A brilliant days training run by Citizens for Sanctuary today. I must say that it was worth going for the day just to spend it amongst such good people from around Teesside and beyond who were there because they care, and care passionately about how terribly our country treats those seeking sanctuary here. I'm going to start using the term "seeking sanctuary" rather than "asylum seeker" as it...
The award goes to Arifa Akbar, who starts an article in the Independent today thus: In an age when even an uncovered piano leg could cause moral offence to prudish Victorian sensibilities...He wins it for three reasons. First, the story is about a drawing that may date from as early as 1808 and certainly dates from no later than 1826. Victoria did not come to the throne until 1837, so the drawing does not date from the Victorian era at all. Second, the story as a whole seems to be based upon the idea that it was not possible for ...
Liberal Bureaucracy and Mark Pack have both compiled a list of the new Wikio rankings for Liberal Democrat blogs. It is interesting that though this blog has been sliding gracefully down those rankings in recent months, its readership has steadily increased over the same period. Perhaps the moral is that if you consider enough different measures you will find one that gives encouraging results.
More detail on the principles which underly the Liberal Democrat election campaign. In a speech on 11th January, Nick Clegg set out a very clear set of priorities for the party as we enter the election season. The value that connects everything we want to achieve is fairness. There are four priorities for how the Liberal Democrats will make Britain a fairer place: 1. Fair taxes 2. A fair start for every child 3. Fair, clean and local politics 4. A fair, green economy with jobs that last 1. FAIR TAXES FOR ALL The first priority is to introduce fair ...
I normally knock on doors on a Saturday morning, but today I went straight to the Prittlewell Surgery. Residents appeared in knots and eddies this morning, so as well as discussing the various issues brought up, there was time to catch up with our three Prittlewell councillors. They are certainly doing a good job! Second event was a coffee morning in Leigh. This is the polar opposite of Lord Ashcroft's financing of the Conservatives. A group of local Liberal Democrats - at least one in her nineties meet each week in someone's house for a coffee morning. They also hold ...
Friday started with difficult phone calls, trying to shift the time for a photo shoot. But everyone showed a little flexibility, so a set of photos originally due for 10.45am was in the can by 10am. Photos taken, we turned to the knocker. This was a morning where the "outs" were definitely winning - but we also found some good supporters, and one new member. The issue most frequently mentioned on the doorstep was the unloved Tory scheme to rip down trees at Cuckoo Corner. I walked back for lunch, and was out again by 2.30pm, in the company of ...
One day very soon I'm going to do a proper job on the wonderful and amazing buses they're using for the rail replacement service for the Jubilee Line. As the line was out between Waterloo and Stanmore today, the Finchley Road was a veritable bus-spotter's feast; I followed an immaculate green Routemaster ? which looked ...
Welcome to this latest LDVideo instalment, this week highlighting three political video clips in tribute to former Labour leader Michael Foot, who died this week, aged 96. First up, let's see him as a young editor of the Evening Standard sticking up for freedom of the press after the Daily Mirror was censored by the Churchill government for attacking the conduct of the war: (Available on YouTube here). Secondly, here's the BBC's objectively affectionate obituary of Foot: (Also available on YouTube here). And finally here's a reminder of how Labour almost tore itself to bits in the 1970s over Europe ...
Eight tries, including a hat-trick for full back Jon Fabian, saw the Cornish All Blacks storm to a fantastic St Piran's win over Otley today. Other tries came from Ryan Westren, Kieron Lewitt, Steve Perry, Sam Hocking and a 20 yard romp by replacement Tim Mathias. The All Blacks have now solidified their third place in the league.
OK so Fairtrade Fortnight doesn't finish till tomorrow but yesterday afternoon's assembly at St Cuthbert's primary will take some beating. Each class explained what they'd done in the fortnight, ranging from filling a toy supermarket trolley with Fairtrade goodies to a persuasive writing exercise. I was almost in tears listening to the letters written to supermarket managers telling them why
Well here we go again - another Mike Moore romp through american politics. Usual gushing tearful scene where american residents get ripped or fobbed off over some basic human right. I don't think this is as good as sicko. Close but no banana. It has all of the Moore hallmarks of wacky gimmicks and publicity stunts - like sealing off wall street as a crime zone. Hilarious. He does have a point about Goldman Sachs thought. Perhaps the cronyism is a little nauseating. And did that congresswoman really say financial coup d'etat? How did that PA child care really get ...
I have had a reply to my email to Dave Hartnett, the Permanent Secretary for Tax. I had emailed Mr Hartnett after a Parliamentary report had warned that some older people could be paying too much tax on their savings income. I asked Mr Hartnett for advice on what older people in Hendon should do if they fear that they might be affected by this problem. There is no way that anyone should have to pay more tax than they rightfully owe. I am most grateful to Mr Hartnett for swiftly responding with the advice that I asked for, which ...
I've spent much of the day at my computer without writing anything other than emails, so I thought I'd write a blog post. I'm currently eating some cheese. I don't eat cheese. When I tell people this, they're often stunned, as if I've just announced that I have a third nipple or have joined the Tories or have found a good Michael Bay film. "How can you not eat cheese?" "Well, I don't put it in my mouth." "But cheese is lovely. I love cheese." "I don't." I do, in fact, eat cheese, but only under certain conditions. If it's ...
Francis Davey thinks the Digital Economy Bill amendment is a blank cheque for internet censorship.Ben Goldacre asks if it's OK to ignore results from people you don't trust.Constantly Furious' daughter faces the ugly side of capitalism.Stuart Weir on Our Kingdom highlights where he thinks Michael Foot failed.Tom Harris thinks David Cameron is a political genius. I'm not sure what the emoticon for sarcasm is...
There is little more embarrassing than a party leader taking the moral high ground with worthy tosh about "value for money" and "tightening belts" when his own party are possibly the worst offenders. As I waited for my Chinese I chanced upon this article in the Sun, apparently David Cameron has pledged to "out" town hall fat cats "I'll shame £60K council fat cats" and I couldn't help but think what a load of Bull , does this bloke ever ask around before spouting. I'm not going into detail but Peter Gilroy KCC's retiring Chief Exec has been trousering around ...
What really angered me when watching Geert Wilders on Newsnight, last night, was his hypocritical attempts to justify his desire to ban the Koran in the Netherlands. This is the man who we wrongly banned from coming into the UK. Whilst his views should not be endorsed, banning him has only led to the BNP and the ...
According to the Wirrral News, it seems the Wirral West Conservatives are 'keeping quiet' over possible donations from Lord Ashcroft. They are refusing to say whether they have received donations totaling over £90,000. Since 2005 £85,291 has been received under the heading 'fighting fund' and a further £8,325 from Central Office grants. Wirral South have ...
It's 9pm on a Friday evening and the telephone rings. Carol, my wife, answers it. "Is this the Liberal Democrats nationally or locally?" I hear her say in response to the first words of the caller. She goes quiet, listening apparently to a young woman giving a not-very-good series of apologies and pleas that not all politicians should be judged by the impression created by the expenses scandal. It must be hard to get money out of the supporters of any party at present, especially if your opening gambit is so downbeat. But the caller is clearly gearing up to ...
Photopolis is a major photographic resource in Dundee City Council's ownership that I have, with the permission of the Leisure & Communities Department, featured photographs from in the past. It consists of a significant selection of quality photographs from various collections in the Central Library and the City Archives that can be accessed via the City Council's website, allowing easy access to large numbers of historical photographs. Give the history events taking place in June as part of WestFest 2010, it seemed an appropriate time to feature some of the superb West End photos on Photopolis. As a start, pictured ...
Here's how the BBC reports Nick Clegg's speech today to the Association of School and College Leaders conference: Head teachers have been asked to "raise their game" as part of a £2.5bn funding deal proposed by the Liberal Democrats. Party leader Nick Clegg called on schools to reinvent the curriculum, raise results and close the attainment between rich and poor. He told the Association of School and College Leaders conference: "We will find you extra funding, even while elsewhere there are cuts." In return, the "greatest expectations" will be placed upon them, he said. The Liberal Democrats are proposing a ...
A new report claims that Cornwall's economy is seriously threatened by the lack of affordable housing. Richard Kitson, the Chairman of the South West Housing Initiative said: "We need to make sure business and industry can find people who have got homes and can live and work in the area. Fundamentally, people want a roof over their heads and a home of their own. Clearly if we're not building enough homes, then the problem of affordability grows and young people may leave the region." In Cornwall the Council has now set what they call a strategy for affordable housing. But ...
On the 9th of February, the Liberal Democrats tabled a series of amendments to the Constitutional Reform & Governance Bill, which in place of the government's amendment for a referendum on the Alternative vote system, had a referendum and outlined the implementation of this voting system in the United Kingdom. Single Transferable Vote is ...
An amazing coincidence or a cynical ploy? Well, Gordon Brown is in Afghanistan on the day after his Chilcot Inquiry appearance. It's right that political leaders should see for themselves the conditions in which our troops serve, but Brown never does anything without considering the tactical advantages that can be gained politically.It is of course all a bit of a groundhog day. Recall Brown's
As you know I've mentioned on several occasions, but most recently here, that I'm very worried about how the easy accessibility of hardcore internet porn to kids is going to have on the expectations of the next generation. The Daily Fail has an article on this subject today and, as usual, gets it all wrong. Who does it blame for the potential problems? Not the people who make the porn, obviously. Nor the people who make it so easily available to kids who are too young to really grasp the implications of what they're seeing? Nah, they blame liberal parents ...
Recently I have been trying to help local residents set up Home Watch schemes to help bring down crime in Chorlton. Burglary is a big problem locally for residents and the Police. I uncovered figures showing 1 in 20 Chorlton people have been burgled in the last year. . There have also been spates of violent crime and anti social behaviour in parts of the ward. Therefore it's extra important that we take as many precautions as possible to prevent more in the future and help bring down crime. We need to be vigilant against any crimes and to report ...
There is an excellent debate going on over on Lib Dem Voice about the Digital Economy Bill. The main post I am linking to here is the detail of a response to 25 Lib Dem PPCs who wrote an open letter about amendments made by Lib Dem peers to this bill which strike me and many other as not being very liberal. It's well worth reading through all the comments as there are some extremely well informed and detailed contributions pretty much all outlining liberal approaches to this problem. Although it was disappointing to see the rather illiberal amendments the ...
I hope that you weren't expecting a guest post from everybody's favourite elephant and I hope he doesn't think I was shamelessly using his name in an attempt to attract readers or at least if he does that he doesn't mind. Three days short of three and a half years after I started this blog, I reach my 1000th post! I really love blogging and in many ways it's been a real help to me over past year since I've not been in the best of physical health and I hope that I keep going through several more millennia. I ...
Tanfield - canvassing. Scary encounter with a communist - 'I never vote its against my principles'(!!!) and the ultra-polite agent of the Lab MP who seemed 2 nice to be doing that and tempted to vote LD himself!
Odd Down is full of potholes, we are reporting as many as we see. If you see any either ring 394041 or email council_connect@bathnes.gov.ukPlease to see that Wansdyke Road has been identified to be sorted. The white lines around the pot holes means the council has been up, normally things will be done within 28 days
Day two of the Scottish Liberal Democrat conference has been a textbook display of the virtues of Liberalism. A good and positive speech from Tavish Scott - the Scottish Leader- was certainly very well received, and there is indeed much to be optimistic about. The SNP proposals to reduce the power of local councils in Scotland seems to underline why the Liberal approach towards the Scottish devolution settlement is so much more grown up than the infantilism of the Nationalists. It is ridiculous to oppose a state centralised on London and then propose a state centralised on Edinburgh. The Scottish ...
That headline is of course completely unrelated to Iain's comment about the quality of the Liberal Democrat email campaigns made here (start listening around 16:20 to get the context) [IMG: :-)]
A total of 19 (count 'em!) polls were published during February. Now, as our readers know, LDV doesn't cover them with the same breathless excitements as other parts of the media. Most poll movements are within the margin of error, so it is only looked at over a reasonable period of time that you can detect whether there has really been any significant movements between the parties. Well, the past few weeks has certainly shown some movement, so let's get down to business ... Here are February's polls in chronological order of publication: * Con 39, Lab 30, Lib Dem ...
[IMG: Me and the W3] I am a big fan of the W3 Bus, which I use regularly as it travels the length of Stroud Green ward from Weston Park to Finsbury Park Station (so much of a fan I put it at the top of my website!). However, I know it can sometimes be frustrating with recent road works and diversions causing delays – and buses being jammed in the morning rush hour. The thing that really annoys me sometimes is the lack of information at Finsbury Park, particularly when there is a problem with the bus route – ...
I am grateful to Scottish & Southern Energy for its very prompt attention to removing offensive graffiti on the electricity sub-station at Magdalen Green that I brought to its attention towards the end of this week, following residents' concerns. I am also grateful to the City Council for cleaning off graffiti in parts of Taylor's Lane. I am also speaking with the Waste Management Department about getting further graffiti cleaned off flats elsewhere in the street.
So there is an organisation that claims to have trained 2,500 British Conservative Activists in such electoral skills as firing semi-automatic weapons. Yes, the Young Briton's Foundation emerges blinking into the limelight again advocating inter alia the abolition of the NHS, support for torture for 'terrorists' and the adoption of US-Style gun laws. And also denouncing 'global warming' as a fraud. The group has caused disquiet in Tory ranks before. Why? Well for example The YBF chief executive, Donal Blaney.... has called for environmental protesters who trespass to be "shot down" by the police and that Britain should have a ...
BBC reports: Two police officers and a member of the public were hurt when a car answering an emergency call collided with another vehicle in south east London. The Metropolitan Police said the accident happened in High Street, Lewisham, just after 1000 GMT. All three people were taken to hospital following the crash but the extent of their ...
Yesterday Pete and I took the Hither Green Access for All petition to the Department for Transport. Here's Pete explaining more (you can credit me for the steady camera work..!) Access for All Campaign Ramps Up! from Pete Pattisson on Vimeo.
Spring 2010 Conference broadcast
Don't worry, this isn't only the third new-to-me book I read this year – between the last of these posts and this one I also read five other books I'd not read before (as well as usual rereads, comics etc) but I'm planning on submitting some writing to the series that they are connected to ...
Sat 6th
14:20
Opinion: Why the mansion tax runs against liberal principles - but a land value tax wouldn't
One of the more appealing characteristics and strengths of the Liberal Democrats is the room there is within the party for genuine debate, and the freedom members have to hold views which differ from those of the leadership. There are of course certain principles which all who hold the Liberal banner aloft share however; principles around the freedom of the individual from the unreasonable constraints of the state into their personal lives, and these principles bound us together and make the party the pleasant place to be that it is. The Liberal tradition goes back to the enlightenment, with figures ...
The winner is Foxton Pride. As the Leicester Mercury explains: The small cooking variety dates back hundreds of years but only six trees are known to have survived in Foxton, near Market Harborough.The paper also says that two other locally remembered varieties - Foxton's Delight and Foxton's Red Margaret - are yet to be found or catalogued. More information at Foxton Seedy Sunday tomorrow.
As I'm preparing a race night in Shepherds Bush on Monday for London based friends and supporters for the campaign in Bromsgrove it occurred to me that the few hundred I'll make will pale in comparison to events the two main parties. Running an election is not cheap as the graphic below shows (but does highlight how efficient the Lib ...
This is a follow up to a post I wrote a couple of days ago, in which I wrote about the way in which the Internet has changed and is changing society. In it, I talked about the nature of the Internet as a method of communication and keeping in touch, and how Facebook has ...
...step forward Robert Mugabe, who's relationship with Britain is at an all time low with our continued sanctions on Zimbabwe. "In 2002, the government imposed targeted sanctions on Mugabe and his inner circle - including a travel ban and freezing of bank accounts - following allegations of a rigged election." Full story in the Daily Telegraph ...
Many people responded to my request for personal stories as to why it was so important that the Whittington A&E stayed open. I will publish one a day for the foreseeable future - to remind those putting forward the proposals and making the decisions - that this is about people's lives not paper solutions. Denise's story: I have to say I was aghast when I heard that the A&E department was under threat. I actually thought it was a rumour - that someone had got hold of the wrong end of the stick. I have signed the petition. We have ...
Looking through the education pages on the BBC website, I noticed that Nick Clegg has sought to make a deal with headteachers.Everyone has the right to have high expectations on schools. A good start in life enables us to create a society that is healthier in mind and body, a society that has to rely less on crime and a society that becomes fairer.But those expectations have to be backed by
Well, I'm not at Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference in Perth. I am on the couch feeling pretty rubbish. I'm hoping that resting today will ensure I have enough energy to cope with the last morning tomorrow. I did see the little bit they showed of Nick Clegg's speech on BBC News 24. I enjoyed his praise of Tavish Scott, teasing him as someone who burnt ships and dressed up as a Viking. He joked that he couldn't match Tavish's energy, having refused point blank to climb up a bridge to do a photoshoot with him. Tavish doesn't often let us ...
Have just read about the latest LJ fail. Stealing money from your users is pretty rough, but doing it through an insecure third party is even rougher. Anyone who wants to jump ship, I still have four invite codes for DW. Let me know if you want 'em. March sponsor is MArk Reckons. Laptop still buggered, but he'll get a pretty logo soon.
I really didn't think Colin Firth could go any higher in my estimation. I mean, who can forget this scene from Pride and Prejudice in 1995? Or those hilarious fight scenes with Hugh Grant in the Bridget Jones movies? Or his not very good but heartfelt rendition of Our Last Summer in Mamma Mia? Or his portrayal of the heartbroken, brooding writer who falls for his Portuguese housekeeper in Love Actually? Then we find out that not only is he a Lib Dem, but he's willing to stand up and be counted as one by contributing to this book. This ...
With all the money from the tax dodger from Belize at their disposal Sefton Tories still mange to turn out some pretty sub standard literature. Here is a prime example. Not only is the content unremittingly negative and the design naff but a lot of the facts and insinuations are wrong. It was so deliciously bad that we did seriously think about volunteering to deliver it-our Tories do struggle to get leaflets out-unless that is they come by post.Click on the image to enlarge You can see the detail on our website at:http://birkdalelibdems.org.uk/resources/index/LeafletsI particularly like the bit that says Conservative ...
Much has been written about Amendment 120a, Tim Clement-Jones, and DLA Piper; hardly any of it is positive and nor should it be. HOWEVER - there's every chance this could well be stopped, not just by lobbying by the party membership (and you wouldn't get that with the Conservatives or Labour), but also by time itself - let's not forget we'll soon be into the wash-up period, and the Digital Economy Bill is unlikely to be at the top of the list of business that needs to be finished absolutely urgently - and looking at what Labour peer Lord Young ...
With two months to go (we think) we are now canvassing on the doorsteps. This is always quite an enjoyable task as you get to meet and talk to real people. It will be easier once the clocks change and the evenings get lighter (and warmer!). Of course with canvassing you get a lot of 'don't know/not voting/f*** off' etc but despite this I have been pleased with the early results. Lots of Conservatives of course but we seem to be in second place - not many admitting to vote Labour - and hardly any for the others. I've met ...
Here are the Liberal Democrat entries in the top 100 political blogs as ranked by Wikio: 1 (6) Liberal Democrat Voice Falls 1 2 (20) Mark Reckons Rises 1 3 (48) Stephen's Linlithgow Journal Non mover 4 (51) Liberal England Falls 7 5 (61) Liberal Vision Falls 10 6 (62) Caron's Musings Falls 4 7 (65) Andrew Reeves's Running Blog Rises 15 8 (67) Mark Pack Rises 3 9 (71) Peter Black Falls 14 10 (77) Quaequam Blog! Falls 12 11 (89) Miss S B (Jennie Rigg) Falls 13 12 (98) Freethinking Economist New 13 (100) Lynne Featherstone Falls 15 ...
One of the consequences of the economic recession has been a rise in smoking figures, with higher stress levels a factor, and people who are very deprived being the most likely to smoke. This smoking epidemic is the biggest cause of illness and premature death in the constituency, and research shows that two thirds of smokers would like to stop. So, I'd like to add my voice to those of the health professionals and urge folk to take up the free help available on the NHS to quit on National No Smoking Day next Wednesday at Keighley indoor market, from ...
I have been asked what is happening to these buses. The contractor has changed from NXWM to Silverline who will be taking over the service later this year.
During our many visits around our area, some residents mentioned that the recycling boxes we have in Camden were not big enough. Lib Dems on Camden Council have successfully pushed for some changes in the way we will be recycling in Camden. More bins will be rolling out in order to encourage people to recycle more. ...
STV reports: Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg says that the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq War has provided enough information to suggest that the war was illegal. Speaking on Radio Tay on Friday morning at the same time Prime Minister Gordon Brown was facing questions at the inquiry in London, he said: "I'm not a lawyer, but my view is that now there is sufficient evidence to sustain the claim that this was illegal." "A Dutch inquiry into the Iraq war came to the conclusion that it was indeed illegal, and flew in the face of international law... "It is ...
You may have noticed the, er..., very lively debate in the Liberal Democrats about the Digital Economy Bill and an amendment moved by two LibDem peers. An open letter disagreeing with it was rustled up by prospective Parliamentary candidate Bridget Fox and others. Bridget takes up the story in her comment over on Lib Dem Voice: I got a phone call from the Leader's office thanking me for the PPCs letter. In another party it could have been a phone thrown at me.... Welcoming and engaging in genuine policy debate does indeed make the Lib Dems different from the other ...
So far, it's true to say, that despite heavy negative coverage for the Conservative Party day after day about Lord Ashcroft, there hasn't been much sign of damage to the Conservatives in the opinion polls. In some ways that reflects the degree to which the issue plays to natural political cleavages: is doing everything you can within the law to avoid paying taxes acceptable? Plenty of Conservatives will answer "yes", so discovering quite what lengths Ashcroft went to – and the fact of him being a Parliamentarian – doesn't really damage their view of the party. But there are three ...
What amazes me about the current row over Brown and funding for Iraq, is this. The logistics supply chain in a military situation is one of the most complex things man can devise. First, you have the labyrinthine complexity of planning and decision making in the Ministry of Defence and Whitehall. Then you have a multitude of lead times, ordering cycles, suppliers, equipment types. Then you have the vast distances involved. Then you have the dynamic situation on the ground. At the one end of the discussion, the PM says: ...commanders were able to ask for equipment that they needed ...
Meanwhile, the Times has further news that will add to the grief felt by the Tory Party over the Lord Ashcroft affair. They say that Conservative Party's last general election campaign was partly financed with a £750,000 loan from an offshore haven: The money originated with a company based in the secretive tax shelter of Belize. The law bans overseas businesses from making gifts to British political parties but there is nothing to stop them lending cash in this way. The offshore corporation is registered at the same address in the Central American state as the banking headquarters of Lord ...
The March political Wikio Rankings are out, so before I head into the conference hall in Perth for day two of the Scottish Lib Dem Conference I'm going to have a quick look at how us Scottish bloggers are doing. The trend this month is a lot of minor slippage at the top end Tom Harris remains top but slips down one spot. The cute Greek baby who used to own the number 16 spot has dipped out of the top 20, Alex Massie and Subrosa both drop one spot. Jeff returns to the top 40. Bishop Hill jumps a ...
At the last minute, I was able to get a connection to Edinburgh so that I could attend the Scottish Liberal Democrats conference in Perth. As always it is a pleasure to see so many old friends. However, this year it is sad to note the absence of Roy Thomson. For more conferences than I can remember, Roy and I have met up- usually at an internationally themed fringe event, and then gone on the put the world to rights over a meal. Roy represented that stolid decency that is the hallmark of the Scottish Liberals and of the North ...
It has to be said that Gordon Brown delivered a very creditable performance in front of the Chilcot Enquiry yesterday and looked to have successfully distanced himself from his predecessor over the Iraq War. As the BBC reports he told the enquiry that he thought the conflict had been "right" to prevent other "rogue states" flouting international law but that lessons could be learned from it. He paid tribute to the "sacrifices" of British servicemen and women, saying: "Obviously the loss of life is something that makes us all sad." He insisted UK forces had been given all the equipment ...
Wales on-line this morning contains details of an interview, the Tory Leader conducted with its readers in which Cameron promised to to "name the date" for a referendum on the Assembly's powers and hinted at an end to the long-running row over how Wales is funded from the Treasury. This goes a bit further than his Shadow Secretary of State on Good Morning Wales, who refused to be drawn on the referendum, saying only that it was on Peter Hain's desk and that it was a matter for him. However, she too confirmed that the Barnett formula was up for ...
Looks like the clamour of tory activists to return to form has been approved. Details here.
Howard's cartoon from yesterday's Liberal Democrat News.
The headline mostly says it: there's a new local blog, about wildlife in Islington. It's called, drum roll please.........., Islington Wildlife. Looks quite fun and interesting so far and I like the touch of having sketches of the post authors at the bottom of each post.
Lord Bonkers summons me. "Have you heard? They've found The Lost Tribe of Israel in Zimbabwe." "But what are they doing in Zimbabwe?" I ask. He thinks for a moment. "Perhaps they got lost?"
Here's your starter for ten as we continue our new Saturday slot posing a view for debate: In the lively discussion about homeopathy and placebos following an earlier op-ed piece several people made comments about treatments which rely purely on the placebo effect such as: "If a placebo works and is safe and cheap, why on earth should we stop funding it?" The more general issue of placebos was raised by Lynne Featherstone in an op-ed back in early 2008: The placebo effect is seen when people are given treatment, such as pills, where the psychological impact of thinking that ...
As reported in Craine's business: BSkyB is to create 550 jobs with a new Sky call centre in Stockport. The 23,500 sq ft regional office in the St Peter's Square development in the town centre will open in June. The centre will handle enquiries for pay television, broadband and telephony and recruitment is expected to start in March. Roles will include training, coaching and HR, as well as customer services This is something the Council has been working very hard to secure for some time. We've known for a couple of weeks that a big company was moving in; now ...
Yesterday in Parliament a backbencher introduced a private member's Bill to allow pets to be admitted in to care homes and sheltered accommodation.It is clear to me that pets can be of major therapeutic value. Many years ago I got a cat-he was I think actually called Tiddles-admitted to a psychiatric ward. Her owner was very reluctant to go as a voluntary patient with our the cat. The hospital-Sefton General-was one of the most depressing I've ever entered and this lady was destined to go to the elderly person's ward which-I kid you not-looked out on to a large cemetery. ...
Thursday saw the almost traditional debate in the Lords linked to Interntional Women's Day. Click here to check out the thoughts of, amongst others, Baronesses Nicholson of Winterbourne, Williams of Crosby and Scott of Needham Market, as well as an entertaining cameo role from Lord Dholakia...
Following on from yesterday's blog, I took a look at the Conservatives website. I admit that I only glanced at it but I saw that Julie in the poster campaign liked what the Tories are doing for families so I wanted to know if I liked it too. The website mentions marriage but this isn't the same as family. It's fine if you like marriage but what about the families where there is no marriage? It talks about a council tax freeze. This is nothing to do with families. Families may benefit but so will everyone else. It's also a ...
