12th Night so time to take down the cards, decorations and tree. So what next ? The tree has been taken outside looking rather sorry for itself and not looking at all like the picture taken last night, but it will be put to use when collected by the Council on Saturday (if you live in Stockton Borough, leave out where you usually leave the wheely bin) for making into mulch etc. Cards will be...
Labour Councillors today voted to close Ewing School, ignoring the pleas of local campaigners from Parents against the Closure of Ewing (PACE), Lib Dem Councillors and campaigners and an 11,000 name petition. The Lib Dem have campaigned with parents from the start, argued against the closure, and have done everything in their power to stop it happening. However, there is a Labour majority on the Council. I think the Labour Councillors clearly don't know about the excellent work Ewing currently does on inclusion. This is the wrong decision for local people who will see an excellent school close without any ...
Labour Councillors today voted to close Ewing School, ignoring the pleas of local campaigners from Parents against the Closure of Ewing (PACE), Lib Dem Councillors and campaigners and an 11,000 name petition. The Lib Dem have campaigned with parents from the start, argued against the closure, and have done everything in their power to stop it happening. However, there is a Labour majority on the Council. I think the Labour Councillors clearly don't know about the excellent work Ewing currently does on inclusion. This is the wrong decision for local people who will see an excellent school close without any ...
A memory of warmer days last summer: another picture of the Hanbury Trust's school at Church Langton.
Finally, after a long campaign to get Oyster Pay As You Go (PAYG) to work from tube to overground trains - we have lift off. To test the reality of Oyster being extended on Haringey's train services, I went to Alexandra Palace Station to have a go (before the snow!). It worked - I tapped in and I tapped out! Here's the clip: (Also on YouTube here.) So that's the very good news at long last. However, the bad news is that if you have a Travelcard with limited zones and you want to go beyond them, you will need ...
Which of the songsters will be the undoing of Brown. Rumours that a big hitter in the cabinet is close to resigning in a move to destabilise the Prime Minister. Will it be: Barry Mannilow's MandyDoris Day Move Over (for) DarlingThe Rolling Stones Jumping Jack StrawIt comes after Lord Mandelson told the London Evening Standard: "We are not a sectarian party. We are not a heartlands-only party." This was in response to schools secretary Ed Balls suggesting a targeting strategy in Labour heartlands. Mandelson went on to reject such an idea saying: "We are not going to win the election ...
The following local schools will be closed on Wednesday due to snow: Oratory School, Ladywood Heartlands Academy, Nechells Chad Vale Primary School, Edgbaston St. Clare's Catholic Primary School, Handsworth Westminster Primary School, Handsworth For a full list of Birmingham and West Midlands school closures, click here.
Yup, you read that headline right. For those are the surprising figures from the 2009 European Election expense returns which have just been published. In 2009 the Conservatives spent £2,482,536 on election expenses for the European elections, just ahead of Labour on £2,302,244 with the Liberal Democrats on £1,180,883. However, while the Labour figure was up 35% on the 2004 European elections, the Conservatives had cut their spending by 21%. The Liberal Democrat spending was 1% lower. UKIP spent £1,270,855, a cut of 46%. In the elections the Conservatives, UKIP and Liberal Democrats each gained a seat while Labour lost ...
As 2010 begins, I am looking forward to a great year for Hebden Bridge for many reasons, but two in particular, both of which involve Hebden Royd Town Council. Firstly, it is the 500th anniversary of the bridge from which the town takes its name. Well, approximately. The bridge was built in c.1510, so we're having ...
Subrosa has the new Wikio rankings for all blogs and The Wardman Wire has them for political blogs. I shall do the new Lib Dem list presently.* * That is "presently" in the English sense, not the American.
It's been confirmed that there was no recycling or refuse collecting today, due to the exceptional weather. That's not a surprise (there was very little of anything today!), however the Council didn't confirm this until 6pm, so people couldn't bring their bins in. There has been no word as to whether we are expected to leave our bins out for them to be collected eventually (two weeks ago, that took six days for them to catch up) or take them back in. If I'm given any firm advice, I will pass it on. I know the weather has been exceptional, ...
Tonight's Evening Telegraph covers my concerns about winter maintenance in the West End and across the city (see http://tinyurl.com/winterissues) I agree with the council leader that front-line staff who undertake winter maintenance should be applauded for the individual efforts they have made, but the SNP administration doesn't seem to grasp the point made by many residents that the council level of resource made available did not seem to recognise the particularly challenging weather conditions over this festive period. I support an urgent and full discussion by councillors of future winter maintenance policy so that lessons can be learned for future ...
Together with Councillors Iain Bowen and Penny Wagg, I met with National Express West Midlands and City Council Transportation staff this morning. As the snow started to fall, we discussed the bus route changes previously described in my post of 21 December 2009. Councillors Paula Smith and Jackie Hawthorn from Hall Green Ward and Councillor Jerry Evans from Springfield Ward also attended as the route changes will have a big impact on their residents too. To be honest it was a pretty disappointing meeting. It rapidly became clear that this was not a consultation meeting but to inform and explain ...
Semi-welcome news in today's Guardian, Website archives to be fast-tracked: New legal powers to allow the British Library to archive millions of websites are to be fast-tracked by ministers after the Guardian exposed long delays in introducing the measures. The culture minister, Margaret Hodge, is pressing for the faster introduction of powers to allow six major libraries to copy every free website based in the UK as part of their efforts to record Britain's cultural, scientific and political history. The move is long overdue, though, as the newspaper notes: The Guardian reported in October that senior executives at the British ...
From the Waltham Forest Guardian: An aspiring MP has gone to extreme lengths to protest against the three main political parties. Adam Osen, 50, has officially changed his name to None Of The Above and hopes to attract support from disillusioned voters as an independent parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green. The move was suggested by Mr Above's brother, Gideon, who took the idea from the film Brewster's Millions, which sees a character run a political campaign under the same slogan. The former Mr Osen, a painter and decorator of Woodberry Way in Chingford, said his wife, Rebecca, 43, ...
There is a new planning application in for 42 & 44 Flint Green Road. I was very critical of the previous application (see my post on 9 October 2009) which threatened to destroy two of Acocks Green's finest buildings and replace them with some very anonymous modern homes. The good news is that the new application proposes the retention of the existing buildings. One (42) would be restored to its original use - as a family home. The other (44) would contain two x 2 bed apartments and two 1 bed apartments. The rest of the site would see a ...
At first I was surprised to discover there were so many patents related to pillow cases. Then I was intrigued as to quite what was special about this one. But then I was distracted by the wonder of the pillow case which, according to the legally lodged and therefore official and always correct documentation, "may have a width and a length". Only "may". Not "shall". So it may also have no width or length. Not clear if a height is mandatory or banned. Either way, that's some pillow. Exisential quite possibly. Or perhaps a manifestation of string theory? Just in ...
Duncan Stott has produced a brilliant little graphic which succinctly highlights how cost effective the Lib Dems are at fighting elections compared to Labour and the Tories using 2005 election figures and spending totals and relating it to how effectively the party would spend taxes: I think Cowley Street would be well advised to include a version of this message in their planned advertising campaign for the upcoming election.
There has been some talk today about Dave's new poster. Airbrushed or not airbushed that is the question. Is it the cheekbones? Is it a missing adams apple? Looking below I think that isn't prominent at times anway. But what that suggestion does lead me to is the chin. Look above it looks chiseled, down below less so.
A quick post on School Closures in Chorlton tomorrow. Brookburn, St Johns & Chorlton CofE are confirmed closed. EDIT: Oswald Rd school is also closed tomorrow. Schools in neighbouring wards that are also closed include: Manley Park Chorlton High Loreto High Martenscroft (Surestart) Lancasterian St Margarets CE (not certain this is the one on Withington Rd) Whalley Range High. NB: This list isn't exhaustive. The full list is here. Should I hear news on Oswald Rd (or Chorlton Park Primary) I will post ASAP UPDATE: A parent from Chorlton Park has contacted me saying that school is closed too.
Well, no, it's probably not. But it must at least qualify for the laziest piece of journalism this decade. I refer to today's Independent article, 'Clegg faces party backlash over Tory alliance', by Nigel Morris and Michael Savage. Oh, go on, then, here's a link if you must; though I begrudge handing them the traffic. The opening para gives a flavour of the kite-flying, unsourced speculation: Nick Clegg faces a backlash from grassroots Liberal Democrats if he moves his party too close to the Conservatives in a hung parliament. Well, yes, he probably would. Which is why he won't. Unless ...
I've just been out in the snow with the missus and the dog. It's coming down in bucketloads round here, so much so that after only about an hour we were able to do this: Say hello to Keith, our temporarily resident Sandhurst Snowman. Anyway, I must dash. Chess, our Cocker Spaniel (featured) is currently whining at the front door desperate to go outside for some more fun!
Look at the picture here - what do you see? Answers on a postcard please. It cuts to the very quick of my soul.
Snow came to Birmingham again today and I have posted a couple of pictures below. (For some, Selly Park became Narnia!)The Council is posting gritting updates on the Birmingham Newsroom website.Dogpool Lane Bridge:Selly Park Recreation Ground:
I have had cause to comment on the Conservative fixation with marriage before, and seldom been impressed with their outpourings on the subject. They are passionate about families though, indeed some senior Conservatives have, in the past, been so keen on families that they have maintained two simultaneously. However, whilst the debate about whether or not married couples should be given additional financial support goes on, it does give you an idea about how modern Conservatives categorise people into the deserving and the non-deserving. And so, 'Liberal Bureaucracy' proudly presents; "Where you fit in: your personal guide to whether Conservatives ...
The BBC is reporting that there are a lack of tutors for the government's latest fad 'one-to-one' tuition. This programme is to help those children who fall behind personal support to help them catch up.I am not surprised that there is a shortage of tutors. For the tuition to work best, tutors have to work closely with the school, ensuring that the pupils' gaps in learning are closed and that
An interesting letter appeared in the Western Morning News on December 4th: Fuss about nothing REGARDING dual language signs, as a Cornishman born and bred, but not, I regret, a speaker of Cornish, I say "dunt let's maak a gaat 'eap out o' nothin'"! There are many more vital things in life to worry about. As far as Bude is concerned, it's pretty well Devon anyway - "there's nort to do with Cornwall in Bood!" Graham Hooper Tywardreath This elicited the following response from my brother, Tim Walter, carried in the December 22nd issue of the same organ: Bude is ...
The Lib Dem MP for Edinburgh West, who is retiring at this year's general election, has an interesting angle on the expenses scandal: "When I was a councillor, I had staff, IT, a desk and an office to work in. When I became an MP I was told, 'Go out, find an office, rent it from the landlord, get hold of your IT, pay your bills and claim the money back. "Until that's swept away, until MPs are given the tools to do the job, it will be a major distraction and we'll never restore public trust."And trivia fan will ...
A continuing series of spelling out Conservative plans part 8. Yesterday with great fanfare the Conservatives launched chapter one of their manifesto with their health plans. They even put this on their website. I know I looked at them pretty soon after they came out and posted about them. What I pointed out was a lack of specifics, things which had previously been talked about and published indeed in a draft version of their plans. These were not present yesterday and it appears that the Tories really are forming policy on the hoof. Indeed several proposals had disappeared completely as ...
Nick Clegg pledges that there are no backroom deals or under-the-counter "understandings" with either of the other two UK parties. He restates the core values of the Liberal Democrats as fairness in society and real change in politics.
[IMG: Nick Clegg] Most will now have read Nick Clegg's article in the Times (if you haven't its here). What did you make of it ? Naturally we all read it (well some of us did) looking for clues as to which way Nick Clegg is inclined to lean in the event of a hung parliament. Yes folks groan....the hung parliament question. (oh come one - it's not going away anytime soon - especially while the Tories tie themselves up in knots over simple stuff like tax bonus' to married couples...) So what did it tell us? On face value, ...
The contortions of right-wingers in trying to remain right in their diagnosis of the recession is breathtaking to observe. Admit you're wrong, guys
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg will hold a public meeting in Bath on 7th January, to discuss with local people the issues that matter to them. Since Nick became leader of the Lib Dems he has held well over 50 public meetings across the country, and anyone is free to attend at St Michael's on Broad Street in the centre of Bath, start time 6.30pm. Nick said, "It is now more important than ever for politicians to get out of Westminster and engage with people about how to rebuild our economy and restore trust in politics. I am looking forward ...
Patrick Kidd has a good piece in The Times today describing Alex Ferguson as a "dyspeptic bully" with reference to how he reacts when his team loses. Despite getting nearly six minutes of stoppage time in their 1-0 FA Cup 3rd round defeat to Leeds United, a team two divisions below his own team on Sunday, Ferguson was furious and insisted they they should have had more time and the fact that they did not is an "insult to the game". What an absolute load of rubbish. As an armchair Liverpool fan (and believe me, we have had our fair ...
The graphic should explain all. I showed my working and everything :)
I've just had an email from the Council to say that, unlike some, Kingston has not run out of grit for the roads. With heavy snow expected overnight this is good news. The gritters will be out at 7pm this evening, and then again during the night. Priority is given to major roads, and also to approaches to schools and hospitals. Also, the Council does want to make sure that refuse and recycling are picked up on the right day - which for Chessington and Hook is tomorrow (given the special arrangements over Christmas and the New Year). So this ...
First it was Cameron love bombing LibDem voters. Now Gordon Brown has made overtures on the Andrew Marr show. This suggests that both are aware that LibDems are a real force on the political scene. They certainly are at local government level where they have shown so often how much better things can be managed than by the blue or red brigades. LibDems now run more cities than either of the other two parties. In addition they are the opposition party in huge swathes of the country. Main opposition to Tories in the South and to Labour in the North. ...
I am somewhat surprised by Dave's faux pas over proposals to reintroduce the Married Couple's Allowance. However, ever wanting to be helpful, I thought that I should provide a refresher course on taxation for him. Our story starts in the late 1980's, when I was a fresh-faced young Tax Officer (Higher Grade). It had come as something of a surprise to realise that, for tax purposes at least, married women were considered to be chattels of their husbands, and that their income was aggregated with that of their husbands when calculating the liability to tax. Ironically, the tax system seemed ...
The following is a statement from Bury Council: Go to information about disruptions to bin collections Owing to the continuing severe weather conditions Bury Council is only able to run very limited services. The rubbish and recycling collection service is currently suspended. Due to a national shortage of grit we are having to prioritise the roads which are treated. In order to keep traffic flowing through the borough, main arterial routes and bus routes are the only roads which can be treated with current resources. Snow ploughing is taking place to clear the borough's roads of snow. Continued disruption to ...
Six inches of snow outside and, brrrr, it's bloody cold. For most of us that means staying indoors all week, working from home if possible, and turning the heating up another degree. But for a few households, that extra 1 degree can significantly increase your gas/electricity bill – which in the current (financial) climate, adds a strain to already thin wages. An uninsulated house loses 33% of all heat generated through your walls, 25% through the roof and (if not double glazed or poorly fitted) 20% through the windows. Fortunately, there is something you can do about that – and ...
Cllr Ann Garner was out with neighbours on Glebelands Road for three hours today, helping the driver of an articulated lorry who'd taken a wrong turn to get up the hill and back on his journey. The driver had been heading to pick up sandwiches from the busy food outlet to take them to Asda, however he ended up blocking Glebelands Road instead. Apparently the team used sand from children's sand pits and spare bags of grit to after clearing snow away to enable the lorry up the hill. All in all an opportunity to moan that we don't have ...
A few weeks ago I looked at four seats where the Lib Dems should have a chance of winning at the next general election. One of them was Ashfield where Geoff Hoon is the sitting Labour MP. It seems Geoff might agree with my prediction that he's on the way out. I hate using the Daily Mail as a source but needs must. Quentin Letts has a bit of gossip on some jobhunting MPs and it seems Geoff is among them. From what I've heard he should be pretty worried. He doesn't even have the support of his own local ...
Left Foot Forward has this piece which highlights a 'fresh headache' for David Cameron as plans for 'easyJet' councils have been ruled illegal. If you want a flavour of what a Conservative national government would look like then you have to look no further than these proposals which would; have seen provision of key services slashed, ...
[IMG: Snow in Prestwich, January 2010] Snow on the phone lines, 8am on 5 January 2010 [IMG: Snow in Prestwich, January 2010] [IMG: Snow in Prestwich, January 2010] Bin Collections cancelled..... [IMG: Snow in Prestwich, January 2010] [IMG: New Year 2010] Al fresco living in the back garden, and Upper Wilton Street, 2nd January
Parallels have been drawn between this winter and the winter of 1978/79, now remembered as The Winter of Discontent. However, although we have indeed had the economy going rapidly down the tubes, huge rises in public spending, floods followed by huge snow (and looking in my crystal ball I won't be amazed if we have floods again when this lot melts), we haven't had the wall-to-wall strikes which dogged us in 1979. Just lots of grumbles and threats of industrial action by many people who are understandable annoyed that our pay freezes and extra taxes appear to be funding lavish ...
Well that's the holidays over, it has been an enjoyable break during the last couple of weeks, time spent with the family and an enjoyable Christmas Day spent with my daughter, son-in-law and our grandson. Despite the grumbling I enjoy Christmas, honestly, although not the madness that engulfs the towns and cities in the run ...
I have proof that David Cameron is in league with... OK, let's look at the facts. The image on the left was taken from a campaign poster. The image on the right, just a regular photograph. Spot the difference? The one on the left, so smoth, almost plasticy. It's an auton replica!! David Cameron is in league with the autons and is using at least one of them to help him out with his campaigning. Must be. Or it's the result of over done make-up or a photoshop job. Nah.
If only the Tories had a Tardis of their own. They would be able to go back in time and change the past rather than talking in the present as if their own history were different to what it is. The issue at point here is the Tory attempt to claim they were conned into supporting the Iraq invasion. Chris Grayling has just had a go at Alan Johnson in the Commons about this, whilst debating the
The Conservative Party have spent much of the past twelve years moaning about the 'Nanny State' yet don't see the irony in proposals which foist their own version of morality onto everyone else.
Just a quick note to let everyone know that tonight's Ordsall & Langworthy Community Committee meeting has been cancelled. Will update here as soon as possible when it is re-scheduled. [IMG: Share/Bookmark]
Unable to get to work today I have spent part of the day being mesmerised by the excessive snowfall and part of the day removing christmas decorations and the christmas tree. However away from the enchanting garden of white I now have I know there is travel bedlam and I would urge everyone who can possibly stay at home to do so. I would also urge people to call on any frail elderly or vulnerable neighbours you may have, just to check they are Ok for basic provisions and have heating and are generally looking after themselves. Many will be ...
Southport Tories' civil war has not ceased. N0w evidence received by Birkdale Focus that a serious attempt at a coup is underway. Back in November 07 we predicted that 4 key Conservative councillors (they only have 6 as we write) were under attack. Sir Ron Watson, Les Byrom, David Pearson and Tom Glover-3 previous Tory leaders and a highly respected past Mayor. You would not believe me if told you what they said about this group. Fortunately you don't have to take my word for it as the Tory PPC's chief cheer leader published a book full of nasty comment ...
[IMG: Grit Bin] Due to the severity of the weather and national pressures on salt supplies Lancashire County Council is continuing to only grit priority routes. A map of the priority routes in Clitheroe can be found here. Full details of the council's policy can be found here . Clitheroe's County Cllr Allan Knox has this week been in daily contact with officers to see what can be done to assist local people. County Cllr Knox said: "In particular there appears to be some local discretion about the county's policy as regards emergencies and today I have been informed that ...
This is our latest update on Gritting in Manchester. 4/5 January 2010 The weather was expected to be dry to start followed by snow showers feeding in from the northwest from later on in the evening and continuing overnight. Accumulations of 1-3cm of snow, was amended by the Met. Office to 2-5cm, but then amended again to 10cm. RSTs dropped below freezing for the majority of the period, only reaching positive temperatures briefly in some places yesterday afternoon. Gritting of all category A & B roads commenced at 21.00, followed by a second gritting of all category A & B ...
The Daily Mail reports today that the British Government has been lobbying other European Governments to relax enforcement of a ban on battery farming that is set to come into force in 2012. The EU directive which contains this ban has been talked about for years, and farmers have been given ample time to change ...
The plaudits go to Tim Farron Lib Dem Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary (pictured right) for using the word in the following comment. "For too long, Britain's food market has been dominated by a 'trolleygarchy' that has seen profits monopolised by the big supermarkets. "While the Tories want to sound tough, today's announcement is like fighting a gun battle with a water pistol. "Farmers will only get a fair deal if a new regulator is given the teeth to enforce a strict, legally binding code governing the relationship between supermarkets, suppliers, and pricing. "It is to its shame ...
It was good to see the Tories in a mess yesterday over their policy on tax breaks for married couples. This Tory bit of social engineering deserved to give them trouble. In the morning it was merely an aspiration. In the afternoon, it was changed to be a hard core policy but with no explanation whatsoever as to how they would pay for it.I wonder how many more of their half-baked policies are
It was the afternoon of 31st October 2009 when emerging from the Piccadilly Circus tube station I received a text message informing me that Anjem Chaudhary had given up his plans to march through central London under the banner of Islam4UK that day. Not only was I pleasantly surprised but felt a deep sense of satisfaction at having, perhaps for the first time in the history of post-Rushdie-affair Britain, reclaimed the public sphere away from the pseudo-religious bigots. These people have consistently hijacked the name of Islam to gain political mileage and to sow the seeds of mistrust, hatred and ...
This certainly seems to be a possibility that this might happen according to the BBC and the GMB. I don't know much about the issues facing pubs myself but Greg Mulholland, the Lib Dem MP in Leeds North West, is doing a huge amount for the pub trade in parliament so I always take a bit of an interest when I see a pub story come up on the news. As I understand it many pub landlords are tied into contracts with a certain supply, often at prices well above market value. It seems very reasonable considering the pressure landlords ...
I've just heard that the immigration minister, Phil Woolas, is arriving tomorrow (Wednesday 6th Jan) to launch the ID card for foreigners through the city's St Andrew's Street Post Office. The move means Cambridge will become a testing ground for the scheme, focusing on the immigration issue, and the first step towards rolling it out nationally. NO2ID is joining forces with some of the Cambridge City Councillors to stage a protest with banners outside the St. Andrew's Street Post Office between 8am and 9am tomorrow morning. I'll be there, why not come along?
I've written before about my scepticism of the value of webcasting council meetings but also of the merits of blogging for local councils. So good to see a twist on all this with Manchester Evening News trying out live blogging Trafford Council meetings.
Conservative plans to favour marriage in the tax system are clearly distributionally regressive: but abandoning them puts them at risk to attack from the Right. They should still abandon them,
Most of were annoyed when the Tory press started picking on Ming for his age. Cruel cartoons were published making him look 'gaga'. The Daily Mail picked on Speaker Martin not for his incompetence but for his class-'Gorbals Mick'. Roy Hattersley stood up a BBC news quiz and the programme went out with a jar of lard where Hattersley should have been sitting. Politics is a rough old game. Therefore there was an intake of breath round here when in a Tory candidate loudly complained when a local sports club held a quiz and included a question about her voting ...
Jack Colbert and Richard Clien have every reason to be pleased with their campaign to re-instate the second fire engine to Crosby. Full details here
With the thought that there are only 353 days to Christmas and considerably fewer until the General Election, we launch into today's Daily View. On this day in 1918, the Free Committee for a German Workers Peace, which would become the Nazi party, was founded. In 1941, the aviator Amy Johnson, disappeared over the Thames Estuary and was never found. And 28 years ago today, Peter Sutcliffe, a 35-year-old lorry driver from Bradford appeared in court, charged with 13 murders of women in West Yorkshire. Happy birthday to the second most famous son of Abbots Langley, footballer, actor and current ...
The Met Office has issued a severe weather warning for South and South East England including Reading and the surrounding area. The weather warning has been issued to cover the period from 6pm this evening to 11.59pm on Wednesday evening. Details of the warning are as follows: 'Outbreaks of snow will turn heavy this evening and overnight giving fresh accumulations of 10-15 cm in places and perhaps locally in excess of 20 cm. This could cause widespread disruption to transport. The public are advised to take extra care and refer to the Highways Agency for further advicee on traffic disruption ...
The Cornwall Council budget for next year proposes to save more than £4 million pounds in the Adult Care budget through 'procurement activity savings'. I attended the Adult Care scrutiny committee meeting today and asked what exactly this meant. It turns out that the former practice was for individual social workers to negotiate details of individual care contracts with care providers. This seems bonkers. Social workers are experts in assessing the needs of people who need care and judging how to provide that care. But they are not recruited because of their acumen in contract negoitiations. Not surprisingly, therefore, some ...
I am currently sitting on a train heading north to Newcastle, having spent the Xmas/New Year break in London. There is no snow in London but the news says it has fallen heavily in Yorkshire. The result is East Coast services have been delayed. I seem to be the lucky one. My train is only 9 minutes late. We have not, however, got as far as Yorkshire. David returned home over the weekend and has
Iain Martin of the Wall Street Journal put in a pithy request to the political parties yesterday, Day -1 of the 2010 general election campaign: Better Slogans, Please. Iain is equally scathing of Labour's efforts ('Come on Labour, wake up, get a move on! Don't you know there's an election on?') and the Tories' ('a rather unhappy fudge of a slogan that doesn't stick in the brain. Fail.'). But he's also slightly underwhelmed by the Lib Dems' sloganeering: The Lib-Dems: The party knows there is no point diving in when the two larger parties are getting all the attention. Instead, ...
Readers of this blog will know I have always tried to illustrate a story with a picture - but it can be quite hard t use just one picture - sometimes the local history find is such that I have a bonanza of pictures. Today, my excuse is that I am in Jerusalem... [A reminder that where it's a small picture the reader should be able to double click on the photo and it open up at full size so you can see the detail]. Here you are quite literally walking on history and walking on layer upon layer of ...
1. Military language will be the order of the day for debate pundits. Fighting to the finish, knock out blows and accounts of who is ahead on points: deploy your military phraseology at dawn. 2. 99% of pundits who have previously expressed support for a party will declare that party's leader the real winner from each debate - even if the party and leader did not appear in the debate. 3. Each party participating in the debate will say beforehand that its leader is not going to easily best the other leaders - and will say afterwards that its leader ...
[IMG: africacorruption] While funds continue to be pumped into Africa through Aid for Trade programmes (to the tune of $9.5 billion in 2007), African governments continue to stifle their own businesses by imposing restrictions upon the movement of goods through the region. A recent article in the Vanguard News (Lagos) details how debilitating delays to traffic are caused by Nigerian government officials extorting money, in the form of taxes and fines, from traders. It's a common story, has even become a stereotype of much of the continent, yet sadly remains true. This heavy handed government action renders Nigerian businesses uncompetitive–delaying ...
I haven't ventured out too far today - just walked into the village, so this isn't a complete picture. As far as I know: We've had around 10cm/4 inches of snow. The trains out from Manchester to Gatley aren't currently running No planes are coming in or out of Manchester Airport at least until noon and the airport warns that some of the approach roads are difficult to pass. Lots of people walking into the village - all the snow makes the pavements less slippery, for now at least. The roads I've seen are passable with care in a car, ...
Tue 5th
11:30
The Labour Party & Scottish Devolution, 1967-79: a case study in British political expediency .....
As trailed here, over the next few weeks I'm publishing 'The Labour Party & Scottish Devolution, 1967-79: a case study in British political expediency', the thesis I wrote as an undergraduate some 12 years ago. Today, to kick off things, is the abstract ... Abstact This thesis attempts to explain the extreme difficulties the Labour Party faced in the 1970s in attempting to introduce devolution to Scotland. It will be shown that the principal problem was the conflict in Labour's own ideology, the paradox of a party committed to a unified approach to the economic management of the UK seeking ...
Hostilities have started. The frenzied announcements and counter-announcements from the Conservative and Labour parties over the past few days point towards a long, grinding election campaign. Much of what we have heard so far is unsurprising: absurd pledges on spending, vitriolic attacks on cuts. But one development is new: both the old parties now claim to be almost identical to the Liberal Democrats. David Cameron and Gordon Brown are ostentatiously flirting with Liberal Democrat voters, clumsily trying to woo them — and by implication me and my fellow Liberal Democrat MPs. This year's general election is likely to be the ...
With all the bad weather the Council's road salting crews have been working round the clock to make sure that as many of the county's major routes are open. But this is leading to a rapidly diminishing stock of road salt. According to one of the senior council officers in charge, we are now reaching critical levels and urgently need a re-supply. Cornwall Council buys its road salt from a company in Northern Ireland. An order for more salt was placed before Christmas but it seems that there is difficulty in finding a boat to bring it to Cornwall. According ...
Throughout the festive season, LDV has been offering our readers another chance to read the 12 most popular opinion articles which have appeared on the blog since 1st January, 2009. The most-read article on LDV of 2009 was by LDV co-editor, Stephen Tall, and appeared on 11th April ... Join the campaign to Shred John Prescott's £1.5m Pension Today the Government, in the person of Harriet Harman, announced it would legislate retrospectively to terminate Sir Fred Goodwin's £650,000 a year pension, five months after Labour business minister Lord Myners agreed to the deal. I don't always agree with the Telegraph's ...
Tory-run Hertfordshire County Council has today admitted that it can only go out and grit the roads 6 more times this year. That is the equivalent to 2 nights' gritting - as they admit in their own press releases. This news comes as the snow is heading south and some places in the county are still not clear of snow from the last heavy fall. Chris White, Leader of the Opposition on the County Council said: 'This is outrageous. Last year when the snow fell we told them they had to be prepared for this kind of snow fall. They ...
NHS South Birmingham has launched a new tool to help patients understand their current and future health risks. The Personal Health Assessment (PHA) is available online.A confidential questionnaire is used to help identify personal health needs. Information about your current health and lifestyle will be used to calculate a personal health risk score.This is all part of the NHS South Birmingham
Having been away of late (could you tell?), I'm unsure if this has been posted elsewhere on Lib Dem blogs. Apologies if it has. But if it hasn't, it bloody should be. Never underestimate the value in being able to laugh at (y)ourselves...
Tue 5th
11:00Revisiting ... The Labour Party & Scottish Devolution, 1967-79: a case study in British politica...
This was the rather sententious title I gave to my undergraduate thesis, completed some 12 years ago. At the time I started it, summer 1997, Labour had just won their first landslide under Tony Blair, and I was a loyal party member. [IMG: thesis cover] At least in part, it was researching and writing my thesis that led me to leave Labour and join the Liberal Democrats: the recognition that Labour didn't actually, really, truly believe in empowering individuals. In helping the disadvantaged out, yes; in sticking up for them as a group (as long as they belonged to a ...
Following on from my last post about hung parliaments, Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats probably had one of their best mornings on BBC Radio 4's Today programme for some time. One of the benefits of the heavy snowfall is that I could work from home and so listen to more of the programme, and ...
The leader of Islam4UK has said he will try to persuade people in Wootton Bassett to back an anti-war parade along the main street - the same route used to bring home the bodies of troops from Afghani...
Last night saw the area's heaviest snowfall yet. I hope everybody is safe. Obviously this level of snowfall, and the prolonged sub-zero temperatures which have been going on now for over a fortnight, are placing a strain on Council services. Today in particular the situation is bad due to the levels of snow. Gritting has taken place, but obviously its effects are limited due to the large volume of snow which has fallen so quickly. My advice is to only go out if absolutely necessary, and of course to take extra care. It's unfortunate that Prestwich's bin collection will be ...
There can be no doubt that the Trade Union movement is gearing up to fight against cuts to the public sector by whichever party is in power after the next general election. I do wonder though whether these words from Bob Crow will damage the reputation of the Unions though. I suspect General Secretary's like Bob Crow are not motivated purely by their selfless concern for their members interests but are also after a certain amount of political power and profile for themselves. I just hope inflammatory statements like the one from Crow do not detract from the genuine grievances ...
Struggled in to work this morning - a walk, two trains, a bus and a walk. As the snow got heavier was rather congratulating myself on my work - ethic persistence. Sat down, read e mails - urgent message from bosses saying bad weather means Edge Hill campus being closed. Admittedly the snow is rather heavy now at much of West Lancs is affected but annoying anyway. Oh well.. off to get snowed on again.
2009 is gone, and lets face it, it was shit and has left us all feeling disappointed. What a waste of 365 days. We could have achieved so much if it didn't involve effort and that type of thing. But now it's 2010 (typing that is weird) which means we can also focus on how we've all wasted the last ten years. And a new year means new stuff will happen, and in this article, I'm going to tell you what is going to happen, with a degree of accuracy akin to a blindfolded man throwing rocks at a Squirrel. ...
The new Chief Constable of Wales enters the fray this morning with a warning that the future of police community support officers (PCSOs) is at risk from budget cuts if the Tories get into government later this year. The Western Mail points out that the Conservatives have so far refused to commit themselves to supporting PCSOs and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling is understood to be unconvinced by the initiative, which was brought in during David Blunkett's time at the Home Office as a way of providing a more cost-efficient uniformed presence on the street. Mr Vaughan, a former beat ...
It's motion submission season for the Spring conferences and this year the conference committee will have the opportunity to allow conference to debate drug policy reform for the first time since 2002. In the last decade the drug-related death rate has doubled in Scotland, while in countries like Switzerland and Portugal death rates have fallen by half since they had the bravery to adopt heroin prescription and decriminalisation policies respectively. It is perfectly reasonable to conclude that British reluctance to engage with drug policy has caused hundreds of the most vulnerable, desperate Scots to die. A great many more Britons ...
Redcar and Cleveland Council wants the public to get involved in a consultation about how it is run in the future. Following a change in the law there will be two options to choose from, both different from the current system. The choices - a Council Leader and Cabinet or a directly-elected Mayor and Cabinet - will be the subject of three months consultation in January, February and March and depending on the result, there could be a referendum in the summer. The Council's existing arrangements involve 59 councillors elected every four years. The Leader and ten-member Cabinet are elected ...
After much wooing from both Labour and the Tories in the last few weeks, Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg hits back in this morning's Times with the emphatic assertion that the party is not for sale. The stance the Liberal Democrats will take matters more than ever because the map of British politics is being dramatically redrawn. Slowly but surely three-party politics has asserted itself. Half a century ago only 2 per cent of voters chose a party other than Labour or the Conservatives. At last year's local elections, that had shot up to 40 per cent. At the last ...
[IMG: The Birchcliffe Centre in snow] Due to today's heavy snowfall across the North of England, the ALDC office in Hebden Bridge is closed today (5th January 2010) and all staff are working from home. Advice service still available However, if you do need need to speak to a member of ALDC's political staff then please complete our online form and someone will get back in touch with you as soon as possible. Alternatively, try using our new improved search facility for your query in the top right hand corner of our website, as the information you need may already ...
This morning Nick Clegg is having a moan about other parties suddenly reaching out to him, and trying to convince the electorate that, really, we're all best friends and you couldn't get a cigarette paper between everyone. He's right to point out that this is cynical behaviour on the part of the other parties, but he'd ...
A message from the Council: Due to the weather Refuse and Recycling Services have been suspended for Tuesday 5th January 2010. Resident's are being asked to take their refuse and recycling containers back in and present them on the next scheduled collection day.
Bury Council have announced that all refuse collections in Bury have been cancelled today due to the bad weather conditions. I will update this post when I have more information about what this means for people's rubbish. The Chief Executive of Bury Council has issued the following statement: Owing to the continuing severe weather conditions the council is only able to run very limited services today. The refuse collection service has been suspended. People wishing to contact the council should only do so if it is an emergency. Due to a national shortage of grit the council has to prioritise ...
In an article for the Times, Nick Clegg has warned his opponents against seeking to cosy up to him in the hope of exerting influence after the election.
So Dave can't decide if he wants to reward marriage or not. Sounds like something he should have thought about more carefully before making romantic overtures to the LibDems! Seriously though, what's so wonderful about marriage? Well speaking as someone who has been happily married for the past 16 years and who sees every sign of this continuing, ...
I had a wee bit of spare time yesterday, so I went to visit my friends Faye and Ian in Coventry and their two wonderful children Zach and Poppy. It was Zach's second birthday over the festive period so it was good to see him and wish him a Happy Birthday.
Note to county councillors from the county council: Salt stocks Consistently low road surface temperatures have meant that our gritters have made 8 outings since Christmas day. The cold spell has affected the whole of the UK, leading to a problem with salt supplies nationally. Currently we are in a comparatively reasonable position, with enough salt to last for approximately 6 more runs. However, the current weather conditions are predicted to continue for the foreseeable future. We are expecting further snow - 1-2cm between 7 and 12 tomorrow morning, and heavier showers later in the week. We have further salt ...
Whilst many of us have been cursing the failure of council gritters across the country, Cheshire West and Chester council appeared to have plenty of spare capacity. As several inches of snow fell, causing chaos on the county's roads, the council's Deputy Leader, Conservative Councillor Les Ford had the private road to his home heavily salted by a gritter lorry. According to the Chester Chronicle, concerned resident Tom Farrall, 78, confronted the driver after seeing the gritting lorry ignoring local through roads for the second time. He said: "The council gritted his road but they didn't grit any of the ...
Nick Clegg has delivered good news for students and for everyone who wants a fairer Britain. The Liberal Democrats have agreed a way to deliver one of the Party's most important policies, the scrapping of unfair tuition fees.
In his New Year message, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg laid down a challenge to other party leaders to tell people what they really believe in, rather than what they think people want to hear.
Really, REALLY don't want to post anything at all today, but I said I'd try and update every day, so some links... Mark Valladeres on the Lib Dems being 'love-bombed' by Cameron and Brown. David Uzumeri has some Batman: RIP related speculation. Tim at The Hurting didn't like the Welsh Series finale much. Anton Vowl has a lesson in ...
"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" Is a phrase we often hear but this is how Nick Clegg follows it up writing in today's Times "So it's a compliment of sorts that the core values of the Liberal Democrats — fairness in society, real change in politics — are now being mimicked by others. "We are, and have shown ourselves to be, very different from the other two parties. My message to Mr Brown and Mr Cameron is simple: the Liberal Democrats are up for real change. We are not up for sale. "Mr Brown and Mr Cameron utter ...
As this photograph shows, voting procedures in the Afghan parliament have been influenced by Ready, Steady, Cook.
In my line of work that would probably have suggested a rally in the FTSE (aka Footsie) 100 share index, but readers of my blog statistics will recognise it as a reference to the number of visitors to my website in December. At the moment the blog statistics keep going one way - unlike the FTSE which stood at nearly 7,000 at the end of 1999 and is now only around 5,400 - and I'm looking forward to reaching new highs in 2010. I'm sure all parties would love to see the FTSE back to 7,000. I'm not so sure ...
We have seen 2 statements from Clegg in the last 24 hours, and the first had me groaning "Bilge, absolute nonsense, oh do shut up" as usual, but the second finally impressed me. Also, why David Cameron is a sitting duck on Marriage tax breaks.
A continuing series of spelling out Conservative plans part 7. This is Peter Brookes cartoon from today's Times. It comes after the launch of the £400,000 2 week bill board campaign across the country, which Labour cannot match and polling which shows that Dave is the only recognised faced of the Conservative party. This is of concern to senior Tories just a little late in the day to realise it.
Recent information from Bury Council (see: https://twitter.com/BuryCouncil) Updated: 11.43am The following schools in Bury will be closed today due to severe weather: The following schools in Bury will be closed today due to severe weather: St Joseph's & St Bede's RCP Heaton Park Primary Unsworth Primary Holy Trinity CEP Sunny Bank Primary Chapelfield Primary Chantlers Primary Broad Oak High School St Mary's CEP, Hawkshaw Lowercroft Primary The Derby High School St Thomas's CEP School Yesdoiday Ha Torah New Summerseat House, Chesham Park House, Chesham EPRU & Ark Radcliffe Riverside Park View Primary Elton High School Christ Church Walshaw Parrenthorn St ...
The story, in short: A consultancy in London provided this nation-building plan to the Pentagon. Wonderfully it ended up online (still available, here). A quick visual of the plan to build a new nation of Afghanistan... STEP 1: Look for support! Yes, this is your "Popular Support" [IMG: nation-building-a] Step 2: Ah, but these strange A-rab folk are a bit different to us, yes? What about their "Conditions, Beliefs & Structures"? Better shove them in. [IMG: nation-building-b] Step 3: But ugh, the insurgents! And all those poppy fields. Better shove them in 'n' all... [IMG: nation-building-c] Step 4: Right, there ...
While much attention over the past 24 hours seems to have been focussed on Gordon Brown and David Cameron I thought it was worth mentioning another election, closer to home. Yesterday evening Josh Harsant of Denefield School, Reading took office as new Member of the UK Youth Parliament for Reading. In addition, back in December, the 17 new members of the Reading Youth Cabinet were elected. I have met Josh and several of the Reading Youth Cabinet in recent months and I have been really impressed by them - their passion for a better future for their generation. As well as Josh taking ...
When I lived in Bratislava in the mid-1990s, I lived in the rather grim high-rise bit called Petržalka, whilst I had some really good friends who lived in Karlova Ves. On one occasion, we all went up to Slávičie údolie cemetery to lay some flowers on the grave of Alexander Dubček. It is now more than four decades since he came to power as leader of the then Czechoslovakia and started what was to become known as the "Prague Spring" or the Pražská jar as I learned to call it in Slovak. Dubček was an amazing person, one thing I ...
Last week I slipped while I was walking the dog. My excuse is that it was icy. Three nights ago my wife slipped on ice, again while walking the dog. The two common themes are dog and ice. Let's blame the dog even though we have never slipped without the link with the ice. I have read about so many complaints about ungritted roads and the defence from the council rests with the fact that they are fully prepared and are working flat out. It seems so obvious to me. They may be fully prepared and they may be working ...
