Isn't this a fabulous shop! Tell me you can't close your eyes and smell the fruit? It's called Fruits and Root and is typical of the shops in these small towns. But, as an ex retailer myself, I know of the problems faced by local shops. Ever increasing costs threaten to drive them off our streets, which would be a tragedy. My earlier posts tell of our holiday to the USA, a time which was much enjoyed by Hazel and I. The USA is a great place with all kinds of delights, but they have very few town centres to ...
You might find it odd for a politician to be quoting facts, but a few have come up today. At the Health Improvement Partnership we heard that NHS Tees ( the 4 Borough areas) last year there were 900 million cigarettes smoked; 2,500 tonnes of excess fat on us and 9 million pints of beer more than the amount recommended by Government. Ugh! The Local Government Association...
Spent most of Saturday in Brampton. The constituency has a number of towns like Brampton, just the right size to avoid the large chains (clones) and big supermarkets, yet big enough to have almost everything that you want. It's a delightful place, full of friendly people and busy shoppers. We had a coffee morning at the Moot Hall and met a number of supporters and passers by. After this, we went resident surveying and had a very positive response. I get a good feeling about Brampton!
The boardroom at the Liberal Democrats' headquarters in Cowley Street, Westminster, was packed this evening for a New Year reception for the New Generation intitiative, which seeks to make the party more representative of the communities that it serves, notably in the fields of ethnic diversity, LGBT sectors and disability. Since New Generation was first launched six ...
Just finished off the last of the haggis, and it was delicious. I actually had made some cock-a-leekie soup earlier tonight, but our Lib Dem Group meeting took a little longer than I'd anticipated and so I was later back than I thought. Anyway, a nice glass of Talisker to finish, and I'm off to bed. Happy Burns Night one and all!
As some of my readers know, I live in Woking and have done for 14 years now. As a local Liberal Democrat activist, I am pleased to support Rosie Sharpley as our prospective MP in the upcoming General Election. I will be working with local Woking Liberal Democrats to get Woking its first MP for ...
Here's a Summer picture taken at the opening of the Ravenstonedale playground. I love these events and have never lost my childish pleasure of the games of chance and skill that are always present. I do love to win, but a Councillor is expected to hold this in check! No danger here, I seem to remember that I left this stall empty handed! The Parish Council meeting discussed the proposed extension of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. There'd been a question on this at the Cumbria County Council meeting. The Conservative leader firmly declared himself to be ...
Today, all three parties stated their claim for being the economic beacon of hope. As usual, Labour's inconsistency was painfully evident, with Brown arguing contra to senior cabinet members such as Darling and Mandelson, as he claimed: "But we must do nothing this year that will put our recovery at risk." As Vince Cable has highlighted, the divide ...
The news has just broken that NHS London are threatening to close the Accident & Emergency department, and the Maternity Unit at Kingston Hospital. Not only would that be a complete disaster for residents in Kingston, but it could well lead to a withering of other departments in the hospital. In fact, the whole future of the hospital is in the balance. Our two local MPs, Edward Davey and Susan Kramer, have just started the campaign to try to stop this happening. Please sign the petition on www.savekingstonhospital.org.uk. The website also has more information about the threat. You can also ...
Actors, poets and politicians join Greenpeace, the Woodland Trust and local residents to plant an orchard in the path of the proposed third runway at Heathrow. You may recognise Nick Clegg and Susan Kramer among those taking part. The latest news on the campaign can be found on the Airplot site.
The day started with a meeting at Durham of the Regional Fairtrade Forum, hearing of lots of big exciting events that are going to happen in Durham, Newcastle and Sunderland for Fairtrade Fortnight. Although I don't think that Fairtrade really should be a council run thing I do envy those areas which have a someone paid to organise events at this time of year. Instead of a handful of volunteers
Apologies for religious exposition contained herein: Somewhere in the universe, at least to my mind, there might be a God. Wow, that's conclusive, but then I hesitate to sound like a Bible-bashing religious person who has absolute certainty in everything. I like to doubt. It is quite enjoyable, actually. By doubting everything, including my two loves (Catholicism and liberalism), it keeps what I think and feel fresh and renewed. As far as Catholicism can be fresh and renewed, that is (more on that later, though). I wear a peculiar badge of honour. Several of my friends have, at different times ...
This week's roundup has just been posted by the redoubtable Slugger O'Toole.
Mon 25th
21:40
Full text of leaked Tory civil war letter that has sent folk scurrying to their lawyers
I've put the full text of Porter's letter in our download section. Well the person who wrote it said that they wanted it to have wider circulation. I have received so many copies now it would seem churlish not to share. Just for background since Mrs Porter became their parliamentary candidate the local Tories have been at each others throats. There are only six of them left on the council ! This latest outbreak is against Tom Glover the longest serving Tory first elected in 1963. When Tom was Leader 0f the Council there were 18 Tory Councillors in the ...
It is getting to be a right shambles. After more infighting in the local Tories hit the press and the cock up on their candidates website now we have Central Office joining in! An email newsletter has been sent out. It is clearly part of a national mailing. It urges you to find out what is going on locally by entering your post code or searching for your local candidate. If you put in Southport you get the message shown below: 'There are no campaigns matching your search'. If you put in the post code it takes you to Blackpool, ...
It's all over town. Read all about it...here , here, here, here
Report from the Southport Guardian: 'We append a sample of the methods of the "gentlemanly" party in aristocratic Birkdale. Yesterday the following poster was issued:- Electors of BirkdaleFrom all Radical LiesFraudulent Misrepresentations and otherLow Electioneering Methods Deliver UsFrom Austro-Germanic Invasions"Political Earthquakes" and Local HooliganismDeliver Us By voting for Major White And yet the chief plank in the Tory platform has been Religious Education! What do the Southport and Birkdale clergy say of such a poster as this? This is, of course, from the first 1910 election and is part of a series leading up to the Dinner at the Royal ...
[IMG: idrathernot] If the random samples of BBC's local Kent and South East offerings are anything to go by the following seems to fit Bland, Biased and Craven at least in my view. Bland? having the day off, I had the chance to hear whether Radio Kent's Breakfast programme had got any better and realising it hadn't with ususal diet of dross including a bit about internet shopping and people being grumpy first thing in the morning. I fitted the grumpy, irritated as BBC Radio Kent continued its fearless mission to ignore controversy, and meaningful debate. Biased? watching tonight's BBC ...
Well' I've finally done it. I finally managed to watch/listen to an entire House of Lords debate. That is, the debate on Amendments 98,99,100 and 99A to the Equality Bill. (The government lost by the way, so 98,99,100 were passed. 99A was rejected). Fascinatingly, one side of the argument, the government, said it wanted to "maintain the status quo". In sharp contrast, the other side of the argument led by Baroness O'Cathain passionately and vehemently said it wanted to....er....."maintain the status quo". So, in a passionate and, at times, emotional debate you had "status quo" fighting tooth and nail with ...
Campaign group I'm a photographer not a terrorist held a Mass Photo Gathering in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, in defence of street photography. Thousands of photographers came together to assert their rights and to protest against the misuse of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Section 44 allows uniformed police officers to stop and search people in designated areas if it is considered "expedient for the prevention of acts of terrorism." I met Grant Smith, who was stopped under Section 44 by police in December. Sarah Ludford, Lib Dem MEP for London, had written a letter to the Independent ...
Last week I wrote about the resignation of David Jack as the Lib Dem PPC for Stoke North after claims that he had sent racist emails. I also pointed you to the Stoke-based Pits n Pots site, which reported: Mr Jack denies that he sent the emails. Tonight he claimed that he 'was out on the lash' with twenty other individuals at the time when the alleged emails were sent. He also claims that he is a victim of a smear campaign in relation to a upcoming court hearing to be heard in the Royal Courts of Justice on March ...
Pleased to say that my new website is up and running at qurbanhussain.org.uk. Alongside information on the Liberal Democrats you will find on it up to date news stories, pictures and information from our campaign. Soon you will find details of how to get involved in our campaign and help bring real change to Luton South.
I've spent the last week working on PEP!-related stuff, but I've now sent the final text out to all contributors. All that remains is to get any last-minute changes from them, and get it typeset, so I can start posting here again. Today's only going to be a linkblog, because my wife is a Vikings ...
Liberator 337 arrived in the post this morning. So it is time for us to spend another week with Rutland's most celebrated fictional peer. Monday Snow falls upon Rutland in fat flakes, carol singers with lanterns progress from door to door and a poor man has just come in sight (he appears to be gath'ring winter fu-u-el). How happy I am to be home! You see, a few weeks ago I decided to recharge the batteries by treating myself to a winter cruise to the Canaries. All went well - indeed I was in a deckchair sipping a G and ...
Back in July last year I blogged about the changes in electoral registration rules which would see people being giving the option to supply additional information, namely their National Insurance number, date of birth and signature, during this year's electoral registration cycle. That's part of the phased move to individual registration and gathering this extra information will be the basis for future extra security checks when people vote in person. But wait, what's this that the Telegraph "revealed" over the weekend? Ah, that'd be, "Britons to be asked for NI number, date of birth and signature to get right to ...
Liberal Democrat activists are concerned to find that Neath Port Talbot officers are not providing the level playing-field required for a fair choice by council tenants. Sources within the "No" campaign complain that: the council has still not provided the geographically-order list of properties promised six months ago;people who display "No" posters have been told that they are illegal and they have to be taken down;tenants who have returned "no" forms have been been visited by council officers and asked to change their mind to the extent that some have felt intimidated. There is an independent tenants advisory. Officers should ...
You may have had to make a "wee shimmy" today in Hawick to get a glance at the coffin carrying the voice, nae the bard, of Rugby Bill McLaren on his final home match. On the birthday of the Bard of Ayrshire what more appropriate day to lay to rest the Bard of Hawick. There may be dancing of the streets all over Scotland tonight at Burns' suppers up and down the land. It will not be because McLaren told them so, but it seems a fitting way to mark his final journey earlier to day. I just hope nobody ...
Commenting on the announcement by Home Secretary Alan Johnson that Sarah's Law could be extended nationally after four trial schemes, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne said: "We need far more information about these trials before they are rolled out across the country. "The concern is that this will do nothing for the safety of children and could even lead to an increase in sex offenders."
The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, John Lyon, has ruled that Martin Bright, Melissa Kite, Andrew Neil and Fraser Nelson all broke Parliamentary rules by failing to fully declare their financial interests in the Register of Journalists' Interests. They have all been lobby journalists, giving them special access to Parliament and politicians. Given the possibility of lobbyists and interest groups paying members of the lobby to raise issues on their behalf, there is a financial register which – in theory – provides a degree of transparency and hence protection against abuse of the system. Parliament's rules require lobby journalists to declare ...
All over this past weekend, Burns Suppers have been taking place all over Scotland to honour our national bard. Sometimes I wonder why, though. For all the atmospheric rama of Tam O'Shanter and the poignancy of Ae Fond Kiss, he was not above spouting some misogynist bile. Not that I'm one to hold grudges, but I do nurse my wrath to keep it warm on this one, The Henpecked Husband: Curs'd be the man, the poorest wretch in life, The crouching vassal to a tyrant wife! Who has no will but by her high permission, Who has not sixpence but ...
I may be having Burns' Night keeping a track on events in Northern Ireland, good job my tatties are in the form of colcannon then. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his Irish counterpart Brian Cowen were meeting in London earlier this afternoon. But as 45 minutes of talks between Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness only appeared to make matters worse the two Prime Ministers decided they needed to be in Northern Ireland for face to face intervention, they are not in Hillsborough Castle and the parties are coming to talk with them. No doubt I will have updates when they ...
Let's just speculate for a moment. Cos, let's face it, it's highly unlikely we'll be seeing Lib Dems in government in the next few decades. It's all us liberals have to cling to, don't you know... Let's speculate that the election produces a situation where either Labour or the Tories are a significant number short of a ...
We are always being told by those who hate the BBC that the corporation should act like other commercial companies in the real world. So why is it when the BBC does this it is attacked for it ? The BBC has very successfully expanded BBC worldwide in to a profitable business which provides income to the BBC. Yet a parliamentary committee feels that the BBC should be forced to dilute its stake in the business which sell BBC shows and intellectual property to another company. Why ? Apparently to allow the BBC to make more money from the venture. ...
Chorlton's roads have really suffered as a result of the recent cold spell. I have noticed a number of potholes that have appeared or have become considerably worse recently (like this one on Buckingham Road). If you know of any potholes please let me know and I will get them repaired. Sir Richard Leese, Labour Leader of the Council, has admitted the "total... cost of the freeze is likely to be well over a £1M". This just shows how important it is for the Council to keep our roads in a good state all year round, so that they do ...
I received a leaflet through my door today from the Tories, which features – in between charming photos of David Cameron and their candidate (who I have no intention of promoting) – a two page spread on saving local pubs. The Tories have various plans to save local pubs, including 'making sense of licensing laws', but mostly it involves encouraging people to get down the pub. Obviously aware of the potential inconsistency in encouraging people to drink in the pub more frequently while battling the ever-increasing problem of 'binge-drinking', the Tories then outline how they'll reform alcohol duty to encourage ...
The district council's annual budget-setting process is nearly complete. I will be at meetings to discuss the budget papers tonight and on Thursday before the full council meets to debate and agree the final version on Tuesday 16 February. Two years ago Liberal Democrat councillors unsuccessfully argued for a lower council tax rise than the Conservatives set. We would have argued for a freeze in the council tax last year if it hadn't been for uncertainty about the money the council lost by investing in an Icelandic owned back (the final figure turned out to be £700,000). This year the ...
As reported here in the Guardian the medical records including the post-mortem relating to the 'suicide' of Dr David Kelly (MOD expert in biological warfare who was asked to proof read the WMD dossier) will be a secret for 70 years as ruled by Lord Hutton. Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker made a Freedom of Information request to examine if there was any finger prints on the knife allegedly used to slit Dr Kelly's wrist. This request revealed that there were no fingerprints and Dr Kelly was not wearing gloves. Lord Hutton also admits that he didn't look very deeply ...
Thanks to the Bury Times I have just been directed to an absolutely fascinating new website. Have a look at Bury Image Bank here and search through the thousands of photographs of Bury dating back from the Victorian era through the whole twentieth century to today. I have just been fiddling around searching for "Prestwich," "Sunnybank" (where I used to live) and various other things, and there are far more photos on there than exist on any other photo website I've seen. A really interesting glimpse back into the past. Just typing in "Butterstile" brings up ten photos of Butterstile ...
Seeing Vince Cable is coming to Southport soon I thought folk might like to get up to date with his thinking. He gave this speech to the Think Tank DEMOS today.
Council house tenants in Launceston are set to see a 48p per week average rent rise in the next financial year. Average rents in what is known as the North East Cornwall Landlord Services area were £58.02 in 2009-10, but this figure masks a bit of a mess as rents started off at a much higher level and were cut part way through the year. In the coming year, the average rent in NECLS area will be £58.50 although individual property rents may go up or down by more than the average and actual rents will depend on the size ...
Saturday night was another Bury Lib Dem social event, this time a "Pizza and Politics" evening which took place in the delightful surroundings of my house. There was a turnout so large that people had to spill out of the lounge / dining room combination (where Tamsin and I had lain on a spread) and into various other rooms, but I suppose this was a good thing even if it did confuse Mac the cat somewhat. The pizzas were excellently supplied by Shandar (your local Councillor's favourite Prestwich takeaway), and were eaten by the assorted revellers including Bury south Prospective ...
First, they teased us And then they finally gave us what we wanted - a good lopk at the car and the drivers, for the 2010 season. As the launch was taking place, people were asking on Twitter what colour the car actually was. Was it white, or silver - and nobody mentioned the lovely splash of turquoise which is ironically and spookily similar to the shade used here. I love it when there's a bit of symmetry between all of my favourite worlds. I do hope that someone is going to have a word in the video commentator's ear ...
Launceston could finally get some essential highways works. For the past year, the town has missed out on virtually all road improvement work, but this could finally be about to change. The draft council budget for next year is going to include an extra £6 million for highways works and about £1 million of this will be allocated to individual councillors to use on key projects in their wards. In the past, the old county councillors had a budget of £10,000 per year for this purpose. The new figures appear to be smaller than this, but at least we might ...
Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable set out the Liberal Democrat plans for the economy today, is a speech to Demos. The full text of the speech can be read here (if you want to read it all, I'd recommend setting aside a chunk of time!), but Vince Cable was clear about the policies which mark out the Lib Dems as the only party of genuine economic reform. Mr Cable set out key Lib Dem policy commitments designed to sensibly reduce the deficit whilst protecting public services wherever possible. These included: A tougher public sector incomes policy, limiting any pay ...
Although I have my fair share of criticisms of Labour-run Reading Borough Council, every so often the Council gets it right. Today is one of those days with news that the Council has clubbed together with local Reading-based charities the Reading Single Homeless Project and the Forgotten Gurkha (which is based in Eldon Square in my ward, Redlands) to try and turn empty housing into much-needed homes. As Lib Dem housing spokesperson since 2006, I led the campaign to get RBC to bring in an empty homes strategy, and 2 years after it became Council policy the EHS continues to ...
Daniel Goodwin Chief Executive St Albans City & District Council District Council Offices St Peter's Street St Albans Herts AL1 3JE 20 January 2010 Dear Mr Goodwin The purpose of this letter is to give you an update on First Capital Connect's Thameslink route services following the meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee meeting last Wednesday, 13 January. Firstly, I am pleased to confirm that the result of the ASLEF ballot was that around 70% of our drivers voted in favour of accepting the pay offer. We were therefore able to implement the normal timetable (effective 13 ...
Mon 25th
15:48
Sexed up documents, personal attacks on their critics.. no it's not Iraq.. it's Global Warming
A cause for celebration! Reports that the the Himalayan glaciers will have melted by 2035 have been greatly exagerated. Well totally made up in actual fact. [IMG: himalayas] I thought hard before deciding to post on this. I have posted on this subject before ("I am trying very hard not to be a climate change denier "). My concerns have surrounded the over-reliance on "computer models" to predict apocalyptic circumstances; the lack of clarity on what assumptions have been input into these models, based on what ground research and with what level of confidence ? These questions have not been ...
This month's Epic Iain Dale Award is shared between the Identity and Passport Service and advertising agency Abbott Mead Vickers for their howlingly stupid and point-missing "I'm Spartacus" ad campaign that they're using to drum up interest for Blunkett's dog tags. In the week that the world lost Jean Simmons, among whose many great Hollywood roles was that of Spartacus's wife Varinia in Kubrick's epic, it is pertinent to remember that the only European travel opportunity offered to all those from Britannia who shout "I'm Spartacus" is to be crucified at the side of the Appian Way; and even then ...
I've heard this afternoon that the Informal Hearing into appeals will be held on Wednesday 10th March 2010 at the Town Hall, Edward Street, Stockport, SK1 3XE commencing at 10.00am. A Planning Inspector appointed by the First Secretary of State will determine the appeal. The two applications being appealed are: (DC041677) Partial demolition and reconstruction of former Tatton Cinema foyer, demolition and reconstruction of adjacent two storey retail units to provide 377m2 retail unit, erection of three storey 44 bedroom care home (Use Class C2) on site of former auditorium, alterations to highway, provision of access, car parking, servicing and ...
I don't understand why the terror threat level should be made public. No one is going to change their habits because the risk of a terrorist attack in the UK rises from 'general' to 'likely'. The only reason for making it public seems to be to scare people. Am I being dim? Is there an obvious reason to publish the threat level?
(An entirely apt quote from this spoof website - thanks to Betsan Powys for the link.) The Welsh Liberal Democrats have, since its inception, opposed the North-South Wales airlink - a frivolous waste of public money, which (excuse the pun) flies in the face of everything the government is supposedly trying to achieve in terms of sustainability, emissions reductions and public transport improvement. Not only does it go against the government's stated aims, but there was seemingly no public demand for an airlink in the first place. Even with an £800,000 subsidy, only one company bid for the contract this ...
So waste bosses are due to come in front of a scrutiny panel of Councillors to explain the thinking behind the catch up method of rubbish and recycling collections. The Bath Chronicle reports 3 week of no collection! 3 week indeed? That is business as usual for Walcot. Many street have had 6 weeks now without a collection. Needless to say that I will be sending a statement in for that meeting which starts at 10am on Thursday 28th January. In the Guildhall.
The Greater London Authority is currently consulting on plans for 16,000 new homes and over 20,000 new jobs in an area stretching from Battersea Power Station to Lambeth Palace. While much of it is in neighbouring Wandsworth, a sizeable amount of the area is in Lambeth, and the effects on things like transport will be felt throughout the northern part of Lambeth. Local Liberal Democrats recently attended a consultation on the event organised by the Kennington, Oval and Vauxhall Forum at Montgomerey Hall opposite the Oval cricket ground. We have already expressed concerns over transport capacity (local tubes, buses and ...
Here's what Lib Dem shadow chancellor Vince Cable had to say today when speaking to the think-tank Demos, launching their Politics 2010 series ... What do LDV readers think of Vince's speech? I want today to set out how the Liberal Democrats plan to deal with the aftermath of the credit crunch and recession and the pillars of the manifesto that we will be putting to the British people in the future. The British economy had a massive heart attack when the arteries of the banking system seized up. The good news is that the patient is still alive, albeit ...
I have just arrived at County Hall to attend a special cabinet meeting which will be debating the route partnership link between Cornwall and Scilly and the budget for next year. It's going to be a huge meeting - and would have been bigger still had the proposal to sell off the old NCDC offices in Wadebridge not been taken off at the last minute. The Cabinet Member for Finance - Jim Currie - decided to withdraw the paper after the rough ride that the proposals got at last week's scrutiny meeting. It had become clear that the claimed consultation ...
[IMG: you-call-this-liberal ?] Like all bad habits, it started as a occassional indulgence and has grown into something approaching an obsession. Reading Early Day Motions that is. I wonder if there is a Govt dept that can help me with this addiction? I do however commend this activity to you. It provides an interesting insight into MP's real concerns and motivations. It also throws up some shockers. Take this one from Greg Mulholland, Lib Dem MP for Leeds Northwest. EDM 620 "That this House supports the Plain English Campaign on its attempts to prohibit the use of the word regular ...
Perhaps not surprisingly (though I only sort of included it in my list of 10 predictions for the TV leader debates: see number 9), there is some intense debate going on over the details for the general election TV debates between Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. As the News of the World reported at the weekend, some of the demands being made really verge on the absurd. However, that's to be expected in a negotiation being carried out mostly behind closed doors: you start of with extreme demands and try to bluff others into giving in or risking ...
This morning's Times speculates that it is the Liberal Democrats who stand to benefit more than any other party at this year's general election from the fallout of the Chilcot inquiry. They say: As the only one of the three main political parties to have voted against the war in 2003, the Lib Dems are best placed to appeal to voters who deserted Labour in the 2005 election because of the Iraqi invasion and remind them of their defined stance. Labour strategists concede that there is a risk that voters who deserted Labour in 2005 could be prevented from returning ...
Robin Ince hosts the alternative Christmas' show, Nine lessons and Carols for Godless People, for people who do not believe in God but science, 'believe' being the key word there! Ince and friends act as the 'persecuted minority' of rationalists in a culture populated by superstitious religious people. It's rather ironic then that our culture is actually a scientific and technological one, where
Banking versus shadow banking - how real is the distinction anyway?
Way back in the 70s Eric Pickles and I occupied the same car when we briefly campaigned on the same side as each other in the EU referendum campaign. At the time he was an elected Bradford Conservative councillor. I mentioned that Kennedy House, a large block of flats that we should call at, was a short distance ahead of us and he replied in a patronising tone, "Liberals! Wrong again!" just before Kennedy House came into sight. It seems a block of council flats just wasn't on his radar. Or maybe he was confused.
I am very much a fan of the internet and I like to get my news online, but what does this mean for our local newspapers? I was just having a little twitter conversation on the subject after Sam posted the lastest readership figures: Daily Echo (Bournemouth) 29,687, -7.5pc. Now that is not good news for the Echo, local journalism jobs, local shops, local delivery drivers, etc etc. And I am under
[IMG: coi-ads] As is quite common these days, my much-loved weekend of sport was once again intermittantly interrupted with Government messages attempting make me a better citizen, protect me from my own stupidity, or both. I am not sure if this is a reflection of the fact that football fans have been profiled as well below par on the intelligence scale, or if its that something approaching 90% of my TV consumption is either sport or news and such ads can be found in equal abundance elsewhere. I know that I have moaned about this before - but the sheer ...
WE complain about all kinds of things here in the UK, traffic jams, the weather, the price of food, overcrowded trains. Well, ALL that is nothing compared to the troubles in Haiti. The devastating earthquake left more than 100,000 people dead and the entire country in ruins. Water supplies, houses and hospitals have all been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands are at risk of starvation or dehydration. And many of the injured are simply lying in the street with no medical help and nowhere to go. It's one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time. The world's response has been ...
Any sensible person thinks that radical fiscal and monetary action to counter the effects of the recession was right. A Keynesian response to downturns makes recessions shorter and prevents unemployment rocketing. While we had dramatic monetary action taken by the Bank of England, who took measures that have never been taken before, the response fiscally was ...
Unless I am going completely deaf, I understand that BBC radio Kent, are reporting on news bulletins this morning, that Cllr. Paul Carter leader of Kent conservative administration believes depriving children in East Kent of grammar school places as being commonsense or as its describe as moving places I think. Some background to this issue can be found on page one of this week's Kent on Sunday, also it has been reported in some detail here on Bignews Margate. Essentially the situation is this, schools in West Kent, have in the pursuit of some might say excellence and others might ...
The Irish Times this morning are running a story by Ronan McMcGreevy into the baby Ben story I ran with on Friday. It appears that things are looking hopeful from the stance of Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE). The baby's father Mark McDougall is saying: "We are expecting some good news by then. It looks like the Irish HSE are very keen to try everything they can for the most positive outcome, which they agree is to have us all together as a family. The Waterford HSE are so much more understanding than the UK social services." And is comparing ...
Well, lo and behold after Nick Clegg outlined ambitious plans to help young people badly hit by the recession Labour ministers have been shamed into coming up with more cash to tackle youth unemployment. But the proposals set out by Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper today constitute a drop in the ocean - and will go nowhere near helping all young people affected. And they won't help all young people right now. And they are unlikely to reach many young people in West Reading who are out of work. Labour ministers promise that their package will help 470,000 unemployed ...
The BBC has just published a draft of the internal guidelines for its election coverage. The 14 page document is similar to the guidance at previous elections and includes a set of sensible rules which other media outlets would do well to emulate, including: There will be no online votes or SMS/text votes attempting to quantify support for a party, a politician or a party political policy issue. Given the risks of party supporters attempting to pack audience feedback sections, the guidelines also wisely say: The BBC will not broadcast or publish numbers of e-mails, texts or other communications received ...
In the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill last year we finally prevailed on the Government to grant full citizenship to British National (Overseas) citizens, who were members of non-Chinese ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. The BN(O) status entitled them to reside in Hong Kong only. But now that the Act at last came into force on January 13, we find that the Government has created an impossible hurdle for BN(O) applicants to surmount. They have to apply for a Hong Kong Chinese passport, mking a false declaration that they are Chinese citizens. I'm tabling the following written questions, which should ...
A consultation is about to start over whether to put a taxi rank back in front of the shops by the Cenotaph in Garston (Woolton Road). I am told there used to be one before. To be honest I don't remember it but whether or not I remember isn't really relevant. The taxi licensing people have asked whether the rank can be re instated and so nearby residents and businesses will be consulted (consultation should start on Friday). I have to say my initial reaction is that I am not sure there is room here. When I go past this ...
I just tabled a written question, to ask the Government: Whether, in the light of the recent acknowledgement by Microsoft that its Internet Explorer web browser was used to carry out the cyber attacks which have prompted Google to say it will leave China, they will review the policy of using Internet Explorer throughout the public sector. As far as I can ascertain, all Government Departments and public bodies use Internet Explorer. The Parliamentary IT authorities actively discourage Members from using Chrome. The German and French governments, on the other hand, are encouraging users to switch to another browser. I ...
Last month I blogged about what's called a "Google Surge": The phrase "Google Surge" (aka a "network blast" for those less keen on using a militaristic vocabulary for all things political) has been coined to describe the practice of blanketing websites viewed by inhabitants of a particular area with geo-targeted online adverts in the last few days of an election campaign... With a general election in the UK due by June 2010 - and most likely taking place in May - will this tactic be the next American import to British politics? For my answer to that question read my ...
Yesterday modesty almost forbid Mr Dale posting some glowing comments about himself from the Daily Mail including this (readers of a delicate anti-Dale deposition should look away now): "There are many reasons to celebrate Iain Dale. The author, journalist and aspirant politician for the Conservative Party is not only a much-valued contributor to GQ, he's also the publisher of Total Politics magazine and has become something of an online deity because of his celebrated blog, Iain Dale's Diary." Well of course Total Politics is holding its own Election Question Times* at a selection of City Inns. 4 February, Birmingham - ...
Word reaches me from the Council of Governors' of the Whittington who met on 13 January (not from a Governor - just before anyone begins a witch hunt). According to the record of the meeting - North Central London NHS (the sector we belong to) and the Whittington have now ruled out the Whittington A&E being reduced in hours to 16 per day. In black and white it says: "This leaves options where either the full A&E is retained or there will be no A&E at all. The Whittington might then have an Urgent Care Centre." Reading the words in ...
I noticed in the "Golden Dozen" today a post by Paul Walter last week concerning the Tories making a lot of noise about how they would bolster the right to "self defence" when you or your property are under threat. Whilst difficult cases like that of Munir Hussain make bad law, such things are far from the mind of politicians in election time and "my right to defend myself" clearly makes a good election slogan amongst a certain section of the population who feel that the rights of criminals have been taken too far, as witness a couple of elections ...
Did a live interview on the BBC's Politics Show yesterday. It was just after 12 30 from the Pier Head and I was debating with spokespeople from the Labour and Conservative parties. I made the point that in Liverpool the contest is between Labour (who do hold all the Parliamentary seats at the moment) and the Lib Dems who are in clear second places in most and who are very close in some. We actually all had a rather civilised drink (tea in my case) afterwards which shows politicans aren't always snarling at each other. The problem with live interviews ...
Happy Monday morning, everyone. Let's get straight down to business ... 2 Must-Read Blog Posts What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here's are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator: "Change": deliberate, disingenuous, dangerous deception (Jock Coats) There can be no "change" whilst the wheels of State rumble on. Changing how the State is run for a few years does not alter the fundamentally evil reasons for which "State" was invented and which it continues to pursue, inevitably. Broken Britain is sadly a reality for many (Lisa Harding) Whilst I don't always agree ...
It seems clear that the count for the general election in Leeds will now definitely take place on the Thursday night. The rumour is that the council Chief Executive has succumbed to pressure from the leader of the Tory Group, Cllr Andrew Carter. It's such a shame that some local authorities have chosen to count on the Friday morning. In an election that looks increasingly likely to be very close it is important that there is a clear idea of who will form the next government as soon as possible after the election.
In a speech to Demos, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable will today set out the key pillars of the Liberal Democrat economic manifesto. [IMG: Vince cable] Vince Cable will say: We have an economy too dependent on consumer spending and borrowing rather than saving and investment. Too much financial engineering in banking rather than real engineering. Too London-centric. Too dependent on the City of London rather than the talents of the rest of Britain. Too preoccupied with the artificial, paper wealth of inflated property prices rather than productive work and invention. Too absorbed by growth for its own sake ...
David Cameron has been talking about "Broken Britain" for a long time now. He frequently raises the issue and did so again recently regarding the horrific Edlington torture case. I do not think Britain is "broken". In fact crime has generally fallen in the last few years. However the public do not perceive that is that case and a recent survey showed that most people actually think crime has risen in recent times. The truth is though that there are pockets of deprivation and very large social inequalities which the official figures disguise to some extent. The circumstances in which ...
I've reported the following paving in need of repair in Cheadle & Gatley village centres: - At the corner of Church Road and Oakwood Avenue, by the Co-op, Gatley - Outside the Sadagar Restaurant, 43-45 Church Road, Gatley - Outside 57 Church Road, Gatley - Damaged pavement around the edge of the BT cover in front of Warwick Mall, High Street, Cheadle. Spot any more - let me know.
Ever wondered why governments and big companies are so keen on Cap & Trade, the rapidly growing and utterly useless market in carbon allowances? Check this out from the Story of Stuff.
It seems that McDonald's has decided to redefine our UK slang by telling us that a "bob" is another word for a pound. When people have pointed out that where they come from (i.e. the UK) a bob meant a shilling (i.e. 5p in new money), instead of accepting their mistake they tell us that their marker research tells them that most of us now use the term meaning a pound. Er, since when? I have never heard anybody ever use that term for a pound. In which Country did they do this research? Now if they started offering their ...
I thought the Today Program had good researchers - but listening this morning and hearing that the Government says there was no support for abolishing the mandatory retirement age during the Equality Bill is rubbish. I, myself, raised it in Second Reading: My last point about age discrimination and matters mandatory is that I cannot for the life of me understand why the Government have retained a mandatory retirement age. It seems completely wrong. I am surprised, as it is clearly discriminatory to decide on an arbitrary age as a cut-off. I heard what the Leader of the House said ...
As I write this the Formula 1 media circus is gathering in snowy Stuttgart for the launch of Mercedes GP Petronas, the team that will hopefully propel Michael Schumacher to his 8th world championship, not that I'm in any way biased or anything. This is the new incarnation of the Brawn GP team which was in turn rose from the ashes of the Honda GP team, rescued by team principal and F1 legend. He never really wanted to own an F1 team - he's a strategy guy - so it's no surprise that he would sell the team to a ...
This morning's Western Mail reports that concerns have emerged over the future of Wales' flagship air service between Cardiff and Anglesey following news that the firm which runs it is in financial difficulties. Assembly Government officials are understood to be disappointed that the only airline to put in a bid by the tender deadline last Wednesday was Highland Airways, the existing service provider which receives an annual subsidy of £800,000. Airlines from across Europe were invited to submit bids to run the air service from May, when the current contract expires. But bigger carriers decided against doing so, despite early ...
Happy Burns Night!
Stockport Council's website - www.stockport.gov.uk - has had a re-vamp. The changes to the site have been made following valuable feedback from residents. Changes have also been made following an independent assessment from The Shaw Trust - a national charity which supports disabled and disadvantaged people. These changes will ensure that the new website is as accessible to as many people as possible. With over one million visitors a year and with online facilities for applying, reporting and paying for Council services, the Council's website is becoming an increasingly important way for the authority to engage with local residents, businesses ...
And now a Tory prepared to heap praise on Nick Clegg. Matthew d'Ancona in yesterday's Torygraph predicts that the Chilcot inquiry will be Labour's death-rattle, in the course of which he refers to Gordon Brown's imminent appearance saying "Gordon, thanks to the nimble political footwork of the ever-more-confident Nick Clegg, is now committed to taking the stand before the general election."
While I was a district councillor in the 1980s the residents of this quiet little road in Kibworth petitioned to have its named changed. Which is why it is today called Stuart Street and not Council Street. Perhaps they had all bought their houses?
The Grauniad are on day three of seven of their series of Romatic poets, appropriately they have the poems of Rabbie Burns. However, they omit the one poem that will be read over and over today. So here to make amends is Address to a Haggis (click the link if you need the English translation Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the puddin-race! Aboon them a' ye tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy of a grace As lang's my arm. The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hudies like a distant hill, ...
Credit where credit's due, I suppose. Gordon Brown did at least call the Chilcot Inquiry. It probably seemed like a good idea at the time, a diversionary tactic in the wake of a pasting in the European and Local Elections of June 2009, and an attempted leadership coup by Hazel Blears and James Purnell (last ...
Maybe Martin Amis has been watching too much Futurama when he came up with his statement about euthanasia booths. But to come out with the suggestion of such contraptions on street corners at the end of a week that Margo MacDonald produced a sane and grounded bill on assisted suicide in the Scottish Parliament is crash mistiming on the authors part. While Amis talks of a 'silver tsunami' and a 'civil war' between young and old and lays out a retail mentality. Margo has safeguards in her bill to prevent Scotland becoming like Switzerland and a home for assisted death ...
As promised, here is my letter to The Visitor which was published on Wednesday 13th January. I used to live in East Lancashire and I started to work in Morecambe in 2001. Within a year I had moved here because the poor road system meant that it was difficult to travel here on a daily basis. Well it is actually a good road system but we all know about the problem getting through Lancaster. Since then I have spoken to local businessmen who would rather not be based in Morecambe. It seems quite obvious that if you have a business ...
Today is the birthday of the greatest-ever Scotsman, and tonight I shall be partaking of a Burns Supper with a haggis that "Great chieftain o' the puddin-race" and a wee dram of usquebaugh or the water of life, whisky to you, and raise a toast to that ...
