I hope that readers of Liberal Democrat Voice have enjoyed today's series of pieces on the House of Lords – I know that I've had a lot of fun writing, editing and commissioning the various postings. However, I'd like to finish with a few serious points. Firstly, I am of the view that we need to value our Peers more and, whilst that may seem like special pleading, I'm convinced that, by doing so, everyone gets to benefit. For instance, there are parts of the country, my own county of Suffolk for example, where we don't have an MP, but ...
Yardley Constituency Committee was the predicted quiet affair. We did get the latest financial report which shows an end of year deficit of £313k to carry forward to next year - or rather the next three years as it will be paid back in thirds over the next three years. This isn't ideal but its much better than the figure we were on course for at the mid year point. It reflects the difficult decisions taken in the second half of the year as well as some pretty tough lobbying for a fairer deal for constituencies within the overall Council ...
Marco Polo Writer: John Lucarotti Director: Waris Hussein (ep. 4 by John Crockett) DVD Availability: a half-hour 'reconstruction' edit is available on The Beginnings box set Buy From Amazon Other availability: Narrated soundtrack on CD. Buy From Amazon First, I'd like to apologise for the delay in doing this one. I've been physically exhausted for ...
In recent weeks, LDV has been bringing its readers copies of our new MPs' first words in the House of Commons, so that we can read what is being said and respond. You can find all of the speeches in this category with this link. Today's guest editor Mark Valladares feels that it was only right that the same honour should be offered to new Peers, and here we bring you the words of Lord Shipley. Lord Shipley: My Lords, it is with a great sense of privilege, tinged with a certain degree of nervousness, that I rise to make ...
Sometimes the ayes have it and sometimes they don't but when your own 'eyes' see something such as a member of the public like Ian Tomlinson being aggressively felled by a police officer whose blood was up, and shortly afterwards dying - one would see an immediate cause and effect leading to death. If someone attacked me and if I died shortly thereafter, I trust it would be called manslaughter whether or not I had a heart complaint. To learn today that no charges are to be brought against the police officer in question asks me to disbelieve my own ...
Now this is getting worrying. After agreeing with Eric Pickles about golden handshakes and then about weekly bin collections, I'm now forced to support him in his call for councils to be able to choose the best governance model it chooses. In an interview with Iain Dale for Total Politics magazine, Pickles was asked: ID: The cabinet system in local authorities is very unpopular with a lot of people. If local authorities wanted to change that and go back to the committee system, what would your reaction be? EP: Fine. We will be putting something into the local government bill ...
Was it right that Nick Griffin's invitation to the Buckingham Palace garden party was revoked at the 11th hour? Take the poll – I would be fascinated to see the results! Feel free to send the link on to others so we can see as many responses as possible! Filed under: Spidey Says
Part 7 of my blog of reading Atlas Shrugged for the first time. You can find the first part here. Chapter 7: The Exploiters and the Exploited The chapter opens with Dagny hard at work rebuilding the Rio Norte line, hampered by the pathetic contractors she has been forced to engage for the project. Effective ...
So the great Newark-Hut tells me Where have all my underlings gone............ Filed under: Spidey Says
The BNP are a disgusting party that represents a tiny microcosm of British people who are racist bigots and who thankfully do not represent the majority view of voters in this country. Today their leader Nick Griffin was denied entry to the Queen's garden party at Buckingham Palace. Declaring the ban "a scandal" Griffin once ...
Destination Parks 23rd July 6pm-9pm This is a great start to the summer holidays and the event will include music, arts, sports and information ... such as radio workshops, live performances, breakdancing, theatre, martial arts, skating skills, lazerquest, aerosol arts, pony rides, inflatable's, information from connexions, friends of the earth ... Destination Parks aims to encourage the positive use of parks by local people and visitors in a bid to provide diversionary fun activities and ensure crime and anti-social behaviour is crowded out by fun events for all the family. I have a daughter that will be excited by pony ...
The decision of the CPS not to prosecute the police officer, Pc Simon Harwood, who struck and knocked over Ian Tomlinson is indefensible, unforgivable, outrageous. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Keir Starmer should resign. The CPS Statement says that "...there is no realistic prospect of a conviction for unlawful act manslaughter." because of conflicts in the medical evidence. Perhaps
It's #bbcqt day again and the Live Chat starts on this blog from 10:30pm as normal. Matt Raven will be in the hosting chair although I will hopefully be around for most of it too (I am on taxi duty so may have to duck out). There will likely be an end of term feel to proceedings tonight with parliament breaking up and this being the last #bbcqt until September so bring your games in with you. Bagsy Slinky. David Dimbleby will be joined by the Immigration Minister Damian Green, the shadow transport secretary Sadiq Khan, UKIP's Nigel Farage, the ...
There was an interesting article tonight in the Evening Standard that is well worth a read. It follows the story of Terry Lane, a 49 year old printer, and his family and provides a good example of how working people can live below the poverty line and struggle to find affordable housing. I have wanted to blog for some time on the cost of living in Britain and housing and hope to do soon.
Regular readers of this blog will know that I am not a fan of 'no platform' for the BNP. I believe that it allows the party to throw the mantle of victim-hood around their shoulders and is counter productive. However I cannot hide the fact that I was upset on being woken with the Today ...
The death of Ian Tomlinson, tonight has caused fresh concern over the honesty of our justice system, widely reported at the time, when film evidence showed Mr Tomlinson being battered from behind by a police officer, in an operation by the Metropolitan Police to control G20 protests. At the time the public were astonished that, in London it was possible for a police officer, to attack a member of the public on their way home from work in what appeared at least to me and I suspect many, a cowardly and unexplained manner. Well over a year later we hear ...
Okay then, who's in charge of brokering advertising space over at Lib Dem Voice? While I am grimly aware that it's the market-liberal wing of the party rather than we pinko beardies that are calling the shots down Cowley Street way these days, I cannot for the life of me understand why the Party's de facto mouthpiece on the internet should be pitching for the Taxpayers' Alliance, the defence industries, Tony Blair's forthcoming hymn of praise to himself, or some English Democrat(!) candidate from Stratford, adverts for which have all been spotted on LDV over the last few hours. Have ...
In recent weeks, LDV has been bringing its readers copies of our new MPs' first words in the House of Commons, so that we can read what is being said and respond. You can find all of the speeches in this category with this link. Today's guest editor Mark Valladares feels that it was only right that the same honour should be offered to new Peers, and today we bring you the words of Baroness Parminter of Godalming. Baroness Parminter: I add my thanks to the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, for initiating this debate today. As a new girl, I ...
[IMG: AV referendum ballot paper] Here it is. Blurry, I know, but I only have my iPhone camera to hand. It's the ballot paper that you'll have in your hands next May when you cast your vote in the fairer votes referendum. Assuming today's "Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill" passes into law as it stands, the question facing voters will be: "Do you want the United Kingdom to adopt the "alternative vote" system instead of the current "first past the post" system for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons?" Thanks to everyone who has so far commented on ...
[IMG: The Mayor opening the new games area] Thanks to all who came to the launch of the new facilities at Nightingale Avenue Recreation Ground last Saturday: to the Mayor, who cut the tape of the new multi-use games area and cut the cake too to the CHYPPS team who ran the games and painted faces to the City Council's Active Communities team who managed the series improvements to the recreation ground over the past few years. The games area can be used for a variety of ball games whatever the weather. The other recent enhancements have been: a second ...
Sodbury Town Council is organising a public meeting about the plans for a new supermarket and 190 new homes on the Barnhill site behind the church in Chipping Sodbury. The public meeting will be at 7pm on Thursday Aug 12 in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall. Town councillors and staff from South Gloucestershire Council will be there to answer questions. The scheme is arousing divided opinions because of concerns about the effect on independent shops and increased traffic. The (very) detailed plans of the development are available on the South Glos website.
Today there was a discussion about community play facilities in County Hall. I had raised the subject because far too many of our local play facilities are old and falling apart. Regular readers will know the battles I have had trying to get the facilities on the Ridgegrove Estate brought up to standard and they were included in the debate. Many of our play facilities, notably those in the old North Cornwall and Carrick areas, fall within the Housing Revenue Account. That means that the money to maintain and improve them has to come out of the rents paid by ...
It's now 2 weeks since Anna and I set off to Newcastle for the day, all excited at the prospect of going to the Doctor Who exhibition at the Life Centre there. I should have taken her to Glasgow when it was there last year but I was too ill. Having said that, getting to Newcastle was probably easier. We caught the train at the top of our road at 9am (although we could have left half an hour later and still had plenty time), changed at Edinburgh and arrived in Newcastle around 11.30. The only downside to that was ...
The word 'whip', in parliamentary terms at least, is associated with accusations of the 'dark arts'. But whips are people too, particularly in the Lords, so your intrepid guest editor retrieved his Parliamentary spouse pass and made an appointment... Dominic Bryce Hubbard, the 6th Baron Addington, is one of five hereditary Peers sitting on the Liberal Democrat benches. He inherited his title in 1982, aged eighteen, but was only able to take up his seat in the House of Lords on reaching his twenty-first birthday. He has held a series of positions, as Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Culture, Media and ...
This afternoon I got an insight into the careless way benefit claimants can be treated by the DBC call centre. The resident on whose behalf I was calling had, through her own initiative, found a small flat, better for her family's needs than the larger, expensive house which she had struggled to pay for since her marriage broke down. The state will then save significantly in terms of housing benefit and her and her family will be able to get by much better. Win/win. But to make sure of the flat she had to sign a lease and pay rent ...
The Daily Telegraph is the clear winner of Headline of the Day. We were tempted to award Comment of the Day to the spokesman for English Heritage for his: "This was a very rare incident". But are we sure he is right? Could he be living in a fool's paradise?
Thursday: "Do you want the United Kingdom to adopt the 'alternative vote' system instead of the current 'first past the post' system for electing Members of Parliament to the House of Commons?" Yes! By which I mean: No! Not really. I want STV (Single Trunk Voting) not AV (Awful Voting). But that's not on the cards and this is a change at least vaguely in the right direction and better than a poke in the button eye, the like of which cannot be said of First Pass the Port, so grudgingly and grumblingly, oh all right then. Next!
From where the River Gipping is bridged by the railway, just south of Clamp Farm, to the bridge over the stream as you enter Creeting St Mary, the River Gipping forms the border of our Parish. It makes for a pleasant walk, and is a shortcut on foot if you want to get to Needham Market on a sunny day. Three years ago, the River Gipping Trust was formed, with the intention of restoring the river for navigation from the Pickerel Bridge in Stowmarket, all the way to Ipswich, whilst preserving its unique flora and fauna. As someone who has ...
We are devestated by the Council Cabinet's decision to consult on the closure of Culverhay School. This is the wrong decision for a number of reasons and bears no relation to the consultation process. We both spoke at the cabinet meeting along with pupils, staff and others. However , sadly, the cabinet was not listening. We will now be working with the school and parents on ways to...
I've received a report of a bogus caller who tried (unsuccessfully, I'm glad to say) to con his way into a house in Cheadle Hulme, pretending to be from Scottish Power. Just a reminder to be on the look-out for bogus callers. The advice is: • When answering their door remind people to always use their door chain, check who is there by looking through a window, door viewer and always ask for identification - IF IN DOUBT KEEP THEM OUT! • Please advise people not to do business or accept services from a cold caller on the telephone or at the ...
We'll be getting a new pedestrian crossing outside Gatley Station sometime in the next year. The old crossing over Gatley Road will be replaced with a Puffin Crossing. Although the details are yet to be finalised, we're hoping to get, at the request of Pam King, improved lighting under the railway bridge. Other planned safety improvements include a widening of the pavement by Springfield Road and an anti-skid surface approaching the lights. All this is subject to some revision - I'll pass on more details when I have them.
Democracy is a term we use to dignify the mechanisms by which the few govern the many. The many generally bear this subjection with stoicism. Occasionally they rebel and seek to establish a genuinely populist movement. But soon the new populism falls into the hands of its own elite, self-serving, self-referential and indignant when challenged. Jonathan Clark Hall Distinguished Professor of British History University of Kansas
Lots of volunteers helped repaint the small children's playarea on Wednesday. Whilst there we took the opportunity to show the Somer manager the latest set of flytipping in the field and asked if they could get them removed. We have also reported the hole in the footpath just outside of the playarea and asked the Council to get it filled in. Is there a new name for this park since...
August 2011 is the centenary of the Parliament Act, the supposedly stop gap measure to regulate relations between the two houses of parliament until an elected House of Lords could be created. The fact that we are still fighting for a democratic second chamber means it is all too easy to lose sight of the debates about what we want the second chamber to actually do. Unlock Democracy wants a fully elected second chamber capable of scrutinising and revising legislation as well as delaying it where necessary. It should be a deliberative chamber that builds on the strengths of the ...
Cheadle village is set, we hope, for shorter queues as an upgraded "Scoot system" is implemented sometime in the next year. This uses a computer to link together the three sets of lights along Cheadle High Street (the junction with Wilmslow Road, the pedestrian crossing and the junction with Manchester Road and Stockport Road). The system then monitors traffic flows and optimises the traffic light changes to get traffic moving as fast as possible. As the Scoot website explains: SCOOT is the world's leading adaptive traffic control system. It coordinates the operation of all the traffic signals in an area ...
[IMG: With Manuela] I've previously written about Manuela Wahnon and her "Attitude of Gratitude" campaign, see http://www.attitudeofgratitude.co.uk/ Today I met Manuela and got an update on her campaign - now a year old. It doesn't seem that long ago she started reminding us that we are all responsible for the environment. There isn't a litter fairy that picks up after us. It's our town and we must look after it. The really good news is that Vigo Road Recreation ground is much cleaner than a year ago and not only is litter being picked up, lots of it is being ...
Much excitement over Nick Clegg calling the Iraq war 'illegal' at PMQ's but why shouldn't he? This has always been the LibDem view since before the war started & the Tories were gung ho in favour of it. We haven't joined the Tory Party & don't have to support their position on everything. Much more of a gaffe was David Cameron talking about 1940. Personally I am sick to the back teeth over all this rubbish about 'special relationship' with the USA. If it ever existed it was given a cruel blow when, no sooner had WWII ended the USA ...
Still trying to get details but it seems that the International Court of Justice has, very sensibly, ruled that Kosovo's declaration of independence in February 2008 did not violate either general international law, or, more specifically, UN Security Council Resolution 1244. (The court's own website is down, but I've been folowing through Twitter where the updates are usually ahead of the news websites.) I'm glad and surprised. I had expected a much less clear-cut ruling, the court possibly even refusing to give a judgement (and probably doing so at great length), in order to play it safe. And of course ...
Much is made of our MPs and their use of social media. Steve Webb and Facebook, Jo Swinson and Duncan Hames announcing their engagement via Twitter (we only had Facebook in my day...), the increasingly sophisticated websites, all of these serve to connect Parliamentarians to the communities they serve. However, on the red benches, the need to reach out is heightened by the relative lack of coverage for their activities in the mainstream media, and there is increasing use of social media to achieve that. Perhaps the best known source of commentary comes from Lords of the Blog, a collaborative ...
As with most of the stories of this run, I found myself enjoying The Mind of Evil more this time than previously. Already, the Doctor / UNIT / Jo ensemble feels comfortable and reassuring. It is quite amazing how much Manning's performance pretty much sets the agenda for all subsequent female companions. I will write more on this when I get to The Green Death in a couple of months, but it's striking how routine she has made it become even in her second story (indeed, even in her first). Also it's nice to get the impression that UNIT does ...
No, the title isn't a cynical and sensationalist ploy to get more hits on this blog - I had rather hoped never to have to write such negative sentiments, but on this day I really do feel ashamed to live in a country where the rule of law and the pursuit of justice feel, on occasion, to be foreign concepts.The facts first. Fact: on April 1st, 2009: at a demonstration in London showing the public's
It's with some apprehension that I write this as I can feel the (not particularly nice) comments coming already! Last night's Full Council meeting was quite.. well .. lively. There were actually some good debates but a fair amount of name calling and insults as well. However the thing that struck me was that there seems to be an awful lot of countering an argument by saying something like "well we won't do that because back in (insert year) you didn't do this". The political equivalent of the children's cry of "he started it". Now I am not saying that ...
The CPS have announced today that there will be no prosecution of the police officer caught on film striking Ian Tomlinson in connection with his death during the G20 protests last April. Mr Tomlinson was walking away from the police with his hands in his pockets when the assault took place. I blogged about this incident at the time. There are various reasons given for there not being any prosecution. Firstly, they claim that because there were two post-mortems performed on Mr Tomlinson that prosecutors would not be able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there was a connection between ...
Today marks the millionth hit on this website, so thanks a lot to everyone who has read and commented on it since it started back in 2007. Hopefully there'll be plenty more to come, and I always welcome comments and emails on anything I write about or anything going on in the area. Rick
Today at the Dispatch Box - myself, Theresa May, Maria Miller and Andrew Stunell were all on the front bench together - in a change to how things have been done in the past. Instead of Questions to the Minister for Equalities being only for myself and Theresa - as part of mainstreaming - Maria Miller who has Ministerial responsibility for People with Disabilities (from the Department of Work and Pensions) and Andrew Stunell (Minister for Communities and Local Government) who has responsibility for race - came together for joined up equalities questions. The questions I got asked today were ...
I just witnessed an accident at the junction of Stafford Road and Sandy Lane South in Wallington. A lorry took out the traffic light at the junction giving a literal meaning to 'going through the lights'. Fortunately a police car was in the area at the time of the accident and the occupants immediately set about ...
An interesting blog post and discussion from the BBC's Mark D'Arcy about Nick Clegg's first appearance at prime minister's question time, particularly regarding the 'illegal invasion of Iraq' comment. There is going to be a fine balance to be struck over the next two years and beyond between having a stable government without constant bickering between the coalition partners and ensuring that the two parties maintain their separate identities. I am sure most Lib Dems (and many of the party's supporters) will welcome Nick's timely reminder of the party's distinctive position within the coalition.
I have supported the Liberal Party and its successors since the General Election of 1950, although I did not follow a political career. Instead, I was involved in the railway and bus industries before moving into academia at the Universities of Salford and Oxford. My entry to the House of Lords was a complete surprise. It took place over a two year period, and the process began with an interview with John Harris and Bill Rodgers, the then Chief Whip and Leader in the House respectively. Having been sworn to secrecy, I was asked firstly whether, if appointed, I would ...
This morning the Director of Public Prosecutions has announced that there will be no charges over Ian Tomlinson death even though there is video evidence of the Police Officer hitting Ian Tomlinson with his truncheon and shoving him to the ground.
Yesterday, as he has done since his election as leader in 2007, Nick Clegg faced a baying Labour crowd across the Commons at Prime Minister's Questions. The only difference was that rather than putting relevant and perceptive questions to Gordon Brown, Nick was the first Liberal to be answering them at the despatch box since Lloyd George in 1922. John Bercow chided the Labour benches on numerous occasions but they paid very little attention to him. Nick wryly observed at one point that if the Speaker thought the noise was bad, he should experience it from other there, pointing to ...
HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL TEMPORARY CLOSING AND TEMPORARY WAITING RESTRICTIONS IN VARIOUS ROADS IN BRICKET WOOD, RADLETT AND ST ALBANS NOTICE is given that the Hertfordshire County Council intend to make an Order under Section 14[1] of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to prohibit all traffic from using the following lengths of roads, except for access and to prohibit all vehicles from waiting at any time on both sides of these lengths of roads whilst works are in progress:- 1. that length of Tippendell Lane, Bricket Wood from its junction with B4630 Watford Road south eastwards to its junction with the ...
So, who or what are the Police accountable to? According to the CPS not only will there be no prosecution in the case of the appalling hammering Ian Tomlinson received from a bully boy policeman during the G20 protests last year, Keir Starmer, the Director or Public Prosecutions states, "After a thorough and careful review of the evidence, the CPS has decided that there is no realistic prospects of a conviction against the police officer in question for any offence arising from the matter investigated and that no charges should be brought against him."In the face of this fundamental disagreement ...
The City Council published the following Temporary Traffic Order today : Dundee City Council propose to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating water and gas mains replacement works . The Order is expected to be in force for eighteen weeks from 23 August 2010 . Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months. The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in Thomson Street from Perth Road to Magdalen Yard Road. Access for residents will be maintained where possible. An alternative ...
[IMG: Hospital bus] On 29 June, the Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust confirmed that they will not be extending the contract for the Andover Hospital Shuttle Bus service beyond 31 August 2010. The Trust has said that this was a difficult decision, but that it has been reached owing to the increasing financial constraints the current economic situation will place on public sector bodies. The passenger numbers whilst consistent, they say, are relatively low - an average of 2.97 passengers per journey. The Trust has stated that 'the improved Outpatients Department at Andover Hospital provides a different opportunity for ...
Applications are now open for the Lib Dem (LGA Leadership-funded) programme for young and up and coming councillors Next Generation Programme. This year will features visits to Portsmouth and Birmingham. Key features of the course is seeing best practice from other Lib Dem controlled authorities and networking with MPs and senior councillors, as well as personal and political development training. Previous alumni have since taken up leadership positions in their own authority and elected positions on the LGA. We'd like to hear from you, if you are serious about making a significant contribution to Lib Dem politics in local government. ...
A selection of photos of the Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference in June 2010 are now available online at ALDC's Flickr site. Many thanks to Alex Folkes and Jonathan Wallace for the photos! [IMG: Lib Dem Local Government Conference 2010] Nick Clegg, Deputy Prime Minister, addresses the Lib Dem Local Government Conference [IMG: Lib Dem Local Government Conference June 2010] Training with London Councils on "Cabinet Member for your Ward" [IMG: Lib Dem Local Government Conference June 2010] Delegates discussing issues in a training session. [IMG: Deputy Prime Minister Speaking at the Liberal Democrat Local Government Conference June 2010] Nick ...
Thu 22nd
11:57
Alright, assuming we get an elected second chamber, what can we do before the election that follows?
The good news: the Liberal Democrat have secured a commitment to introduce elections by PR for the Upper House. The bad news: the Liberal Democrat record at fighting PR records is decidedly mixed. So what should we do? There plenty of campaigning still to be done to ensure that an elected Upper House happens, but that needn't stop thinking about the elections too. As with the AV referendum, one of the most important acts of preparation is upping the number of local election candidates we stand because of the impact that has on the public's perception of whether or not ...
Proposals for hostels for people on bail or on remand in Redcar may not be the given the go-ahead under the new coalition government according to Communities Minister, Andrew Stunnell, who in response to concerns raised by local MP, Ian Swales, confirmed that the new government would allow local communities to control plans in their own area. Speaking on Tuesday in a Westminster Hall debate on coastal towns, Mr Swales expressed his concern that residents and local authorities in Redcar were powerless to stop Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) from being established because of the planning laws put in place ...
Thu 22nd
11:50
Is it newspapers rather than politicians who should be learning from the 2010 election?
[IMG: A pile of newspapers] Most of the punditry about the internet and the general election has focused on the impact of the internet, and social media in particular, on politics. Although journalists often get a mention, the basic frame of reference is "how is politics changing?" However, there was a hint of a different perspective at the launch at Google UK on Tuesday of Nic Newman's report for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism into the impact of the internet on the politics and the media during this year's general election. Given the institute's focus on journalism, ...
Transvestite had sex with a dog at English Heritage castle. A spokesman for EH said: "This was a very rare incident".
Watching last yesterday's PMQs last night I was struck by the way Nick Clegg was behaving. He was straining hard to stick to the line of collective government, as is required by the constitutional conventions of this country. And let me just add, they are sensible conventions, and are even more essential in a coalition. ...
Liberal Democrat Voice has Floella Benjamin's own account. Note that the video referred to at the end of the report requires Silverlight software.
Yesterday's setpiece debate, requested by Baroness Verma, saw no less than seven maiden speeches, including that of Kate Parminter, to be covered by Liberal Democrat Voice later this afternoon. Ros managed, however, to make her thoughts known... Baroness Scott of Needham Market: My Lords, I am sure that the House shares my sense of indebtedness to the noble Baroness, Lady Verma, for tabling this Motion. Not only has it given us the chance to debate an important topic, it has given rise to a series of amazingly powerful, informative, deeply moving and, at times, shocking speeches. I am sure that ...
Nick Clegg is promising that Britain will be more Liberal by 2015, when the next General Election will be held. And he rightly boasts about a number of achievements already since the Coalition was formed such as the scrapping of ID cards, rolling back the DNA database etc and indeed if the legislative programme promised and agreed by the coalition does get through Parliament then indeed we will be a more Liberal nation. Of course it will take longer to truly roll back much of the illiberalism of the past 30 or more years, and in fact perhaps the harder ...
Chris Willmore explains the building and the way the Youth Venue and Cafe will be run Several of the key committee members at the launch Representatives of local organisations examine the plans Yate Youth Venue and Cafe project was officially at launched two very well attended sessions this week, when representatives of local organisations and councils came to Poole Court to hear the details of the project. This striking new building, which has already been nicknamed "The Armadillo", will be constructed on the side of the Leisure Centre and extend towards the roundabout. Cllr Chris Willmore explained that it is ...
So London Assembly member and Barnet councillor Brian Coleman receives a total of £118,499 a year for his 'public duties'. Coleman receives £38,177 from Barnet (up from £27,000 last year) , £53,439 as a GLAM and £26,883 as chairman of London's fire authority. . Coleman was quoted in the Evening Standard as saying: "I work about ...
During the warmer weather, I usually become inspired to try lighter and more interesting recipes that have been scrapbooked from Sunday magazines over the years. This tends to involve searching high and low to find various unusual ingredients and spices to make the recipe taste like it should! I usually go on the forage in the fabulous Camborne Delicatessen (see Shop of the Week passim), but when I popped in to town it was closing early so I ventured in to Julian Graves for the first time. There was a goldmine of different spices and dried ingredients, many on special ...
I bring you news, dear readers, of yet another monstrous Question Time fail. My keyboard has become a wall against which I bang my head. Two weeks in a row with no Lib Dem and, for the fifth time in 17 months, we have to listen to Nigel Farage, the former leader of UKIP again as his Twitter feed confirms. I haven't updated the spreadsheet I didn't create in February for my Question Time Geeks Special edition in February but I think that I should. There is definitely a correlation to us being missed off in weeks where we are ...
On the 28th June 2010 I was introduced into the House of Lords. As I gazed around and soaked up the richness of the symbolism, tradition and magnificent surroundings I thought to myself surely I must have reached the summit of life's mountain, the pinnacle of a career stretching back over forty years. And as I looked back into the valley of life I couldn't help thinking of my journey. Like the coat worn by the Garter King of Arms, my life has been a rich tapestry of experiences, some good, some bad, but all significant. I believe that every ...
Remember those "what I did in my holidays" pieces you were coerced into writing at primary school? Well, this is along those lines, only it's my day going off to see the Queen at one of this year's Royal Garden Parties. If that sounds tedious, you may want to leave now - there are no exciting hidden surprises, I'm afraid. Each year a few thousand people are invited to attend one of two Royal Garden Parties held at Buckingham Palace. As well as those from the world of politics, there are bishops and other religious people, quite a lot of ...
Yesterday, I wrote about how I'd finally updated the template for this blog for the first time. Jennie not only gave me useful feedback that the header picture was way too big, but volunteered to sort it for me. As you can see, Anna's drawing of Libby has now been tweaked and streamlined and looks gorgeous. Jennie says this was the work of moments but I wouldn't have known where to start. I really am going to have to learn this stuff........ Anyway, thank you, Jennie - I think you've done me and Anna proud.
This seems like such a harmless question but, if you're the Executive Member for Education on Suffolk County Council, there's a razor blade in the candyfloss... Schools: Free Schools Question Asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider applications for free school status from middle schools in Suffolk.[HL1044] The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The Government are keen to receive proposals for free schools from a broad range of proposers, including charities, educational groups, teachers and parent groups. We are aware of a number of groups in ...
Prestwich folk are invited to the Prestwich launch of the Bury Walk Active Booklet on Monday 9th August, 10am, Prestwich Library. Becky Earl from Sports Development will be leading a 30 minute walk which is suitable for all ages and abilities. The walk is on pavements. All you need is sensible footwear and a bottle of water. The Walk Active booklet contains 18 walks in Bury (3 in each township) of varying grades all designed to get people out walking in their neighbourhoods. The booklet is part of Bury's Walk4Life promotion campaign. Bring your family and friends!
In the last 24hrs the Home Watch Team have been contacted re cold calling telephone calls in the Sefton area. PC SUPPORT SERVICES Several Southport and Formby residents have contacted Sefton Crime Prevention officers and Southport Homewatch to report that they had received 'cold calling' telephone calls from a company offering PC support services. One of the recipients of these calls had a second call from them and was provided with the following information. Company : Risk Tec Support (or similar) Tel Number :01614083331 (goes to answer phone) HOME SECURITY SURVEYS We have also been contact by Sefton residents who ...
So in the latest Sun/YouGov poll the Lib Dems are down to 13% (not far off half of what they got in the general election just two and a half months ago) with the Tories on 44% and Labour on 35%. On a uniform national swing this would see the Conservatives with a majority of 36 and, demonstrating yet again the iniquity of the electoral system - the Lib Dems almost wiped out on 15 seats (down 42 on the GE). I still do not think there is any need to fret about this. Our party has just entered a ...
John O Shea has written about the events of Monday night. It is worth understanding some aspects of this issue.There is a small group of MPs (numbering about 20-25) who don't think the Youth parliament should be allowed to meet once a year in the House of Commons Chamber.There is an interesting question behind this as to whether the reducing respect for institutions is partially affected by the
Imagine a school where there are drastically fewer discipline referrals, where students develop their own academic strategies for success, where parents welcome the chance to come to school and participate and where teachers and students build a common purpose. This would contrast significantly to how many schools operate at the moment in the UK. Discipline ...
Being a relative newby to the world of blogging, this is the first time I've written a post like this. It seems, however, to be the done thing at this time of year to ask those people who are kind/daft enough to read your ramblings to vote for you in the Total Politics poll of ...
The link is to a vote buying exercise in China. What happened in Birmingham over the past 10 years involved Labour vote buying in various ways. £500 for a bag of postal votes. £5-15 per postal vote and £5 per personated vote cast by a personator in each polling station.In China at least the corruption is for people's own votes rather than stolen votes, but I am surprised that they will pay up
The Honourable Lady Mark has taken over the reins of Liberal Democrat Voice today as guest editor. In his opening post, snuck in just after midnight, he explains how this came about. He talks about an e-mail from Mark Pack asking if anyone would be interested and how the initial chorus of replies were: 'sounds interesting, get back to me when I'm sober' I was certainly one of those who replied in such a fashion, but I wouldn't want you to think that Liberal Democrat bloggers lie around in a state of permanent inebriation. I feel I have to point ...
I'm off to Dunfermline Town this morning so duly checked the timetable last night.According to Scotrail's website, the train to Dunfermline Town leaves Edinburgh Waverley at 08.47am.On arrival at Waverley this morning I noticesd that the 08.47am does not exist and in fact it leaves 08.46am.Now I know its only a one minute difference but its the principle.An online timetable of a rail company should be 100% correct! ------------------
History is complicated. It's difficult to use it as a message as whatever you say can be misinterpreted. Even with that in mind David Cameron's comments were misjudged. "I think it is important in life to speak as it is and the fact is that we are a very effective partner of the US but we are the junior partner," he said. "We were the junior partner in 1940 when we were fighting the Nazis." Let's get the real historical mistake out the way first. 1940 was a complicated year. The fall of the Western European Government's, the Battle of ...
I once confessed that every time I hear Mr Karzai, the President of Afghanistan, mentioned, I think of Kenneth Williams as the Khasi of Kalabar in Carry On... Up the Khyber. Equally, whenever someone says we should "talk to the Taliban" I think of Rex Harrison singing "If I Could Talk to the Animals" in Dr Dolittle.
One of things that has bothered me for longer than I care to remember is the Party's fixation on the green benches at the north end of the Palace of Westminster, almost to the total exclusion of anything, and everything, else. As a bureaucrat deep within the Party's structures, I long for the day when more and better people come forward to be Local, Regional and State Party officers, candidate assessors, returning officers and trainers. But we bureaucrats are not alone in being overlooked in favour of the Commons... Down the corridor, there are seventy-nine Liberal Democrat Peers (with Richard ...
I am still not quite up to speed on the blogging front after my short break, which may explain the heading to this post. However, I could not let this story go from last Monday. I am on my way to the Royal Welsh Show myself this morning so perhaps I will get the chance to take the matter up personally, but the press release from the Farmers Union of Wales claiming that a badger cull would substantially reduce bovine TB in cattle defies belief. They have published their own paper, which they say suggests that badger culling in north ...
[IMG: Collecting signatures for the Upper Tollington Park petition] On Sunday, I joined a group of local residents and Lib Dem activists collecting signatures for our petition to demand a safer crossing for Upper Tollington Park. We launched the petition online in June (see previous post), but we are also knocking on doors and posting copies of the petition. It was a fantastically sunny day, and I've been sent this great picture of me, John, Dan and Fatuma by the crossing on the corner of Upper Tollington Park and Florence Road, with the petition on our clipboards. Please sign up ...
When, as a result of the terrorist attack on11th September 2001, the US , with craven British support, invaded Afghanistan, our school debating society happened to be having one of its " Round Robin" discussions. One boy in the Lower VI said the Americans shouldn't be invading, but sending aid. Another commented that the appropriate action should not be a "war on terror" but a police operation to catch criminals. Since 17 year olds are a bit sensitive on these matters neither would have been pleased to be called a "babe" or a "suckling," but if young people in a ...
It seems to me that one of the most ill-defined, or perhaps ill-understood terms I come across in discussions on mainly Lib Dem blogs and forums is some permutation of "market" (as a noun or an adjective - as in "market forces" or "market mechanisms" say - on its own), "free market" or "free market capitalism". If I mention that I am a "market anarchist" or similar, some seem to think this means that I must be the natural child of the diabolical union of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan. I even have a troll/stalker on here who pops up ...
On Tuesday the bulk of the field rolled into Pau together after following the sequence of mountains that set up Eddy Merckx for the first of his five yellow jerseys. O t would have been a year if it had existed that Eddy would have won the white jersey for Best Young Rider along with the Yellow, Green and Polka Dot that he did actually win in 1969. It would have been a singular achievement. Today will be like a case of retracing your steps as it the riders had lost something. Normally having reached Pau after tacking the Pyrenees ...
The Welsh Department for the Economy and Transport's Annual Assurance Report is shocking. It is not surprising that the Welsh government's own internal auditors failed to give the Department of Economy and Transport a clean bill of financial health. This internal government report shows financial chaos within Ieuan Wyn Jones' department. However, this comes as no surprise as during his time in office, the whole department has been badly run. Just last year we revealed the scandal of the lavish lifestyles of some of the staff at International Business Wales. I am very concerned about the attitude the Department has ...
22 July 1937: birth of Adrienne Hill, who played the short-lived Katarina, a companion of the First Doctor, in the last episode of The Myth Makers and the first few episodes of The Daleks' Master Plan in 1965. 22 July 1964: birth of Bonnie Langford, who played Melanie Bush in 1986-87 alongside the Sixth and Seventh Doctors. They are not the only two Doctor Who regulars to share the same birthday - more on that come October.
Good grief, I am astounded that any member of the Liberal Democrat Voice editorial team has time for a life. That is my primary finding from two weeks of preparing for my day as a (not entirely) serious journalist. I admit to being a bit nervous, having tried out a few new skills - editor, interviewer and commissioner - and without any real idea how my efforts will be received. However, that's only one day. The team at LDV Towers do this every day, rain or shine, whether they feel inspired or not. How do they do it? Anyway, on ...
When the inestimable Mark Pack wrote to a number of bloggers looking for volunteers to guest edit Liberal Democrat Voice for a day, there was an initial chorus of 'sounds interesting, get back to me when I'm sober'. My response was: I, on the other hand, am sober. Sober enough to realise that Mark's offer might not suit my particular skill set. Unless, of course, you want a day enriched by constitutional and organisational minutiae... Back came the response; "Thanks for offering to guest edit Lib Dem Voice for a day. Would a day in the week of Sat 17 ...
Technology in football has been in the news again. Obvious goals are still being missed and it looks like the referee is going to get help from two more officials, one near each of the goals. According to the TV news it is still possible to miss a goal which is obvious to television replays. Graham Poll also reckons that the two additional officials on the payroll could miss goals but if a fan is sat higher in the stands then the goal may be seen. As is often the case, the answers are obvious. Use technology if it is ...
