Last week, the Australian Labor Party installed Julia Gillard as prime minister in the hope that she can win this year's election. "Reconnect with the voters" is the operative phrase. Now the hard questions are coming. Can she win? What does Julia Gillard stand for? As night follows day, the n-word - narrative - is starting to appear in the Australian media. Michelle Grattan, veteran political correspondent for The Age, says that Gillard needs a narrative. As she grapples with the three issues the government must neutralise - mining tax, asylum seekers and climate change - Julia Gillard has a ...
Tuesday I joined ina Question about the previous Government's last minute decision to make the British Indian Ocean Territory a 'marine protected area' in which no fishing would be allowed. The Coakition Government is looking into the proposal, which would make it far harder for the Chagossians who were kicked out of Diego Garcia to make room for a US base in the sixties ever to return to the outer islands, because fishing was an important component of their livelihoods, and the exiles still fish there in cooperation with Mauritians.
Monday, my Question on the demise of Refugee and Migrant Justice, a tragedy for many of their 10,000 clients for whom new providers will have to be found by the administrators. What will happen to the unlucky ones whose cases are about to be heard on appeal or at judicial review. Can the hearings be postponed while the new providers get up to speed, and will the clients get the same quality of service from the alternative providers? I don't think so. And since the Legal Services Commission will have to pay the whole fee to the new provider, as ...
This evening I attended the Western Edinburgh Neighbourhood Partnership. For ease of reference I'll refer to it as the NP. NP's are the local version of Community Planning where different partners from Council Departments, Councillors, the NHS, Police and Community Councils come together to plan and discuss local services. There are 13 NP's in Edinburgh. They have all produced local Plans outlining how they will work to improve service in their areas. The most immediate and spectacular success has been the work between the Council and the Police. This close partnership working which has involved co-located Police Officers has been ...
As he is the only "German" who is a peer, he is simply Lord German, and doesn't have to add "of some place" to his title. Other Liberal Democrats took their seats at the same time. See report here.
The admirable decision to post the whole of the report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry online (first volume in PDF available here) may not actually spur a lot of people to read it, but it has gripped me, and over lunch breaks and commutes in the last week or so I have been poring over the details of the first volume. (In case you are interested, I've been saving the HTML files from the Inquiry website and converting them to Mobipocket format for the Blackberry.) To start with a comment on form rather than substance: one admirable skill displayed throughout ...
I've come to the conclusion that the issue of honey is not just a symbolic one. I fact, it's getting seriously worrying. There is no local honey at all coming from my huge local allotments, which we live basically in the middle of, at Spa Hill. Last year, there were at least four hives producing. The trouble is, most of what we can do about this decline is symbolic. But I've made a little oath to myself that I won't buy fake honey any more - anything blended or imported. This is difficult because my local supermarket can sell me ...
Very much in evidence at the Lowdham Book Festival on Saturday were these characters from The Workhouse, Southwell. (One of the paupers asked me for a penny, but she would only have spent it on gin.) This museum's website invites you to: Discover the most complete workhouse in existence. Meet the Reverend Becher, the founder of The Workhouse, by watching the introductory film and immerse yourself in the unique atmosphere evoked by the audio guide. Based on real archive records, the guide helps bring the 19th-century inhabitants back to life. Discover how society dealt with poverty through the centuries. Explore ...
Those who believe it may be possible to cut spending without impacting upon public spending have had their case strengthened by events in Craven Arms. From the Shropshire Star: Council offices in a Shropshire town are to be closed in a cost-cutting measure - after it was revealed clerks working there had not welcomed a single visitor in two years.
Wed 30th
21:24
Winston Churchill served twice as PM, but NEVER received the mandate of the British people - Quiz an...
Answers to yesterday's quiz: 1. Politics Which British Prime Minister was in Number Ten (as PM) for two full terms but never received the majority mandate of the British electorate? ANSWER: Winston Churchill. 2. Music What do the rock band C.C.S, Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy and tune meister Paul Hardcastle have in common? ANSWER: They all performed Top of the Pops theme tunes. Well done to Bernard Salmon, Rusty Bullet and Markcl10 for getting the answers.
As we reported last month the Liberal Democrat candidate for Oldham East and Saddleworth was petitioning for a hearing of an election court, alleging a breach of the Representation of the People Act (1983). The BBC now reports: A court is to examine claims that a Labour Party election leaflet from former minister Phil Woolas linked an opponent to Muslim "extremists". An election court has agreed to hear the case brought by Liberal Democrat candidate Elwyn Watkins. He claims Labour falsely portrayed him as taking "illegal" foreign donations. The court could order a fresh election in the Oldham East and ...
Yesterday Simon Burns, Minister of State at the Department of Health, was heard to mutter "stupid, sanctimonious dwarf" after the Speaker, John Bercow, asked him to respect the Commons' rules of debate. In fact, to judge by Simon Hoggart and his Guardian sketch, Burns did rather more than mutter: He started talking, and not to himself. We heard the words "stupid" and "dwarf", more than once. Some of my colleagues claim to have detected the word "sanctimonious" in there somewhere as well. At one point he held his hand out, at what I can only conclude would be the height ...
Sadly, this isn't the Hague wanting to question Alistair Campbell as an accessory to war-crimes, it refers to the hot-tempered model Naomi Campbell
Well done to the Leicester Mercury for: Lord Mayor's trousers fall down at children's event
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 175th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (20th – 26th June, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox – just click here – ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down: 1. Budget: ...
The agenda for the City Council meeting at 2pm on Tuesday 6 July 2010 has now been published.Agenda items include:the annual report of the Cabinet Member for Transportation & Regeneration (pdf, 560KB); anda report of the Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee on Better Outcomes for Learning Disabilities (pdf, 289KB).
Every opportunity that Labour spokespeople get these days they attack the Lib Dems. Not usually for any specific Lib Dem policy but for the fact that they were willing to go into coalition with the Conservatives. It often seems like Labour MPs feel like jilted lovers whose rightful and "natural" partners the Lib Dems have inexplicably spurned them for an ill-suited lover and that they will surely soon live to regret this folly. What this ridiculously simplistic narrative fails to take into account is that there are not just areas of commonality with Labour (of course there are some) but ...
[IMG: Unused allotments] Fifty people on the waiting list for a plot at the Canal Garden allotments will be pleased to know that there are five vacancies. Unfortunately the plots have been unused for up to three years and are very overgrown. Inexplicably, the council still has not allocated them to new users. Neighbouring plot holders, the chair of the association and I have all written to the BathNES allotment department to point this out, but have not recieved a reply. While the waiting lists grow, the five Canal Garden plots overgrow. Aside from those frustrated on the waiting list, ...
Cross-posted from Liberal Democrat Voice Well I must say, there was some dazzling stuff at Prime Minister's questions today. But for those who might have expected some light, rather than heat, to emerge; there was disappointment. The score was 5-5 in footballing terms. A dazzling draw. Harriet Harman's display of debating skill was particularly stunning today. Her point was very simple and powerful. 1.3 million jobs will be lost as a result of government budget cuts, says a report this morning. David Cameron didn't deny this estimate came out of the treasury or say that he would publish what Harman ...
Personally I think there is a legitimate distinction between the right to protest outside parliament and the right to camp outside parliament, and to that extent Boris is right. But here is an alternative view from The Curmudgeon: http://www.thecurmudgeonly.blogspot.com/
We have also asked that on the way to look at the yellow lines in Sulis Meadows that the parking wardens check on the cars and vans parked on the pavement at Noad's Corner
We have spoken to the council about enforcing the yellow lines at the entrance to Sulis Meadows, especially at school opening an closing times.Hopefully something will happen.
I have expressed concern at the lack of weeds spraying on many roadways in the West End - see photo (right) from Blackness Road. I raised the matter with the council's City Engineer who advises that : "Traditionally (Dundee Contract Services) always start in the east and head west with their routes planned that way. Three men are usually on the task starting around mid-May and taking eight to ten weeks to complete. All this is weather dependant." I have questioned the way in which the work is approached, given that it may be the end of July before some ...
In my pigeonhole at County Hall today was the brand new Council business plan for 2010-2014. I say brand new, but some of it is already out of date because of the budget cuts which are being imposed by the Government. The front cover (pictured) contains what looks like a Wordle and is clearly meant to show the Council's priorities. In largest print are the management buzzwords - 'passion', 'transform', 'fix', and so on. In tiny writing are some of the ambitions which I would hope are more important to the Tory led administration - such as 'improving', 'inclusive', 'positive' ...
Today, I attended the Improvement and Efficiency Sub-Committee of the City Council, where I asked questions about internet use at City Council libraries and community centres and about progress on air quality in Dundee. This will be the last ever meeting of this sub-committee as it will shortly merge with the Audit and Risk Management Sub-Committee and the Scrutiny Committee to provide for a more effective and streamlined audit and scrutiny function.
Well I must say, there was some dazzling stuff at Prime Minister's questions today. But for those who might have expected some light, rather than heat, to emerge; there was disappointment. The score was 5-5 in footballing terms. A dazzling draw. Harriet Harman's display of debating skill was particularly stunning today. Her point was very simple and powerful. 1.3 million jobs will be lost as a result of government budget cuts, says a report this morning. David Cameron didn't deny this estimate came out of the treasury or say that he would publish what Harman called these "hidden treasury documents". ...
Tees Valley is in the running to become the new administrative centre for the Government's proposed 'Green Investment Bank' after Redcar MP, Ian Swales, put forward the case for Teesside in a letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt. Hon George Osborne. In his letter to the Chancellor, Mr Swales stressed the need for increased Government support to help the North East recover from the economic crisis and deal with the continuing high levels of unemployment. Under the coalition Government's proposals, the bank will be used to provide investment for 'green' projects such as upgrading ports to make them suitable ...
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is like a breath of fresh air with is plan to radically reforms prison to "shut the revolving door of crime and reoffending". Prison does not work as far as rehabilitation is concerned. If you make a prison harder all that happens is that you get harder criminals at the end of the process. Sure some will change but the evidence is that the vast majority of prisoners re-offend and are in effect 'Colleges of crime'. I started to write this post then found this post by Iain Dale Ken Clarke Is Right: Prison Doesn't Always ...
Its good news that there's going to be an Inquiry into government complicity in torture. This post from Craig Murray is very apt.
A few months ago, I was lucky enough to see the Brit Awards 2010 at the Earls Court Exhibition Centre. When people say that UK live music is doing well, this is what they mean - an enormous venue, world class talent, and an ecstatic crowd. I was particularly impressed with Florence Welch and Dizzee Rascal's performance, which combined both of their distinct musical outlooks with great success. Now that Labour has been booed offstage, the coalition partners have got up for a similarly ambitious duet. For such established solo performers, trying to make our different styles gel will be ...
On the 17 June 2010 the Government announced that it was withdrawing funding for the Free Swimming programme for swimmers aged 60 years and over and 16 years and under. The two year initiative was due to run in the District from 1 April 2009 until 31 March 2011, but the funding has been cancelled from 1 August 2010 as part of the Government's review of spending. St Albans City and District Council is not in a position to meet the ongoing costs of the programme without Government funding, which amount to approximately £123K per year, so the initiative will ...
Lately children's health and safety measures have gone way to far! As an example, we have to wear goggles while playing with bluetack. In my school we have to wear hats to go in the sun and if we have forgotten our hats we are not allowed in it. Even my mum is buying sun lotion which is 50+ on protection. I'm ten years old for goodness sake. Anyway, i'm hoping that when the Goverment is looking at regulation and trying to get rid of laws that are uneccesary they will look at the ridiculous safety measures in place for ...
Yesterday I was pleased to welcome Graeme Hicks, Cornwall Council's Cabinet Member for Highways, to Launceston. Graeme had agreed to come to look at some of the issues surrounding crossing and the need for a safer way for people to walk down Dutson Road. Whilst we were there, we met a number of local residents and also talked to the Cornish and Devon Post. I took Graeme from the town centre to Ridgegrove, pointing out that for people to walk to route, they needed twice to cross a main road where there is no safe crossing. There is also a ...
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In the interests of balance I have reproduced below the letter I received this week from the Deputy Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police regarding the way they are policing the badger cull. The letter was written in response to my raising with the police concerns, which I have blogged on previously: 'Thank you for your letter of 22 June 2010 highlighting your concerns regarding Police actions at the public meeting at Rhosygilwen in Rhoshill on Monday 14th June 2010. My colleague, Assistant Chief Constable Nick Ingram, held a meeting with three representatives of 'Pembrokeshire Against the Cull' (PAtC) on ...
Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has launched a £1bn Regional Growth Fund to help communities that may be particularly affected by public spending cuts. Liberal Democrat Ian Swales MP for Redcar has today described the move as a vital step in protecting jobs and promoting growth in the North East. Commenting, Ian said: "The reckless Labour government left the country nearly bankrupt, with an unprecedented challenge ahead. "The Coalition Government has had to make incredibly difficult choices, but the Liberal Democrats are helping ensure that no community gets left behind. "We can now deliver a more ...
The Conservative marriage tax proposals have been heavily criticised for being an ideological policy (e.g. here) and the policy has been hotly debated already. However the policy and the process by which it was developed shows classic problem focused thinking and demonstrates the influence of this approach and how it does not work. The (non-ideological) ...
For the avoidance of doubt - this contains mega spoilers, so go no further if you don't want to know..... "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" A simple saying, a wedding tradition, planted deep in the memory of a child, is the key to the saving of the Universe. I guess it saves on the special effects budget! Seriously, though, I did wonder in my review of The Pandorica Opens how on earth Steven Moffatt was going to sort out the universe being destroyed thing that he'd created without disappointing us. Well he did. And he did it ...
A proposal from Cornwall Council's Chief Executive's department to abandon a plan to involve local councillors in children's services has been thrown out thanks to my Lib Dem colleague Pat Rogerson who represents Bodmin. At the end of today's Children's Scrutiny committee meeting was a paper on 'Local Elected Member Champions for Children and Young People'. In order to help make our children's services better (they had been labelled failing) a councillor from each community network area would become the champion for children and young people in their area. In Launceston, we chose Cllr Phil Parsons to undertake the role. ...
I have now heard rumours from two sources that Cornwall Council's executive is planning to cut the number of scrutiny meetings for councillors. This will severely inhibit the ability of elected representatives to hold the Cabinet and officers to account and achieve the best for the people of Cornwall. At particular risk, I understand, are the various scrutiny and policy panels which have been set up to do the most forensic work. There are three types of panels - there are very short-lived 'task and finish' panels such as the CCTV group which is meant only to exist for one ...
A review has just been published into the 'Open Election Data' project, which was an attempt to make local election results available from councils in a format which would allow others to collate, republish, analyse or otherwise use the data. (At the moment the data is often put online in very inaccessible and inconsistent ways – e.g. one council might have election results in a pdf, another in a graphic file, another as text on the page and so on.) The list of lessons learnt from the project casts a wider light on why the public sector so often seems ...
I was glad to hear today that the Government have announced a radical review (shake up) of prisons. Especially with regard to the imprisonment of people for relatively minor offences and at what sought of level custodial sentences should apply. It worries me that too many young people end up in prison for the first time and find themselves in an institution that caters more for an education in crime and criminal networking rather than rehabilitaion. If we could stop or at least drastically cut reoffending rates in the young it would save millions and ultimately improve the lives and ...
I have always thought the concept of "positive" discrimination offensive, patronising, counterproductive and illiberal. I have also said that should my party adopt such processes, they could expect my membership card by return of post. It has always been a red line for me, and my feelings on that haven't changed. And now, according to Lib Dem Voice, the london area party has done so for assembly elections. But that was before I became so deeply embedded in this family. I am vacillating over this matter of principle because of that. To NOT resign my membership over this would be ...
Neath Port Talbot Council is one of the few Labour-run authorities left in Wales and Labour Assembly Members, MPs and Ministers are fond of referring to it as a model of best practice, arguing that councils run by other parties would do well to learn from their example. It will be interesting therefore to see how these same Labour politicians react to today's news that this self-same Council has been unable to secure agreement with its trade unions on changes in working practice and are now considering dismissing its entire workforce and re-employing them on new terms and conditions. This ...
I have just read another dodgy allegation from the Local Green Candidate Wilson Chowdhry. I wouldn't normally have minded as it was levelled at the Conservative candidate, however, it raises an issue which has been highlighted before about some of Wilsons less than honest postings. My particular issue this time is in relation to his apparent belief the he has a hot line to confidential information that is allegedly readily provided by Redbridge Council. In this case he alleges that he is frequently told who has or has not reported various incidences of flytipping and bulky waste in the area. ...
Unfortunately, this sunny weather has coincided with lots of meetings which take me out of it and plonk me in stuffy rooms. Last night it was the Annual General Meeting of the Rainsough Tenants and Residents Association. A new committee was elected, and there was input from lots of the local partner agencies like the Police, Six Town Housing and Groundwork. An interesting stat falling out of the meeting was that there hasn't been a single burglary in Rainsough in the last three months. This is pretty remarkable, and typical of a substantial fall in local crime which I think ...
This is probably the most difficult posting I have ever written. I have been a member of the Liberal Democrats since 1992 - 18 years, over half my life - and my membership is up for renewal at midnight tonight.
The Lady Harriet has just screeched her way through PMQs with the now traditional Labour practice of being in denial about their record and rewriting of the history books. The reality is that the public sector is now far larger than we can afford. Labour before the general election accepted that jobs in the public sector would have to go even of they won the election. Nearly quarter of a million
Wed 30th
12:20
Opinion: If we fail to address the image of an all-white party our reputation alone will put off fut...
The Liberal Democrats are showing signs of getting serious about tackling the chronic under-representation of black and Asian talent in elected positions – and about time too. In a groundbreaking move that was sadly unreported, the London Region recently agreed to introduce positive action in a bid to get at least one BAME hopeful onto the London Assembly, a body that represents a city where over a third of the population is from an ethnic minority. The decision to reserve places - quotas by another name - on the 'top-up list' means the Lib Dems have gone further than any ...
We have two by-elections now called for July 29 - both in Labour strongholds but with either Conservative or Independents snapping on their heals. Having been out in Keynsham South three times already thanking people for the general election vote it is going to be an interesting campaign for us there. Our candidate Andy Halliday is a well known local member iof the community. I shall be joining the Radstock campaign team next week. Radstock is seeking separation from Norton Radstock Town Council as are Midsomer Norton and Westfield so it will be interesting to see the impact of anger ...
Yesterday was fun. I went to lunch at [IMG: [personal profile] ] djm4's house, which was lovely. It was good to see David and Giles and the kids, and eat lovely home cooking, and lounge on the lovely comfy sofa and watch Top Gear and various home movies. I always feel really relaxed and secure in that house; it's one of my happy places. Unfortunately this means I generally end up late for whatever is happening afterwards, which happened again yesterday... Oops. Still, when I DID get to the Bree Louise, I ended up having a lovely evening. [IMG: [personal ...
Recently there have been two big commercial operator applications for incineration plants in Bristol and South Glos. I was one of many who submitted points against these applications to the planning committees. Bristol turned its one down and now South Glos has turned its one down too. Great news for the environment. We do not need these large monsters of doom burning up scarce resources under the scam mythology promoted by the last Labour Government of energy from waste. Copy of press release for more information Media Release South Gloucestershire Liberal Democrats. Date: 28th June 2010 Embargo: immediate release Contact: ...
A pleasant event last week which I attended with my ward colleagues John McClurey and Marilynn Ord was the unveilling of the mosaics in the Whickham Library garden. The ceremonial bit was done by Joe Mitchison, the deputy mayor of Gateshead.The mosaics were produced by students at Whickham School and by children at the Gibside Special School.I turned up with cameras and ended up taking a long
Welsh Liberal Democrat MPs Roger Williams and Mark Williams have written to Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander asking for the impact of the VAT rise to be assessed and measures to mitigate the effect in some areas to be adopted. Both MPs put their name to an amendment tabled by St. Ives MP Andrew George calling for an impact assessment of the increase in VAT to 20%, but the amendment was not called. In particular, they have highlighted the impact on rural areas, where the lack of public transport, which is zero-rated, means that people have no alternative ...
An FCO source warns me this morning that a vicious rearguard action is being fought within the FCO, to ensure that any government inquiry excludes my evidence and does not consider whether there was a policy of complicity with torture. Rather the security services wish it only to look at individual cases like Binyam Mohammed and assess compensation for them. The cover-up that these individual cases were accidents would be maintained. I have now obtained under the Freedom of Information Act the final documents in the Tashkent series. These show beyond doubt that there was an official policy of obtaining ...
Its been a few days since I posted, I would have earlier but my apple (iphone) ate my profound thoughts on what was the most marvellous brilliant and significant event in a long time for my family. The long and short of it, is that Me and Mrs Me are now very proud grandparents, I'm not sure whether I will be gramps grandad or what, frankly it doesn't matter. Our grand daughter arrived Saturday morning a few days later than expected, myself and Mrs Me just happened to be close by the Maternity when she arrived. Although I always look ...
Residents of Kensey Valley Meadow will, sadly, be all too familiar with the customer care policy of Elan Homes, the developers of the estate. Last winter, many local residents were unable to get their cars out of the development because of the snow and ice problems. Some residents were even forced to abandon Christmas as they could not get out to buy all they needed for the holiday period and so could not host friends or family. Others were worried about losing their jobs as, despite the main roads around the town being cleared, the roads of KVM were left ...
As I watched election night unfold, I told myself I would write a positive discrimination motion for conference. Things didn't turn out quite that way, but I did write a motion and here it is! It references a policy paper which I am also releasing today. Conference Motion: Representing Britain Policy Paper: Representing Britain, an Investigation I have just submitted these to the conference organisers, so we'll see how far they go! There will be lots of motions along these lines (I know that Campaign for Gender Balance and EMLD are both submitting motions on similar themes) so I am ...
[IMG: stats.bmp] This blog has passed the 100,000 unique visitors in a month mark in June. It certainly works as a motivator. I remember being happy when we were getting 10,000.
Those who have followed the changes internal to parliament will have noticed the creation of the Back Bench Business Committee.I am pleased to have been elected to this committee and hope that we will be able to use the committee to strengthen parliament and strengthen the ability of back benchers to fight for their constituents in various ways.
Today is the deadline for Lib Dem members who want to put motions to our national conference in the Autumn to get them in. Motions are submitted either by local parties (constituencies) or by some internal party organisations (like Liberal Youth) or by a number of individuals who've been elected as voting reps at conference (each local party elects a number of reps - we have five in Garston and Halewood). I've written a motion on student tuition fees, which is going in from Garston and Halewood as well as Liverpool West Derby and Liverpool Wavertree. (If it gets picked ...
I don't have any difficulty in believing that the FBI really have discovered a colony of Russian sleeper spies in the United States. Spying is an industry. Most of its activity is pointless, counter-productive and misdirected. Those employed in it have the strongest urge to strengthen and perpetuate their own industry. They are, worldwide, shielded from public scrutiny of their efficiency, and it is easy to persuade politicians to dole out more and more funds. Politicians are flattered to see papers marked "Top Secret" and their vanity is stoked by knowing about things happening that the public is not allowed ...
As part of a 3-year London-wide initiative Liberal Democrats sought to connect with European voters who do not have a vote in UK General Elections. The European Voter Initiative (EUVI) was organised mainly by Dinti Batstone running up to the last European elections. On the back of specific fund-raising there was a vibrant contacting of European, non-UK, voters thus increasing the Liberal Democrat turnout in certain geographical areas for the European Elections. At the end of that campaign, out of funds that were available, a prize of £500 was offered to the local party which put together a specific campaign ...
Yesterday the High Court granted the GLA an injunction to remove protesters from Parliament Square under the law of trespass. However, Boris may allow Brian Haw, the anti-Iraq War protester, to remain. He'll find it difficult to budge him. In 2005 Charles Clarke, a veteran of NUS protests when he was Chairman but by then New Labour Home Secretary,put the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act
Ken Clarke, Secretary of State for Justice, is today announcing a review of sentencing policy. He is quite rightly concerned about the high level of re-offending by people who have served a short term prison sentence for a non-violent offence. The Lib Dems fought the election arguing that sentencing policy was counterproductive because those convicted of low level offences and sent to prison were
From the Council: Stockport residents are being encouraged to complete a questionnaire on the Council's Highways and Transport Services. The survey, running for the third year, includes questions on the condition of roads and footpaths, walking and cycling, congestion and local bus services, and takes about 20 minutes to complete. A random sample of 4,500 local households has started to receive a National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction survey. The deadline for returning the surveys is 16th July. People's views in Stockport can be compared directly with those in 100 other local authorities in England and North Wales as all ...
Julian Huppert, David Howarth's successor as MP for Cambridge, has been elected to the party's Federal Policy Committee (FPC). Julian is rather in the Evan Harris mode in that he's very interested in (and knowledgeable about) scientific issues, keen to see evidence properly scrutinised, likely to be an active participant in the FPC's work and, in as much as the labels make sense, rather more of a social liberal than an economic one. You can follow Julian on Twitter at @julianhuppert.
Sahil Kapur writes in the Guardian about the US Supreme Court's decision to strike down gun control laws. The statistics stack up the cost of America's 2nd Amendment. About 100,000 people in America are shot ever year and more than 30,000 die. On average, 85 people in America die every day from gun violence, nine of whom are teenagers and children.A 2009 study in the American Journal of Public
I see LibDemVoice already have this well covered. I just want to report these stark facts: Coalition Justice Secretary Ken Clarke speaks on the need for more intelligent sentencing, sending fewer people to jail and greater rehabilitation Former Labour Home Secretary Jack Straw in the Daily Mail (!) speaks against (and in praise of Michael Howard), "Prison DOES work!" So go on, our next left forward friends, let's hear it?
Our local conservative MP Philip Hollobone has put forward legislation before parliament to ban balaclavas. After two of the coldest and longest winters on record, I ask what on earth he's thinking. The clothes one wears should not be subject to state control. We've had thirteen years of New Labour telling us what we can and can't do, what we can and can't say, I'm suprised there haven't been directives on how many times we should chew our peas before swallowing. We don't want Tory MPs jumping on the bandwagon and banning things left right and centre for some sort ...
Justice Secretary Ken Clarke is calling for cuts in Britain's prison population, following the agenda set by the Lib Dems and previously opposed by both the Conservatives and Labour. Those Labour activists still clinging desperately onto the idea that the Lib Dems are mere cheerleaders in the coalition are going to have to twist themselves into yet more contortions – or simply ignore the facts – as they continue to push their line. As Jack Straw writes in The Mail: [David Cameron] has allowed his government's penal policy to be dictated not by his own common sense but by Justice ...
IMG_0002.JPG The first thing to say about Ken Clarke is that he is clearly not one to get hung-up about opinion polls. Populism dictates that politicians taking power denounce the feeble, wooly attempts of their predecessors on crime before promising more prisons, tougher sentencing and the return of the cane for feral youths (ok, so ...
Cornwall Council has just published details of the pay levels for top officers. The report shows that there were 30 officers earning more than £100,000 a year and that 560 officers earning £50,000 or more in the last financial year. To see the report, click here and download the report under agenda item 14. The details of officers pay begin on page 81. The report also shows that Peter Lewis, the former Director of Corporate Support, received a pay off of £78,750 when he left the council in March. This despite the fact that councillors were told that he left ...
[IMG: funny pictures of cats with captions] see more Lolcats and funny pictures
The Sun have a front page splash on the England Football team headed "Are you havana laugh?" The photo on the front page involves a cigar – geddit?????!!!! Apparently it is totally forbidden now for the gents in the team to have a beer or smoke a cigar. That's wrong. I think it is time to call the dogs off the England football team. There should be an independent enquiry into our World Cup performance. But we should remember that we got further than France and Italy (both World Cup winners within the last 12 years). And we should lower ...
Political party to register "within weeks" Dissidents from the Irish Greens to set up their own group. Their disgruntlement with their former party is entirely comprehensible, but unfortunately their command of Irish rather poor; you can have "Fís Nua" or "An Fhís Nua" but not, as they seem to think, "An Fís Nua". (tags: ireland)Fezzes are Cool Niall Harrison did like Doctor Who under Moffat, more so than in the RTD years. (tags: doctorwho)Asking the Wrong Questions Abigail Nussbaum didn't like Doctor Who under Moffat. (tags: doctorwho)External Action Service. Much Ado About Nothing. Stefani Weiss of the Bertelsmann Stiftung takes ...
The Flemish author and academic Peter Schrijvers was the guest speaker at today's gathering of the Biographers' Club, held at the Savile Club off Grosvenor Square. His book Bloody Pacific has just come out in a second, paperback edition (Palgrave, £12.99) and I hope to review it shortly. Peter Schrijvers had prepared an excellent, thoughtful ...
On the 14th June I wrote about a change of speed limit on the Greyhound Bridge in Lancaster and it has made the letters page in the local newspaper. On the 14th I concluded that a lowering of the limit from 40mph to 30mph was a good thing but one of the letters has the heading '30mph limit is barmy'. The author reckons that he can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times that he has been able to drive at 30mph. You see we have a traffic congestion problem between Morecambe and Lancaster which has ...
