Earlier today I spent a productive couple of hours in the sunshine knocking on doors and speaking to constituents in Newcastle and Corbridge Road with my lovely ward colleagues Glenn and Kirsten. I picked up quite a bit of casework relating to RBC housing, I'm sorry to say. Some tenants living in flats on Newcastle Road reported long waits for central heating upgrades - a problem residents in Hadrians Walk East also reported to me back in December. I nagged the Council to sort this out with some success and it looks like I'll need to do it again. With the freezing weather continuing the Council's housing department ...
I arrived at Kettering station on the way back from Finedon. After a cup of tea in the buffet I went out to catch my train. A platform change was announced. Sure enough, the Nottingham service was being diverted and would not call at Market Harborough. It was still light, I had all the necessary tickets, so I decided to catch it even so. Who could resist a trip over the Welland Viaduct. The view as far as Corby is not exciting (as Go Litel Blog, Go... once pointed out), though there was a snowy field full of black sheep ...
Peter Gilroy Kent's Chief Exec once again gets a mention in the national press (todays Telegraph 20/2/10), unfortunately not for his prowess as an administrator or manager but as you might expect for the thumping great big pay off of £200,000 arranged by Conservatives at Kent council. For my money and your money, I cannot see the point of local authorities paying out fat bonuses for retiring executives, the idea is often put to us taxpayers that people like Peter Gilroy are constantly being offered large sums to go elsewhere, if this is the case its quite simple to deal ...
In what is becoming a daily announcement on this blog, I have to let you know that yes, once again a Labour MP is standing down at the election, this time it is the turn of Tommy McAvoy, the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West. Tommy McAvoy has decided after to stand down at the age of 66 after 23 years in Westminster. Jim Murphy, the Secretary of State for Scotland (a Labour MP who isn't standing down) said:Tommy is not just an MP - he is an institution. He is the longest serving government whip of all time.Prime Minister ...
I was going home earlier today and saw some Labour Party canvassers, just by my doorstep. and after introducing myself Iasked them. "What's your line about the war? What do you say when they ask you about the Iraq war?" "Joan Ruddock voted against!" Was the assertive reply. "No she didn't, she abstained" I replied. "No she was against, ...
To mark the return of a delegation from the UK Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, I thought that it might be nice to post a few pieces linked to their destination, Bangladesh. Over the next week, I'll be exploring micro-finance, Bangladeshi politics and the history of the nation, amongst other things... but let's start with a few facts. With thanks to Lonely Planet, from whence this map is reproduced, you can get an idea as to the political issues. Almost surrounded by India, the country is criss-crossed by major rivers, and prone to flooding. Bangladesh declared its independence from ...
David Hare's radio play Murder in Samarkand was broadcast earlier today. Its hero, Craig Murray, reminds us that it will be available on the BBC iPlayer for the next seven days. The Red Rag reports that "Greater Manchester Police ... set up checkpoints throughout the city forcing people through airport style metal detectors". The BBC story, taken directly from the police press release, referred to them as "safety arches". The government has refused to assess the suitability of Dungeness for new renewable energy projects. Nick Perry is annoyed. Stumbling and Mumbling notes that James Purnell is "leaving Parliament at an ...
I have been to Finedon in Northamptonshire today. It is a village between Kettering and Wellingborough whose history was dominated by the Dolben family. More about it and them in due course. Harrowden Books in the village is well worth a visit. The exciting news is that I was able to buy two books by Evelyn Cheesman. So more on her soon too.
There's a public meeting to create a Dundee West Transition Towns group taking place on Thursday 4th March at 7pm on Dundee West Church. You can find out more about it at http://transtowndundeewest.blogspot.com.
An enjoyable Saturday spent at our party's very well attended North East Scotland Conference - here's a few photos : Above : Dundee delegates including yours truly - with Alison McInnes MSP Above : Alistair Carmichael MP (Chair) with North East Scotland parliamentary candidates Above : Alison McInnes MSP with John Barnett, LibDem candidate for Dundee West Above : Alison McInnes MSP with Dr Clive Sneddon, LibDem candidate for Dundee East
There is a new ICM Poll in Brighton Pavilion, which puts the Greens in third and Labour in first. This Poll is completely at odds with the one commissioned by the Green Party before Christmas. I have no doubt which one the Greens will be using on their leaflets.
For the Lib Dems it's Building a fairer Britain ... For Labour it's A future fayre free-for-all (or something) ... But for the Tories, David Cameron seems to be adopting an unusually honest approach, according to this PoliticsHome.com teaser: The Conservative Party is not for many. Admitting it is the first step, I guess.
With all eleven votes now in, I, Mark Jonathan Valladares, Returning Officer to Liberal Youth, do hereby declare that the result of the election to co-opt four General Executive Members is as follows; Cara Drury - 3 votes Usaama Kaweesa - 2 votes Callum Morton - 2 votes Ed Sanderson - 2 votes Caroline Boyd - 1 vote Callum Leslie - 1 vote With eleven votes cast, and four vacancies, the quota required to gain election is 2.2, and Cara Drury is declared elected on the first count. For the second count, Cara's votes are transferred at a value of ...
Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, joined by Ed Fordham, PPC for Hampstead and Kilburn, yesterday set out plans to revitalise Britain's high streets, ensure the future of the Post Office, and help small businesses establish and grow in a fairer marketplace. Read more.
When out delivering leaflet yesterday I was starting to feel a combination of the cold, fatigue (I am approaching the age of 40) and a lack of sugar, so I was pleased to see the sign saying the community Cafe was pen at Hinks Meadow. My wonderful next door neighbours (the sort of neighbours who you would pay to live next door to) help there, and at the cafe they do the usual tea, coffee and biscuits, but they also sell the most wonderful homemade cakes. So having sat down, got my breath, and bought a large bag full of ...
Today's Guardian letters page contains an interesting postscript to the row over Nicholas Winteron's comments on first class rail travel. At least one member of the public thinks that MPs should have that privilege: Not too long ago I sat near Simon Hughes MP in a standard-class carriage on a train (Tory calls first-class ban 'infuriating', 19 February). It was my intention to nod the journey away. No chance. Hughes never stopped working. He received and made countless phone calls, was up and down to access his briefcase and spoke to everyone who recognised him. While I admire his work ...
I shall be arriving in your fair city on monday evening and staying until thursday lunchtime. On monday evening I shall be chez Duffett, tuesday lunchtime I have a lunch date, and tuesday evening I am being shown the delights of Luton. If anyone else would like to slot themselves into my schedule, please let me know. Hopefully this post and the two prior ones mentioning this visit will be enough to stop me getting moaned at on twitter that I haven't told anyone I'm going this time :) My february sponsor is [IMG: [personal profile] ] nanila, and this ...
The Labour Government has now refused to assess the suitability of Dungeness and vicinity for new renewable energy projects, following its earlier decision not to build a new nuclear power station on the site. Nick Perry, the Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Rye, had written to Ed Miliband MP the Secretary of State for Energy & ...
Lib Dem campaigner for Gensing Ward, Chris Benner, has written to Conservative County Councillor Matthew Lock demanding that he explains why there has been such chaos over the roadworks on Bohemia Road. To date he has not responded. Chris has been door to door listening to local residents who are angry at the way the roadworks ...
At the moment St. Phillips is full, and is refusing pupils, we have received information from the council that says, they won't be doing anything about this, no extra classrooms, so much for parental choice
The law was changed in 2003 to allow review of places that sell alcohol, to allow residents to complain to the local council. The police also have this right, except when they complain the local council has to call a meeting to discuss what happens next, can mean the license is taken away.Now that right has been extended to councillors
This week, Stefan Stern asked whether casino's are really that risk, Tim Harford isn't keen on the Robin Hood tax and Liberal Vision takes a look at Co-ops.
Unfortunately this clashed with the budget council meeting, but the meeting decidedAn Odd Down PACT Meeting took place on Tuesday 16th February 2010 at St Philips School. The following priorities were agreed at that meeting: Provision of litter bins on Upper Bloomfield Road Area near The Green and Co-OpDog fouling in the areaParking around Chelwood Drive, especially on Sunday afternoons during
I had a further look round the site of the proposed new theatre on Clifton Terrace today (thanks Jez!). I'd not really appreciated how large the site was and having seen that, it does reassure me that the proposed development is the right scale for it. One problem encountered so far is that the water table is not very far below the ground floor, which means plans for an area beneath the stage are having to be dropped and the interior design changed round (so that, for example, actors can get round off stage from one side of the stage ...
The run up to the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest has begun. Many countries have already chosen their songs and singers. We know the UK's song will be written by Dennis Pete Waterman. And this got me wondering: which songs from last year's competition have faded into (even greater) obscurity and which are still being listened to? There are a handful of tracks from last year that still come into my head occasionally. The winner, Fairytale; Ukraine's Be My Valentine; Hungary's pretty unsuccessful Dance With Me; Slovenia's Love Symphony; Sweden's La Voix. But what about the rest of the world who ...
Work will start on Tuesday (23rd Feb) to resurface Birch Grove (just off the South Circular). Work should take about 3 days and will only take place between 8am and 5pm. The contractors are Volker Highways. If there are any problems, please contact Brian Humphris at the Council on 8314 2261 or his colleague Samantha McKerell on 8314 2181.
I'm not sure Mark meant his post detailing his top 10 iPhone apps to become a meme, but it seemingly is doing, with Will Howells being the latest to join in. Not one to miss a passing bandwagon, particularly one that involves my iPhone and blog, I thought I'd compile my top 10. In keeping with ...
We published the results of our most recent survey of Lib Dem Voice's 1,000-strong private members' discussion forum – open to any party member to join – last week: you can catch up with what Lib Dem members thought about a variety of issues by clicking here. In addition to the policy and party issues raised, we asked a couple of questions about party members' blog-reading habits. Here's what we learned ... LDV asked: How did you first find out about Lib Dem Voice? You told us: Word of mouth 30% Just came across it 26% Link from Lib Dem ...
For Labour, losing control of Swansea Council has been a painful experience. Until 2004 they ran the local authority here for well over 60 years, with just a break of three years in the 1970s due to some local difficulties. Many could just about live with losing the Council in 2004, however they expected to win it back four years later and when they did not do so their Council group went into self-destruct mode. For their Leader, David Phillips the budget crisis the Council faces this year must seem like manna from heaven. He has been alleging for years ...
Here's a letter I had published in the "Islington Gazette" about the threats (or otherwise?) to the Freedom Pass: You can read the letter on the Islington Gazette website by CLICKING HERE. ISLINGTON GAZETTE – 17 February 2010 JENNY Davies (Viewpoints, Gazette, February 11) wrote that Labour are completely incoherent on the Government's £30million cuts to travel cards ...
This morning I was the guest speaker at the AGM of DAGGER, the pressure group within the Liberal Democrats that campaigns for electoral reform, and specifically for the the adoption of the single transferable vote (STV) in multi-member constituencies. It's interesting how what used to be considered a fringe issue of interest only to a few ...
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[IMG: Brightfield Site Entrance] A number of residents on Brightfield Road have complained to us about lorries arriving to visit the Northbrook School construction site before 8am in the morning, in breech of the agreed delivery times. In fairness to the site managers, Costain, they have erected signs at the end of the road to tell drivers not to do this, but obviously they have been ignored. I raised this issue with the project team at a meeting with them on Thursday night. They have kindly agreed to take this up with their suppliers to avoid this happening again. Should ...
Slightly out of character (!), Iain Dale initially missed a chance to put the boot into Labour in his recent post about Labour's leaflet printing arrangements. Iain went (at first) for the "this could mean we're about to have a snap election" line, and only really getting to the real story in a subsequent update. That's because what the email about Labour's leaflet arrangements really tells us is that lots of Labour candidates had finalised key parts of their general election artwork, but now Labour is getting a new slogan and they are having to redo their artwork. In other ...
Like the opening salvo in the latest series of the X factor and to the strains of "Your love keeps on lifting me" by Jackie Wilson, Gordon Brown unveiled his new campaign strategies on the young Labour activists of Warwick University today. I simply couldn't get the image of the Ghostbustersstanding inside the Statue of ...
Mark blogged this wek about his top 10 iPhone applications. Always one with an original idea, I thought I'd post up a list of mine. Unfortunately there isn't an app for that so I've had to write it myself. And they call this the future? This isn't an ordered list and it's not an attempt to catalogue the best apps out there – just the ones I use every day or find particularly useful. 1. Tweetie I experimented with some other Twitter clients (TweetDeck and Echofon) but Tweetie does everything I need with a clean and easy to use interface. ...
There's no prize at stake - just the opportunity to prove you're wittier than any other LDV reader ... Here's Lib Dem MP for Montgomeryshire Lembit Opik celebrating the saving of Abermule Post Office from closure. What do you think Lembit, or those surrounding him, might be saying to each other, or thinking about each other? The winner of our most recent caption competition, the "mine's a large one" edition a fortnight ago – according to The Voice's judging panel of one – was this one from Andy Mayer; with an honourable mention to this one from LJH. Oh, and ...
According to Charter 2010 ten out of twelve recent polls indicate a hung parliament next time. Would that be a BAD THING? Quite a few British people might welcome parliament being hung! I myself think it would be a very good thing. No, wait a minute, this is what I mean ... it could be the first step in a genuine reform of the British parliament, and Heaven knows that's needed. Charter 2010 article collating polls A fairer voting system would have to be the price of the Liberal Democrats holding the balance of power with our support for either ...
In spite of bland reassurances to the contrary I have a very uneasy feeling about the UK economy. If you share that feeling with me you might like to ask Vince Cable, Lib Dem economics guru, a question on the topic. Here's how to put a ...
On the whole, I've tried to stay clear of all the class war rhetoric. It seems clear to me that most Tories were not educated at Eton and that very few Labour voters are sons of coal miners. So it's irritating and amusing in equal measures when supporters of either party play their stereotyped role. Today ...
It warmed the cockles of my heart, it did! I took my daughter to the 'Fun & Safety' event at Hailsham Children's Centre during this half-term week, and there for all the kids to help themselves was a table full of fresh fruit: apples, bananas, melon and pineapple, all cut up into bite-size pieces. So many of our society's problems can be put down to children eating junk. Sure, a few sweets and chocolates are part of childhood, and the odd meal of processed food won't do any harm. But a range of ills from hyperactivity and short attention spans ...
In what is almost a daily announcement of the latest Future Retirement for Me from the Labour benches today it is the turn of Labour's longest standing whip, Tommy McAvoy the MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton. He has been a whip for the last 13 years of his 23 in the House of Commons. Gordon Brown himself has described McAvoy as a 'Titan' of politics. At 66 it is the time that many people look forward to retirement, but in the run up to 2005 those who were retiring from Labour's benches for that reason left a longer built up ...
When I sat down to read Peter Watt's memoirs, Inside Out, I was curious to find the answer to two questions. First, I'd met him regularly at Electoral Commission meetings before he became Labour's General Secretary and he always struck me as a bright, enthusiastic - and young - person. When he was appointed General Secretary I was intrigued as to how someone who seemed so much younger and less experienced in the ways of the Labour Party than previous General Secretaries had made it to the top. For him, it was just nine years from starting work for Labour ...
Alistair Carmichael MP, the man in charge of the Scottish Lib Dem's General Election campaign, has responded to Labour's new "A Future Fair for All" with characteristic humour. As usual, he hit the nail on the head when he said: "Labour's latest message to voters is 'A future fair for all'. "I would anticipate that voters' message to Labour would also begin with an 'f'. "The problem for Gordon Brown is that he will be judged not just on his intentions but on his record. "13 years of Labour Government have let down those who need fairness and equality most." ...
We had a meeting last night of the Friends of Garston Park Committee. We decided last month to have a trustees committee meeting every other month and a general meeting every other month. A good discussion last night - we talked about activities for the near future, including some wildflower planting and the creation of some planters for near the entrances. We also discussed doing some litter picks, perhaps the weekend after our general meetings. Alan (the Chair) and some of the others had a useful meeting with Dave Thomas from the City Council earlier in the week and reported ...
If you see anyone digging holes in Stamfordham Drive over the next few weeks, don't worry Its not the pavement being dug up. Some time ago we were contacted by residents asking if some trees could be planted here. The road certainly can look a bit bleak and a bit of greenery may make a difference. There's some doubt about whether the ground is right for planting though so a council officer is going to be doing a few "tree pits" to have a look and see if planting would work. If we get the all clear I'll report back ...
During Gordon Brown's speech he said: "We will cure cancer within a generation." Of course fans of the West Wing will recognise the policy if not the full rhetoric around it, clearly Gordon's speech writer didn't want to totally wrip off the West Wing. Bartlet in the end despite being in a desparate situation at the time didn't use this jaw dropping announcement. He decided that the people would see it as clutching at straws to say something so radical, and uncosted to try and regain popularity. It was even going to be a major part, a major build up ...
This moment from a Granada Regional News report into Luciana Berger, the controversial Labour candidate for Liverpool Wavertree, caught my eye: [IMG: Luciana Berger TV report screenshot] One Labour candidate on the doorstep, talking to one member of the public – but with three other Labour people minding her by the looks of it. Perhaps just a little over-staffed [IMG: :-)]
Well, it looks like the building adaptations work I was so happy to see begin was not as successful as I first blogged. The private building firm contracted to carry out the adaptations began work, but on Friday failed to turn up, and did not contact the home owner. So - Alpha Builders, of 3 Berry Street, ...
There are many reasons people have for posting comments on this site or others: because they've got something to add to the conversation, because they want to correct an error, because they like taking part in a debate, because they've got a question to ask or a myriad of other reasons. For those seeking public office, judicious commenting on other people's sites can also be rather like going to events and meetings in the area; it's a way of getting to know people, getting known by them and discussing relevant issues. Reaching out to other people's sites, particularly if they ...
In 2006, Richard Benyon MP gave this answer to the Rough Guide survey on Climate Change: Climate Change is the defining issue of our age. Previous generations had to deal with the rise of Nazism or communism. This is the issue on which my generation of politicians will be judged. This is our Dunkirk. The latest list of "ten reasons to vote Conservative" has absolutely no mention of the environment or green issues. No mention of sustainability or anything like that. So, that commitment to "our Dunkirk" from the Tories seems to have lasted about five minutes (or as long ...
Oh dear – what a stupid slogan – link not short and not sweet!
The one thing that caught my eye this morning was a story in The Telegraph regarding how Labour intends to campaign for the next election. It is clearly written in a very scathing tone: At a pre-election rally in the West Midlands, Mr Brown will warn his party to frame the election not as a chance ...
I have sent another complaint about the lazy journalism of the BBC (reflected elsewhere in the media) concerning their reporting of the Skidelsky letter. Thus: I feel that the whole issue of the Lord Skidelsky/60 economists letter was one of bias and dumbing down by the BBC. The BBC reported that the letter backed Government plans yet didn't ...
Tim at Full Fact has wriiten an excellent article on Lobbying called 'A scandal unknown?' He uses the Headlines; A lucrative business Access - parliamentary passes Embedded in Parliament In Defence of Lobbying Proposed solutions A Postscript To break down the analysis of lobbying. Tim himself explains his article best; 'Everyone who works in politics is aware of the presence and influence of lobbying. Indeed, having worked in both public affairs and parliament myself, I was struck by the historian David Starkey's recent remark that the modern UK Parliament was little more than "lobby fodder". The rise of the lobbying ...
Labour launched its campaign slogan today - a Future Fairer to all. For those who watched Question Time this week and saw the raw anger of local people in the Middlesbrough audience against the loss of 1600 jobs on Teesside as the Corus steel plant is mothballed, might be forgiven for comparing the slogan with reality. Thousands of other jobs may follow as a consequence. The anger and hurt in the audience was palpable - and the question was - how is fair of Labour to plunge zillions into the banks to save them - whilst this key industry on ...
Here's your starter for ten for our Saturday slot posing a view for debate: Although it is estimated that no more than 2,000 people in France wear a burka, it has become a hot topic of political debate: A parliamentary commission [has] proposed a ban on the garment in all public services facilities, including transport. The commission's report stops short of recommending a complete public ban on the head-to-toe covering, which conceals the face, wanted by many politicians. Instead, it calls for those wearing the garment to be denied access to hospitals, buses, welfare offices and all other public facilities. ...
Mentioning Kipling yesterday reminded me of two of his Epitaphs of the War. Common Form If any question why we died, Tell them, because our fathers lied. A Dead Statesman I could not dig: I dared not rob: Therefore I lied to please the mob. Now all my lies are proved untrue And I must face the men I slew. What tale shall serve me here among Mine angry and defrauded young?
Those who have suggested that a Labour Government is tantamount to countrywide prison-sentence are clearly being a tad unfair. That is the lot of those unlucky enough to live under the Tories surely. Gordon Brown's new election slogan, unveiled at 10pm last night, must have put paid to the notion that New Labour are linked to any sort of sentence, or grammar for that matter. 'Future Fair for all', is not only not a proper sentence, it does not even have the words in any recognisable order. Because 'Fair' is juxtaposed with 'for all' then it becomes the subject of ...
Stockport Council took part in a major operation to crack down on illegal activity in Reddish and Brinnington last week. The Council's Licensing and Trading Standards teams joined forces with Greater Manchester Police and HM Customs & Excise in 'Operation Mistral'. Activities carried out during the operation included: Underage test purchasing which resulted in one premises being found to sell alcohol to an underage volunteer. Over 600 bottles of wine and 234 bottles of spirits of illicit alcohol was seized in raids on off-licences. A warrant was executed by the Police at a residential address on Brindale Road which resulted ...
It's council budget time again in Islington. Islington's Lib Dems first took control of Islington Council 10 years ago following the Hillrise by-election, where the level of council tax was a crucial issue. Under Labour, Islington had the highest council tax in the country and some of the worst services. The LibDems pledged to cut ...
A couple of days ago "Voter" linked to a blog he had written commenting on a piece I wrote here about my fears that the public sector in the UK is creating a client state that is undermining British global competitiveness. He -I assume he, and I am sure I will be corrected if not- made the point that breaking up the banks might not be the answer, since " Far from different banks behaving in completely different ways, there was some convergence. If banks converge, they are really just equivalent to one larger bank". When it comes to understanding ...
I do find Liberal Conspiracy to be so tiresome. It is liberal, in the sense that Americans think of as liberal, and even they use the word 'progressive' these days. The claiming of the word liberal is something that flashes warning signs in my eyes. Some of us have marched under that banner for a quarter-century or more, the inheritors of a tradition that was almost snuffed out in the immediate postwar years. I have the huge privilege of having known people who fought hopeless election campaigns through the 1950's and who, were they around now, would have been in ...
The latest Planning Application for 42 & 44 Flint Green Road has now been approved. This covers 42 and 44 themselves and the building of five new 4 bed homes on the site facing Arden Road. The approval is not a surprise as all the local views expressed to me, were that while far from perfect, the application was much better than many of the alternatives. There are 17 conditions of approval, a relatively large number for such an application, which reflects the importance of the location. The next key date in the diary for this location is the auction ...
I watched The Politics Show last Sunday and I was particularly interested in the debate on funding for elderly care. The Conservative spokesperson had pulled out of the talks because Labour were not ruling out a new tax to fund care. I am not sure where this leaves the debate. If the objective is to stop headlines about pensioners selling houses to pay for care then payment has to come from somewhere else. The easiest answer is to raise a new tax. If this is not acceptable because of a fundamental philosophy (which wasn't there the previous week) then huge ...
A varied day. I was out early, delivering leaflets in Westborough. Then up to the High Street for a coffee with a journalist. As I waited, my wife phoned and we had a long talk about conditions in Haiti (which is where she is). She says it is really bad. Worse than it seems on the television. Very sad. Instead of lunch I caught up with one of our new candidates to discuss content and photos for a local newsletter. And then I caught the number 21 bus to go to talk to residents in Prittlewell. This was good fun, ...
Photograph from the Meeting Held at the Memorial Hall Wrington 12/02/2010 by Bob Bowen The following speech was delivered to the North Somerset Health Overview & Scrutiny Panel on Thursday the 18th of February, it outlines the current state of play and my own position on the issue of keeping the Wrington and Churchill Surgeries open for the people. Ladies and gentlemen, I have been following the development of this issue since October last year, and in particular attended two public meetings called by Save Our Surgeries in Wrington last Friday and Saturday. I have found the consultation, far from ...
