' To a ...
If you have given up sending Christmas cards, but still want to spread some Christmas cheer, I recommend Sussex based Jacquie Lawson's E-Cards. She has a card for all tastes, secular or Christian, schmaltzy or elegant, or even mildly disturbing (check out the festive goldfish bowl).
A crisp but fine Saturday morning saw Camdn's "festive fun" come to West Hampstead - see pevious post. There was a decorated float with a steel band, a goup of energetic singers pounding out taditional popular songs, a lady on stilts with the most amazing gold eyelashes and "Stella Polaris"(!) the Queen of the North Star and various helpers in Santa hats handing out leaflets and opportunities to win the "Golden Ticket" for free local shopping. There were also passersby, a press photographer and the Leader of the Council - West Hampstead Councillor Keith Moffitt. After a couple of rather ...
In today's debate on the Welsh Government's budget the Welsh Liberal Democrats called for urgent Welsh Government action to rethink education funding in Wales. The debate took place in the context of a protest by National Union of Teachers' members against real-terms budget cuts for schools and the continued underfunding of schoolchildren in Wales, compared to England. A Child in Wales is still funded by nearly £500 less than a child in England. As a result, a 1,000 pupil school in Wales receives half a million pounds less funding than the same school in England. These large funding deficits leave ...
I asked the Council about parking enforcement at Full Council today. Graeme Hicks, the Cabinet Member for Highways, told me that he didn't think that it would be financially viable for the Town Council to take on parking enforcement. But he assured me that when the signs and lines have been completed and a re-jig of enforcement officers has been done, the effectiveness of the system would be a lot better. Cllr Hicks assured me that Launceston currently gets 3.5 hours per day of car park enforcement and twenty five hours per fortnight of on-street parking enforcement. Although he admitted ...
Lots of ideas spring to mind about how to use this.Most obviously while out shopping to do price comparisons. http://www.google.com/mobile/goggles/ Posted via email from Rob's posterous
The saga of Cornwall Council's boundaries is long and involved. Suffice it to say that the elections in June were fought on draft, rather than final, boundaries. The final report of the Boundary Commission is now out and there are further changes proposed for Launceston. The town will still keep three wards and the North Ward will still be a mix of town and villages, but many areas of the town itself are set to change. At present, the Lanstephan Estate is split between North and Central Wards. It is proposed that the whole estate, together with Cross Lanes, sits ...
The defection of Mohammed Ashgar AM from Plaid Cymru to the Tories was first announced on the Welsh Liberal Democrat blog Freedom Central, before the Conservatives had even had time to announce it to the press. Sharing a floor with the Tories has its advantages and marching the defector to the Tory leader's office in full view of everybody was a dead giveaway, especially when Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Cheryl Gillan was also there. There was also the mysterious moving of offices last night after everybody had gone home. I am told that Mohammed Ashgar was once a ...
Something I was reading just made me look at Ester Rantzen's website and political blog. And you know, I get the feeling that she may now be a bit bored with the drive from East Heath Road, Hampstead to Luton and being a minor celebrity in a shopping arcade (unless there is a dog that can say "sausages"). Months after it was first pointed out on the Vote 2007 website, her Luton South policies
I'll blog in a bit about the major issues coming out of today's full council meeting, but I wanted to point readers to my colleague Jeremy Rowe's blog and his post about Cabinet Member for Schools Sally Bain. Recently there was a proposal (strenuously, but ambiguously denied) that two village primary schools were to be closed. The villages of St Mabyn and St Tudy organised a referendum (properly overseen by the Electoral Reform Society) and 97.3% of those who voted backed keeping the existing schools open. Yet today Sally Bain said she doubted that the villagers were acting in the ...
I'm always hearing gripes about local councillors and the council but have never heard anything quite like this before! Thanks to 'A Lanson Boy' for writing about this. When I first read it I actually couldn't beleive this. How arrogant do you have to be to walk out your own meeting and leave it to council officers to pick up the slack? Some people shouldn't be politicians!
I've just been listening to Iain Dale on Simon Mayo's show discussing the Tory slip in the polls with Peter Riddell. Iain stated that he thinks the main reason why the Tory lead is now averaging in the low double digits rather than the high teens as per a couple of months ago is largely attributed to David Cameron's decision not to have a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Now we have already established that I am no Mike Smithson, but I did decide a few weeks ago to have a small flutter at 10-1 that there would be some ...
Spotted by my colleague Karin Robinson via my ex colleague Mark Pack. 'It's buggered mate' is the name of an Australian version of Fix My Street. Just the same concept - but even better communicated. http://its-buggered-mate.apps.lpmodules.com/ Posted via email from Rob's posterous
Oval Lib Dem Councillors have met with the local police team to raise concerns over crime and anti-social behaviour in the ward. Concerns we raised included a recent death which many suspect was linked to drug dealing and two muggings. There does seem to be a reduction in anti-social behaviour and gang related activity in the Dorset Road area, so we hope this will continue. We will carry on working with local residents to raise concerns over crime. Please let us know if you have any concerns - or you can contact the Safer Neighbourhood Team on 07747790001. As always, ...
South Gloucestershire councillor Peter Tyzack has been selected as the Liberal Democrats' Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the new constituency of Filton and Bradley Stoke. From the South Gloucestershire Gazette: At the next General Election, to be held in the spring, the existing Northavon constituency is to be divided into two new constituencies, Filton and Bradley Stoke, and Thornbury and Yate. Cllr Tyzack said: "I am honoured to have been chosen by the party to represent the people in this new constituency for the next General Election. I would like to say thank you for the support that I have already ...
Am listening to the House of Comments podcast. Charlotte Gore is ruling the thing. Which must be slightly worrying for Tom Harris MP, who is the other non-regular contributor. However, I recognise that I might be saying that from a biased perspective. I have to say if it wasn't that I know and love Charlotte, and am interested in what she has to say, I would have lost interest by now. I'm not sure if the format of four people basically having a conversation is enough to sustain interest without some added factor. Certainly I haven't listened to all of ...
Disappointed with this - there seems to be one or two people with 4×4's who have a fixation with this park. Damage at a park in Burbage Police are appealing for witnesses following the report of criminal damage at a park in Burbage. A bollard preventing vehicles from entering the Rugby Road recreation ground was knocked down, sometime between 1pm on Tuesday December 1 and 9am on Wednesday December 2. Police believe a vehicle was used to knock the bollard to the ground. PC Paul Bingham, the officer investigating the incident, said: "We are hoping that anyone who has information ...
As you probably knew I went for my Cut Throat Razor shave on Sunday, well the good news is Mat O'Marah from www.waxingforguys.co.uk is not Wolverhampton's answer to Sweeny Todd and I am not in a pie!
I've just read this on the SNP website: "Lib Dems to Include Referendum in Manifesto" Now I thought I hadn't missed anything. I'm sure I would have been in a debate approving the Manifesto, because with the exception of 2007 I was at the one in 2003, both the National and Scottish Variations in 2005. But then I realised we have yet to even finalise the 2010 manifestoes let alone look ahead to 2011. So what are the SNP up to? For starters they are talking about a highly public disagreement between the grass roots and the leadership. Surely this ...
I have been thinking about us. Things have not been working out for us for a while now. We have been spending more and more time apart. I find I just can't understand you any more. You seem embarked on a mission of self destruction. In particular I find it extraordinary that you keep flirting with wholly unsuitable men. A few years ago you fell for the public school charms of Tony Blair. "This time" you said "it is different. We can have a caring, Socialist government and still have a good economy". As we now both know, the reality ...
Another poll comes and another poll shows that the Conservatives lead in the opinion polls; if not sliding then certainly eroding. The question then becomes whether this will become a more decisive slide and the 'game' really is back on. I would tend to think that Conservatives are still in a strong position but the ...
Hull City Council is set to freeze council tax next year under plans unveiled by the Lib Dem group this morning. The proposed zero increase would ensure Hull keeps its current position as the Council with the lowest average council tax in Yorkshire. The savings will be paid for by reducing back office services by 1/5th, rationalising council's buildings this saving on energy costs, rent and business rates. And reducing the councils marketing budget by 8% The draft budget also contains proposals to include continued investment in key areas including: A 10% increase in the street scene budget to increase ...
Gordon Brown has announced that he is going to trim out Public Sector waste. Excessive pay will be scrutinised and unnecessary programmes and Quangos abolished. One does wonder what the Labour chancellor from 1997 to 2006, with his legendary reputation for Prudence and for being "the Iron Chancellor", was doing for all those years. Meanwhile the Tories pledge to increase government efficiency seems to be moving on a pace. To do this they have set up an advisory board, which presumably if they are elected will mean they become a paid quango, containing a lot of the advisers Labour employed ...
One of the first publications from Iain Dale's new Biteback publishing imprint dedicated to political books, The Total Politics Guide to the 2010 General Election (Eds, Greg Callus and Iain Dale) weighs in at just under 300 pages divided into two (unequal) sections: the first is a series of 14 articles examining different aspects of the coming election; the second non-half comprises over 200 pages of regional and constuency profiles. As you might guess, this is a for-geeks-only book. But, then, if you're reading this review that label probably applies. [IMG: total politics gen elect guide 2010] So, assuming you ...
With the Copenhagen Summit underway and the low rumble of discontent over the hacked emails debacle still audible, I feel the need to communicate my feelings on all the claims and counter-claims on the 'science' of global warming. I marched on the 'Copenhagen Wave' last weekend, along with tens of thousands of other people from all ...
At last! A new blog has come along that hopefully will help to do for the forthcoming general election what fivethirtyeight did for Obama 2008. It's put together by one Jay Blanc, of whom I can't say I've heard before, it appears pretty much impartial, and unlike Anthony Wells' estimable UK Polling Report (which I still heartily recommend) it features graphs with the current state of play in the polls, which is always a plus for me . It's at UK Election Trend and should be added to your blogroll if you have any interest in psephology. Mightily interesting reading ...
Tue 8th
11:40
'Speaking from his Atlanta Hotel Mr Breed said...' - The Press Officer's Guide Lesson 10 - Make sure...
One of the problems with politics is 'events dear boy.' They happen to everybody and need to be dealt with successfully. Political life winds down in August, whilst MPs, staff and constituents find the time to spend two weeks away and have a rest from busy lives. In South East Cornwall Colin Breed and the local Lib ...
[IMG: This is a list of bullet points] Phew. Been working my way through a pile of presentations from various people, mostly about social media. There's lots of good stuff in there and I've learnt a lot from the sharing culture people have about their presentations these days. But I also need to let you into a little secret. Well, a secret if you haven't yet read the headline to this post [IMG: :-)] You see, I'm starting to pine for slides with bullet points. Bullet point lists used to be have their uses. In fact they still do, particularly ...
The latest "House of Comments" podcast with myself and Stuart Sharpe of the Sharpe's Opinion political blog is now live. The website for the podcasts is here and the seventh episode which we recorded on Monday 7th Dec is available to download via this page here (raw mp3 file here if you prefer). You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes here. The format is to invite one or two other political bloggers each week and discuss a few of the stories that are making waves in the blogosphere. This week we decided to make things a bit less formal ...
Commenting on Reprieve's claims that the Government misled Parliament over the rendition of two suspects from Iraq to Afghanistan, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary, Edward Davey said: "The Government appears to have misled Parliament over a number of facts that were central to its attempted defence of the rendition of these prisoners. "Parliament was never given enough detail on this incident in the first place. Bob Ainsworth must come to the House of Commons and set the record straight. "This is clearly an area that Sir John Chilcot should consider as part of his ongoing inquiry. The public will be ...
Speaking ahead of Wednesday's pre-budget report by Chancellor Darling, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable announced Liberal Democrat proposals for restraint and fairness in public sector pay. The proposals would cap public sector pay rises at £400 per person to limit the growth of the public sector pay bill while ensuring fairness for teachers, nurses, police officers and other public sector workers. The progressive measure will save taxpayers about £4bn a year while reducing pressure on front line services and protecting jobs. Commenting Vince Cable said: "Public sector pay makes up a quarter of all public spending so any serious ...
So let's get this right. I have had the same jobsworth letter as other people in response to my complaint about them dropping Jo Swinson from Question Time. Part of it is as follows: "... reflect a change in the prominence of some of the issues due to be discussed on the programme and in order to facilitate debate by having representatives willing to question the central political consensus on these issues, of which the Liberal Democrats are a part" It is quoted in full elsewhere - Stephen's Linlithgow Journal and Mark Reckons. So the programme was in Scotland and ...
Unsuspecting reader, you may be thinking that Winston Churchill was a fine Prime Minster, a great wartime leader, a patriotic Englishman and an inspiration to millions of Britons and generations of tabloid newspaper editors. You would, of course, be quite wrong. For if we apply the standards of tabloid newspaper editors to Winston Churchill, you find that the shocking truth is: Churchill disgracefully insulted wartime heroes (by not dotting the letter i properly – just as The Sun criticised Gordon Brown for). Churchill outrageously mocked our history (by removing any trace of Christianity or winter from the cover of his ...
It's an obvious road safety move isn't it? Don't lets cars loose in our roads unless each of them has its own steam-roller heading in front of it. And a person with a red flag in from of the steam-roller. So indeed said Patrick O'Brien in 1902: For the protection of the public, he would suggest that every motor car should be preceded by the steam-roller, and every steam-roller by a man with a red flag. How did this tongue-in-cheek proposal coming about? The Locomotives Act 1865 required someone requiring a red flag to precede in front of any locomotives ...
A year ago today, Kirsty Williams was elected Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats – the first female leader of a political party in Wales. 2 Must-Read Blog Posts What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator: Our fishy democracy Duncan Stott's worked out that in roughly 87% of seats, more people didn't vote than voted for their MP. He proposes a visual way to remind "politicians to engage more with their constituents, and also the public to engage with politics." No trifling matter Haringey Councillor ...
The hugely controversial 26-storey plan for the Arcadia site opposite Ealing Broadway station has finally been rejected. I'm delighted by this decision. It's fantastic news for Ealing and a body blow to the Conservative Council. The hugely unpopular scheme was pushed through against strong local opposition showing how out of touch the Tories have become with local residents. The Conservative Council spent £100,000 to defend it at the Public Inquiry. The planning inspector has considered all the evidence and has now firmly rejected it. The Secretary of State confirmed the planning inspector's view. The documents aren't yet up on the ...
Heavy rumours of a defection to the Tories this morning. More news when we have it, but all we can confirm at this stage is that it is not from us. UPDATE: According to Politics Cymru, it's Mohammed Ashgar AM from Plaid Cymru, which is what we had also been hearing... CONFIRMED: Tom Bodden "Mohammad Ashgar SE Wales AM stuns Plaid Cymru by announcing defection to the Conservatives in Welsh Assembly. 'Supports UK and Royal Family" First crossing of the floor in the history of the Assembly, and the story broken first by Freedom Central! The Tory press release is ...
Now that I've had a chance to sleep on things, I tend to the view that the recommendation of a unitary county for Suffolk is a sensible one. The proposal from Ipswich Borough Council seemed, to my mind at least, to produce an authority too small to be effective, unless the area covered was expanded quite a bit, effectively turning it into the Ipswich & Felixstowe option offered, but not recommended, by the Boundary Committee. The problem with small authorities is that they find it difficult to attract the best staff, have small departments vulnerable to loss of key employees, ...
A big thank you to everyone involved in the primary school carol concerts at St Georges Church in Heaviley, Stockport. I was there on Monday night, along with fellow councillors Wendy Orrell, Stella Humphries and June Somekh, not to mention several hundred friends, parents, relatives and teachers come to watch the choirs. On Monday evening, eleven school choirs including Gatley Primary gathered to entertain us. The church was warm (how do they do that?), the length of the concert just about right and the whole thing expertly led by Rev Alan Ball, with the choirs directed by Jill Henderson-Wild. Having ...
The news that Sir Peter Gershon has been swallowed by the Conservative Party is bad news for public services. It implies that Cameron will follow the Gershon prescription for efficiency - and that means more of the same. In fact, the 2004 Gershon Review - which included coachloads of representatives from the IT consultants PA Consulting - has been disastrous for public services. It decided (surprise, surprise!) that huge investment in IT was required. The result has been huge factory back office processing systems, vast waste, less human contact with the general public - who have to interact via call ...
The backlash against the daft decision to leave Southport without a central Library for 3 years was been enormous. Well over 4000 have now signed up. Despite having been told that it would not be able to 'recall' this decision the Chair of the relevant committee has over ruled this and we are all set for a meeting tomorrow evening in Southport Town Hall. My colleague Richard Hands who triggered the review is going to speak and we are hopeful it will find itself back at cabinet. The voting on the cabinet is interesting. If all the Southport Councillors stick ...
There are many "think tanks" in British politics. Hell, there are many think tanks in all politics. The purpose of them is to generate ideas for policy away from the usual pressures of the political process. In that sense, they are the classic device of the political class: to outsource as much as possible from themselves ...
About the one polices that our local Tories have grasped is 'anti regionalism' and 'anti quango'. It comes a particular delight to read about Caroline Spellman-the Tory front bencher-announce a U turn on that Regional Quango our Tories particularly love to loath, Regional Development Agencies. I can almost hear Mrs Parry stridently assert how how come the General election this will be the first quango to be slaughtered. Now she will have to get to grips with another policy...................................
I am taking a short blogging holiday to concentrate on other aspects of being a Councillor and buying Christmas presents! I expect to be back with a flourish in a week or so. Paul
We need to raise revenues. We need less congested urban streets. What about it?
Tomorrow evening, Wednesday December 8th, sees the local premiere, in Darlington Arts Centre, of "Beauty and the Bike", a film shot, produced and directed by my friends Richard Grassick and Beatrix Wupperman from the Darlington Media Group. The film follows a group of girls from Darlington as they travel to the cycle-friendly town of Bremen in Germany and bring their experiences back with them to
The National Autistic Society is running a FREE Information Sharing Drop-In giving you the chance to meet a range of providers who offer support and services to people with autism and their families. The Information Sharing Drop-In will also offer FREE training sessions on Sensory Issues by the National Autistic Society HELP! Team as well as information on the changes in Social care. Date: Wednesday 9th December Time: 10am - 6.30pm Location: The MET, Market Street, Bury BL9 0BW Everyone is welcome! Just come along to have a chat and find out more. For further information, please contact Sara on ...
Until Sunday, I'd never sent a letter to a national newspaper before. However prompted by the FT's editorial which was essentially supporting Lib Dem plans for tax reform, I thought I would point this out to them. And, somewhat to my surprise, they printed it today. Here's what is says: Sir, Could your editorial, "A taxing problem" ...
The Boundary Committee for England has just published its report into local government arrangements in Devon (including the Lib Dem minority control council of Exeter), Norfolk and Suffolk. It says: In Devon, the Committee has put forward a single unitary council for the current Devon county area. In Norfolk, the Committee has put forward a single unitary council for the whole of Norfolk. In Suffolk, the Committee has made two proposals: a unitary county of Suffolk (the Committee's preferred alternative proposal for Suffolk); and a two-unitary pattern comprising an Ipswich & Felixstowe authority and a Rural Suffolk authority. These are ...
The outlines of a serious challenge to Google's domination have started to take shape in the last few weeks and, rather than being based on someone doing a better search engine (as per many of the previous ones), it is based on fragmenting data on the internet. [IMG: Yahoo cakes. Photo credit: clevercupcakes, Flickr] We've already seen Rupert Murdoch's desire to take most of his news content away from Google's reach and potentially put it within the reach of just those who pay direct or those who use Microsoft's Bing search engine. Last week's Yahoo/Facebook tie-up is fundamentally the same: ...
Or "You couldn't make it up #99,342,751" ....I had that Tariq Aziz in the back of the cab once... From the Daily Mail: Gossip from an Iraqi taxi driver was a key source for Tony Blair's 'dodgy dossier'. A report by a respected MP claims that the unlikely secret agent was one of MI6's top sources when it was building a case to justify the invasion. He provided the information that Saddam Hussein could fire chemical weapons at British targets within 45 minutes. ...Senior intelligence officials have told the MP that the cabbie falsely claimed Saddam Hussein had acquired long-range ...
Hi lisa northover, There is a Christmas card waiting for you from lisa. If this email does not display a button allowing you to view your ecard, please enable the graphics in your email software.To send a Christmas ecard to friends and family, visit http://www.eno.org/ecard/xmas09ENO's Messiah runs from 27 Nov to 11 Dec, find out more here.
Over the last few days, I've reported several lights in need of repair around Cheadle & Gatley. In the centre of Cheadle, four Christmas lights are faulty - one at the bottom of Massie Street and three around the High Street/Wilmslow Road junction. In Gatley there's still one Christmas star not working - outside Barclays. At the start of the slip road from Kingsway southbound onto the South Park Road estate, the signs should be lit up and aren't. I've asked for the pea lights in Walter Stansby Park to be connected up. The light were bought by the friends ...
"Make sure your pointing at the problem" seems to be the usual advice. Well, just be careful. You could end up on this excellent website: Angry people in local newspapers. My favourite is: Actual pointing-at-dog-poo anger Homburg doff: John Rentoul
I was out tonight doing a spot of late night leaflet delivery with my colleagues from Dunston Hill - I say late delivery but of course it was only 7pm, it gets dark so quickly at this time of year. Returning home through Crawcrook I have to say it felt very unfestive, the council could really do with putting up christmas illuminations in places like this as well as in Gateshead town centre.
Yeah I thought it was that time of year again to report on the Christmas Price Index, the index with looks at a basket of 12 goods (13 if you count the partridge and the pear tree as separate entities) preformed over last year. Well if you really have a two love who repeats all 364 gifts over the traditional 12 loops the cost is up a mere 0.9% at $87,402.81, this is the smallest increase since 2002 when the index actually showed deflation. The price for only one of each gift rose 1.8% to $21,465.56 up $385.46. The rise ...
Every political party in the run up to each election put a lot of work into their election manifesto, it is their selection of "pledges" for the election campaign so that voters can make their clear and informed choice when they go into the polling station and make their mark on the ballot paper. I know from the European election earlier this year and the work already going into our general election manifesto that this is a major piece of work for the staff of political parties. Thinking through the ideas, ensuring the costings are correct and that each idea ...
US Senator Inhofe of Oklahoma has gone to Copenhagen as part of a self-declared "Truth Squad". He is touring the media to, basically, contradict the Obama line. In particular, he has rejoiced in telling the media that Obama is giving the impression that he (Obama) can promise measures against climate change when, according to Inhofe, he (Obama) can't – without getting the approval of the US Congress. One slight snag. Obama can act without the approval of congress, through the Environmental Protection Agency: America's Environmental Protection Agency has announced that greenhouse gases are a danger to human health. The ruling ...
After months of waiting and potential lost chances of funding, the improvements in Gainsborough Town Centre are going to start in January. Gainsborough market will be relocated for the duration of the works in Market Place and Silver Street. The Tuesday market will be held in Ship Court and Guildhall car parks. Both car parks will be closed from 6pm Monday evenings until 6pm Tuesday evenings.
Since the heyday of Respect, when it got George Galloway elected as MP for Bethnal Green and Bow in 2005 and became the official opposition on Tower Hamlets council one year later, the party has been in the doldrums. Mr Galloway's reputation took a nosedive as he donned a red leotard and pretended to be ...
The weekend's rains again exposed serious problems with flooding. Pictured below are: Victoria Street (newly reported to Herts Highways) [IMG: victoria-street-puddle.jpg] London Road (previously reported: Herts Highways say they will 'rod the gulley' to see if this helps) [IMG: london-road-puddle.jpg] They have also noted (as they have many times before) the puddling on the corner of Beechwood Avenue and Sandpit Lane.
For younger and metrically literate readers, this is the old way to describe trying to fit a litre of water into a half litre bottle. It doesn't work. And that's exactly the feeling I got looking at the plans for Belle Vue, launched today. At first it looked clever; green space left to pacify people opposed to losing it, and a jigsaw of buildings and pitches fitted into the bits that aren't currently open space. The best of both worlds! Then I looked at it again. The school looks cramped and when I looked at the figures I knew why. ...
It looks like Alistair Darling is going to make a "massive U-turn" tomorrow when he mentions the NHS IT system in his pre-Budget report. He is not saying the system is wrong. Have you ever heard a politician say something that they had previously said was wrong? No he is going to scale back the IT in the NHS because it is not "essential to the frontline". Until 2008 I worked in the Health Service as a physiotherapist. There was widespread recognition that computers were doing a good job but for all the time that I spent on the computer ...
With Vince Cable so strongly arguing that bankers bonuses should be taxed it is clear that the Liberal Democrats are dedicated towards creating a fairer society. After so much empty talk from the government about protecting tax payer's money, after we bailed the banks out, and the Conservatives arguing that people are being unfair to the bankers who created the economic mess it is no wonder that people are angry and disillusioned about this situation. As the major share holders in bailed out banks, people are right to be outraged that such bonuses continue to be awarded while public services ...
