I am very pleased indeed to read the news that the Dean of St Albans, Dr Jeffrey John is likely to be nominated to be Bishop of Southwark. Dr John used to be the Canon theological at Southwark. When the controversy over Dr John's short-lived nomination as Bishop of Reading was at its height, I went to Southwark Cathedral to pray about the situation. It seems to be a very relaxed community. You could just tell it – just walking in. I am delighted that the Church of England has moved on so that Dr John's nomination can now be ...
Shocking news from Vigo today, with news of a shooting of one person and the wounding of another in Scafell. During the last election, I spent a lot of time in this area and it is a lovely quiet community where things like this don't happen. Anyone with information is asked to call Northumbria Police on 03456 043 043 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
This isn't a Proper Blog Post as such – I know I now owe people two Batman and two Doctor Who posts for next week. However, Manchester University's computer science website is down, which means I can't get any of my (due in on Monday) coursework done. So to try to overcome the horrible panic ...
From Black Dog in tomorrow's Mail on Sunday: Vince Cable had an awkward moment when he got himself a cuppa and crumpet in Westminster's deeply tribal tea room and walked to the table where the Lib Dems gather - to find no one there. He looked up to see a gang of Tory Right-wingers sitting at their own table - and hesitated. 'Don't be scared, join us,' joked one. He did. And held them spellbound for an hour. The wonder of Vince
Sat 3rd
22:17
Tesco's does your opinion count, as Margate seafront becomes access road for superstore
NO to be honest, the debate over Tesco's plans to develop the Arlington site, will effect nothing, Thanet Council will do what officers tell(advise) the council, they will be aided by unelected bodies such as Margate Renewal Partnership, Tesco's and Freshwater (the land owner). In recent years from memory, there have been several consultations, over Margate front, with the great public, various plans none of which seem to realistic, including the hideous Arlington given facelift, a hotel, traffic diverted from Marine Terrace, so that one can sup gin and tonics, or quaff latte's sheltering under palm trees from the harsh ...
Overview of the process In order to ensure that all constituencies have an appropriately approved and democratically selected candidate for a General Election Article 11 of the Federal Constitution specifies that all states shall agree a fair selection process. These rules govern that process and must be used by all Local Parties in England for the purpose of selecting Parliamentary Candidates. Constituencies starting the process of selection must ask their Regional Candidates' Chair (RCC) to appoint an independent Returning Officer (RO) from outside the constituency. The local party executive will agree the appointment of a shortlisting committee with the Returning ...
So, we have some new Rules, following their ratification by English Council earlier today. My intention is to publish parts of them over the coming days, starting with the introduction (a very fine place to start, as Julie Andrews might have put it)...
Kirby Muxloe is a village five miles from the centre of Leicester. Even though it is about on the line where the city meets the countryside, it has a very urban feel. So Kirby Muxloe Castle is a wholly unexpected pleasure. It is a picturesque fortified mansion built for William, Lord Hastings, in the 15th century. It was never completed because Hastings was executed by Richard III in 1483. Kirby was a quadrangular castle with a tower at each corner, but only one tower remains today. What you see are the substantial remains of that tower and the gatehouse, together ...
So if Bernard Jenkin does propose an amendment in the Commons to require a 40% threshold in an electoral reform referendum, can it be completely ignored on the grounds that he doesn't have the support of 40% of his own electorate?
LDV is continuing the tradition started on Cix of re-posting maiden speeches of new Lib Dem MPs for the delectation and comment of our own community. You can catch up on those published to date here. Today is Tessa Munt's turn ... It is an honour to follow Jim Shannon and to address the House for the first time on behalf of the people of Wells, the most beautiful constituency in the country. [Interruption.] Yes it is. First, I wish to pay tribute to my predecessor, David Heathcoat-Amory, who sat in the House for 27 years, a longer period of ...
For some reason I don't feel so embarassed by the 4-1 defeat by Germany. Overall it's been a good knock out and quarter finals, with plenty of shocks. You have to feel sorry for Ghana, especially for Gyan. Gyan had been the best player for the (limited) parts I saw, but then missed the last second penalty. The round of 16 saw 22 goals in 8 games, the quarters 9 in 3. Although the Spain-Paraguay game looks determined to make it 9 in 4. This is almost certainly enough to lift the tournament above Italia'90 (currently it has reached 2.2 ...
The list is prodigious. This is an hilarious clip from Russell Howard's Good News on BBC 3. The full programme is here on BBC iPlayer.
Munguin's Republic on the Americans buying up Britain. Sounds like a bad investment to me.
The right wing gutter press have been printing ridiculous stories all week claiming the EU want to ban the sale of eggs by the dozen. If you read this story HERE on Liberal Burblings, you'll see the story is made up poppycock. But satill people believe these gutter rags when the print such rubbish !
I've been helping out at Taverham Summer Fayre today, and the day couldn't have been better. Thankfully (or sadly as the case may be) England did the Fayre (and many others) by losing last week and avoiding a TV clash with Argentina on the afternoon of the fayre, so the number of people attending was high and the weather was warm and pleasant rather than been scorching. I was asked a few weeks ago if I was interested in helping, so got their bright and early at 7am to help set up and was impressed at the small but dedicated ...
Warmest congratulations to Opposition leader Ahmad Muhammad Mahmoud "Silanyo", leader of the Peace, Unity and Development Party (Kulmiye), who has been elected president in the Somalilland Presidential elections. The National Electoral Commission invited all the political leaders, election observers, officials, media representatives, Guurti, Sultans, elders etc to the announcement of the results, which were as follows: Kulmiye 2,66906 - 49.59% Udub 17,8881 - 33.23% Ucid 92,459 - 17.18% This is a great achievement for the people of Somaliland, and an example to the region, including particularly to the people of neighbouring Somalia. How can the UK, the European Union, and ...
One of the better Inspector Rebus novels (I do need to check back and see how often I have used that phrase). A returning psychopath, establishment paedophiles, and a long-lost ex-girlfriend infest Rebus's life, and knowing that the law may never succeed in delivering justice is starting to gring him down. It's also a very interesting novel about parenthood - Rebus and his daughter, still recovering from the injuries she sustained in the last book; his ex-girlfriend and her missing son, tangled in the decadent lives of the offspring of a senior judge; the parents and daughter of Rebus' colleague ...
Just back from the Pride march - what an amazing event - what a wonderful day! There is something so empowering, so overwhelming - about marching, expressing - having a demonstrative voice. So much of the time there appears a passivity - as if nothing can be done, nothing can change. But from the Stonewall riots 40 years to today's Pride march in the London sunshine - every gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans individual that has had the courage to stand up against prejudice and fight discrimination - has shown the courage and determination that can change and has changed ...
Last Sunday I blogged about the Right-wing media story about 'selling eggs in dozens being banned by the EU'. Yes, let's say it loud and clear: this was a ludicrous and utterly untrue scare story originated, at a general national level, by the right-wing media (after a story in the trade magazine, the Grocer). Here is a very good deconstruction of the scare story. The daft thing here is that this is actually an attempt by the EU to deregulate. But it has been blown up by the Mail and the Telegraph (and then others) as another "straight banana madness" ...
Chorlton's hugely successful Beech Rd Festival takes place tomorrow. Come down between 12pm and 5pm. Its usually good fun.
A total of 10 voting intention polls during June – some of which, but not all, earned a mention on Lib Dem Voice so let's bring the story up-to-date ... Here are June's polls in chronological order of publication: * Con 36, Lab 30, Lib Dem 25 (1-9 June, Harris) * Con 40, Lab 32, Lib Dem 18 (10-11 June, YouGov) * Con 36, Lab 30, Lib Dem 23 (16-17 June, ComRes) * Con 39, Lab 31, Lib Dem 19 (18-20 June, Mori) * Con 39, Lab 31, Lib Dem 21 (18-20 June, ICM) * Con 39, Lab 34, Lib ...
When talking about or campaigning for such constitutional change as moving from FPTP to AV as the electoral system for parliament, the descriptive language (if not to otherwise conserve the status quo) is then of 'destination' or, of a 'step' towards something greater. Certainly no room for waffle or for massaging coalition sensibilities. The language has to be clear and to define all players clearly. Thus for the Liberal Democrats it is neither something to conserve against, or is it a destination. Rather it is: 1/ a definite STEP towards better representation of people in parliament and of parliament in ...
There's no prize at stake - just the opportunity to prove you're wittier than any other LDV reader ... (Photo credit: Lib Dem Flickr photostream). Here's Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne and former Lib Dem MP Evan Harris examining the floods that hit Oxford a few summers ago – but what do you think they might be saying to / thinking about each other? The winner of our most recent caption competition, the "Tim Farron cashes in" edition - according to The Voice's judging panel of one - was this one by Tabman.
The Now Show tends to be fairly good at spotting newspaper bollocks. Unfortunately, this week's guest didn't. She based her entire slot on the made-up lie that the EU has banned selling things by number. She even mentioned the bent bananas myth. Why are people so susceptible to believing this sort of rubbish? Every Christmas we get newspaper stories that they are banning mention of the word Christmas or something, and even quite reasonable and intelligent people swallow it. The number of total myths about STV that people believe is incredible. Why are people incapable of a simple bit of ...
Some of these reviews can also be found on Amazon.In June 2010 I read the following books: 1. The Star Fraction, by Ken MacLeod - Very good: 4/5 While this is the first installment in a trilogy, it still works well as a stand-alone novel, and, unlike many other first installments, it actually has a proper end to match its beginning and middle. The world of the story is not entirely explained, which leads to some of the politics that forms a major part of it being rather perplexing, which troubled me the first time I read it (and stopped ...
James Graham is on fire at the moment. First of all, he has written a fantastic "Comment is Free" piece saying that we should stop quibbling about AV and get on with campaigning for it. It contains the priceless phrase "Psephological obscurantism". Brilliant. For this week's phrases which are new to me, it stands up there with "swivel seating" (which refers to someone transferring data entry from one screen to another). And James makes this excellent point: In my constituency in Hendon, I was faced with the stark choice of supporting the Liberal Democrats, who looked like they might have ...
In my previous blog entry 'Home 11 - Bring the Troops Back' I expressed why I thought our troops should withdraw from Afghanistan with the Canadians next year. That also, at the present rate of causalities, this might mean a further 200 fatalities and 2000 injured. However, now that Hague has indicated 2014 as a possible date (which Liam Fox doesn't appear to support), I have to ask myself what will the families of a probable extra 500 dead and 5000 injured (between 2011 and 2014) see for their sacrifice? I think we all have a right to know. Their ...
I know that Jae Kay has had a few things recently to say about our party's public statements on Equal Marriage, here's hoping for an official federal policy position to be taken on this soon. I totally agree that allowing civil partnerships in religious places is just a muddle. For a start the only religious places liable to carry out such ceremonies are those that want to allow same-sex marriage anyway. It makes me sad when I hear comments, like I heard earlier in the week, from fellow Christians that they merely respect the right of same sex couples to ...
During the election, our support amongst the younger voters began to pick up strongly as they responded to Nick and the ideas of change, fairness and freedom. Infact it seemed like we actually had some demographic group moving in our favour rather than the usual amorphous support spread out too thinly. Time then to harness, recruit and campaign amongst them by inspiring them to look forward to a better world where past mistakes are not repeated and where waste and illiberal decisions are prevented from ruining their life chances in the future. It is what we have to do generally ...
Slightly late because of drunkenness, I would like to unveil my new sponsor:
Part 3 of my blog of reading Atlas Shrugged for the first time. You can find the first part here. Chapter 3: Top and Bottom The increasingly unsubtle chapter titles are becoming slightly grating. You'll see what I mean in this chapter in particular. The chapter opens with Jim Taggart, the renowned pussy of the ...
I wrote an article on Comment is Free yesterday about why people need to stop quibbling and start campaigning for AV. Regardless of what might happen in five, 20 or 50 years time, at this precise moment you are faced with a choice between AV and the status quo. There can be no fence-sitters in the ...
[IMG: mansworld] Man's World (Rupert Smith) It was the endorsement from the fantastic Jake Arnott which sold this book to me: "funny, dirty, deeply romantic". And, boy, does Man's World lives up to its billing. Two gay Londons separated by half a century are intertwined: Robert's modern, narcissistic clubbing lifestyle, and Michael's grim, shadowy, closeted 1950s' National Service. Some of the mirroring of their stories is over-contrived – Robert's blog and Michael's diaries, Robert's uploaded Xtube exploits, Michael's naught nudie snaps – but the overall effect is terrific. The characters are quickly, tightly, believably drawn: and it's because we care ...
On 29th October 2009, Blaydon Labour MP David Anderson called for a rise in VAT . However, on 28th June, Mr Anderson signed up to an Early Day Motion (2010/11 - 317) which claims "value added tax (VAT) is an unfair and regressive tax which disproportionately affects people on lower incomes". The motion then goes on to oppose the recently announced VAT rise.Mr Anderson has switched from being an
The first of the new Acocks Green Police Tasking meetings took place in Acocks Green Police station on Thursday evening. The priority areas for action which were agreed were: 1) Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) at the junction of Wetherfield Road and Holcombe Road in Tyseley 2) Ongoing ASB in Northanger Road 3) ASB in Nailstone Crescent 4) ASB in Overton Grove 5) Travellers parked in the car park of the Britannia Pub. They are to be served with notices of eviction. 6) The Alexander Road Mosque has asked for parking restrictions to be strictly enforced during Friday prayers. Police to attend ...
I will campaign on this; it isn't perfect and would have much preferred STV, but we're in a coalition and that means compromises. But the message we have to deliver maybe hampered by many Labourites and Tory backbenchers before it even starts. Bernard Jenkins has already stated that the threshold should be akin to an over 80% turnout.*Now forgive me if I find that slightly hypocritical and maybe I am off beam here, but; if we are wanting a voting system that is fairer and more proportional would Bernard Jenkins - who only achieved a 46.9% of the vote and ...
Explore Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve in the company of experts who can tell you about our local flora and fauna. Everyone welcome - meeting at the Shire Way gate. Please wear suitable footwear.
Iain Dale has popped his head above the parapet today and highlighted some of what he perceives as the problems with the Single Transferable Vote system. He also briefly touches upon AV and AV+. I tried to leave a comment on his post but it got so long that the system rejected it! Instead I thought I'd interweave my thoughts on here with his. Iain's post is in italics and my responses are in bold: Several commenters in the previous post have taken issue with my assertion that Proportional Representation, and most especially the STV system, weakens the constituency link ...
Lib Dems are necessarily an introspective bunch, given to minute analysis of the implications of our own policies in order to ensure they're entirely fair & liberal. As a consequence, the compromises involved in the coalition agreement (and the practices thereof) have come as something of a brutal shock to many party members – most significantly over the VAT increase. I still find that unbelievable – why on earth would you raise a transaction tax when demand is weak? However, that's not the issue at hand, which is the Alternative Vote. The Alternative Vote works by enabling the voter to ...
This is the letter I wrote to William Hague, via my local MP Angela Bray, on 24 May. I was not going to publish it until I received Hague's reply, but as he has not replied after six weeks... I did receive almost immediately from Angela Bray a copy of the very fair letter with which she forwarded mine to William Hague. 24 May 2010 Dear Ms Bray, UK Ministers' Complicity in Torture May I congratulate you upon your election? I should confess I was campaigning hard for your Lib Dem opponent Jon Ball, but I offer you my sincere ...
It is just over 24 hours from when the announcement for a date of a referendum on AV for Westminster was decided to be up against next May's Scottish Election but already we can see how the SNP are going to use it. The SNP are talking about the lack of respect to the Scottish people, Fiona Hyslop going further cutting to the chase when she said: "It's important that we see action and not just warm words on respect. "And in terms of what this is saying in terms of how the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Government and the Scottish ...
Sat 3rd
10:43
Hurrah! Equality Act to be implemented - but what happened to all that churches & employment stu...
I am greatly encouraged that Theresa May has announced that the government will pass the Equality Act into law. During the panicky "wash up" period before the election, I somewhat lost the plot about the amendment with regard to the churches and employment. It seems that the Labour government (in its last dying minutes) did not reverse the O'Caithain amendments. So Wikipedia sums up the position now: Bishop opposition Although the Act was never going to change the law from its existing position, or binding European Union law which covers many more Catholics than in the UK, and this position ...
Sat 3rd
10:08
Putting up gazebos for the school fete and then rushing up to London for a meeting of English Lib De...
Putting up gazebos for the school fete and then rushing up to London for a meeting of English Lib Dem conference
This tickled me. The Guardian reports that Jack Straw and Conservative backbenchers are laying plans to amend or disrupt the voting reform referendum bill. Tory MPs have been told by Downing Street that even if the referendum is passed, a general election would not be held under AV until a boundary review is held to decide on the new constituencies. "That is designed to stop the Lib Dems walking out of the coalition the day after a yes vote and triggering a general election," one Conservative said. Cue: hollow and hysterical laughter from me. Isn't it flattering to think that ...
Following residents raising concerns about the extent of litter in the wooded area at the junction of Scott Street and City Road, I raised the matter with Home Scotland, owners of the site. The housing association has responded positively as follows : "... this area is covered by contract and it will be given a deep clean this month I have spoken to our contractor who assures me this will be carried out."
Wow, god I'm angry. I'm interviewing in Edinburgh West today for a new member of staff, had caught the number 10 in time from home but little did I know the horrors that were awaiting me in town. We came through St. Andrew's Square but instead of turning right into Princes Street we turned left because the driver had forgotten that Princes Street was shut so buses were diverted down George Street. We did a big loop and then turned right into George Street, so off I got. I spotted two "supervisors" and asked where I could catch the 26 ...
Following concerns from residents about what appears to be waste water spillage on the north side of Riverside Drive just east of the Riverside Drive/Riverside Avenue junction, I have raised this matter with Scottish Water. This follows on from similar concerns in May and I have asked Scottish Water to ensure there are necessary repairs to drainage and a permanent solution achieved.
I went to my first pride a few more years ago than I'd like to remember. This year, like last year, I won't be going. London Pride isn't about equality anymore. It's about a bunch of organisations slapping each other on the back and thinking themselves very worthy. Well, they aren't alone... On the 23rd of June, Lynne Featherstone answered a question in Parliament noting that the Government would be pursuing religious civil partnerships. On the 3rd of July just before Pride, the Telegraph decides to report it. I've already made my feelings clear here, but was rather more irked ...
Following requests from constituents in the West End who live in Conservation Areas, about grants available for building repair, I have highlighted the Historic Environment Grant Scheme, managed by the Dundee Historic Environment Trust - see http://tiny.cc/dhet.
For us young un's, especially if we're English, we're not used to being consulted on things. Sure, we vote in local and general elections, but they're about a huge ball of issues, entangled, intertwined, whatever. More often than not we base our votes on silly little things that don't matter, like whether so-and-so "looks like ...
Thursday's other by-election was in the Huntington and Hatherton Ward of South Staffordshire District Council. Sadly there was no Liberal Democrat candidate. In what turned out to be a very close election the Conservatives held the seat with a majority of just two.
Here's your starter for ten as we continue our Saturday slot posing a view for debate: Lib Dem MEP Chris Davies has recently written to Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg renewing his call for British troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan: It is very difficult to justify our continued engagement when the reasons for it so often appear contradictory and open to challenge. I suspect one reason why 77% of people in this country tell pollsters that they want our troops out of Afghanistan is because they either do not know what are the objectives for their presence or do ...
As an exercise in self-indulgent, narrow-minded parochialism the controversy about the possible timing of the AV Referendum takes the biscuit. There is a world outside of Wales (and Scotland for that matter), perhaps those making all this fuss need to take note. The idea that we could somehow partition off our own referendum and Assembly elections from the rest of the UK and stand aloof from the wider considerations of the UK Government is a separatist's wet dream. I am astonished that Labour are playing along with this outrage without realising that what they are actually arguing for is the ...
In yesterday's Independent Mary Dejevsky asks what is all the fuss about with regards to Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats? What on earth has Nick done wrong? The fact that a coalition government is a novelty for most British voters may offer a partial explanation for the ferocity of current attacks. As may the bitterness of the left, which believed - and still believes - that if there was going to be a coalition, it should be their coalition. Hell hath no fury like establishment left-wingers scorned. But there really should be no excuses. What we are watching is ...
It seems that there are moves afoot to create a new F1 circuit on the holiday island of Mallorca, in the plains in the centre of the island, in the municipality of Llucmayor. This would make me very happy as Mallorca is one of my favourite places on earth and I'd be first in the queue for a ticket. According to Autosport, the people behind the project met with F1 commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone at Valencia last weekend. I think that there are few fans who would fight to save the Valencia grand prix. It's not the most exciting ...
No it is not an Up Pompeii! reference to Frankie Howerd's Lurcio, even though I'm sure Woolwich educated Frankie would approve of a prologue on London Pride. (Also I just had to include an image) And although it is nothing to do with Italy it is strange that this year both the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia have decided to start from the Netherlands (who actually may well be still partying like Brazilians after knocking the 6 times winners out of the World Cup). Oooh noo, please, it's wicked to mock the afflicted! No it is that time ...
i) births and deaths 3 July 2001: death of Delia Derbyshire who arranged Ron Grainer's theme tune to make it as we knew it from 1963 to 1979. See sueworld2003's tribute. ii) broadcast anniversaries 3 July 1965: broadcast of 'The Watcher', the first episode of the series we now know as The Time Meddler, with newly acquired companion Steven fainting on the Tardis floor and then refusing to believe that they are in 1066. Features the First Doctor picking up a Viking headpiece and asking, "What do you think this is? A space helmet for a cow?" One of the ...
FORA.tv - Afghanistan: Possibilities for Change Francesc Vendrell - former UN and EU representative in Afghanistan - on what has gone wrong and what can still be done. (I was sitting just to his right as he spoke, but am not in view of the camera at any point) (tags: war afghanistan) Young Boozer - Republican candidate for State Treasurer in Alabama One should never laugh at a fourth generation politician just because his name strikes you as slightly funny. But sometimes the temptation is irresistible. (tags: usa) Charlemagne: Before the altar of Europe David Rennie's valedictory, ending with some ...
Within 24 hours, over 1600 mainly young people have joined the Facebook campaign to save the Forum music centre in Darlington. I only found out about this this afternoon and am not yet fully aware of the exact details of the financial reasons for its impending closure, though the blame is being laid squarely on the shoulders of the Council for deciding to withdraw financial support. I cannot
Beryl Bainbridge was one of life's performers, not just at literary festivals or soirées, but in her daily life. Visitors to her house in Camden were startled to be greeted by Eric the water-buffalo and to find a model of Nevlle Chamberlain seated at her table. But she was on show whenever she went out. ...
The news is that Fabio Capello is to remain the England manager. It is refreshing to hear that a manager is supported even when the team that he is managing does worse than expected. I am not keen on the idea that we employ football managers and then sack the ones that are in the bottom half of the league because the team is in this position, and then sack some of the managers who are in the top half of the league because the team are not doing as well as the fans or the board would like. I ...
