Thanks to Jonathan Calder for pointing me at this set of incredible images from the USA. They are from the period of the tail end of the Great Depression through to the height of World War Two. The quality of the images is amazing. All seem to have used Kodak slide film and so the colours are not what we are used to nowadays but are all the more stunning for it. I've pinched my favourites shot to accompany this post, but I urge you to have a look through the whole lot.
Sometimes the best thing to do in a poltical arena is to show your anger and contempt.... this is Democratic Congressman Anthony Weiner.The Guardian tries to explain here.
Paul Crossley reports a "political earthquake" in North East Somerset, where the Liberal Democrats gained seats in local by-elections in Keynsham and Radstock. It is striking that, 40 years after the closure of the Somerset coalfield, the Tory vote remains so low in the latter town. The Chartists would have been all in favour of equalising the size of constituencies, as Stephen's Liberal Journal reminds us. "Anti-Trident campaigners should today be lauding George Osborne," argues Decline of the Logos. But then the economic arguments against Trident was always likely to prove the most persuasive. Classical Greek is being taught to ...
Seen in Finsbury Square today. There are plenty of docking stations (as they are called) in the central area. You can find out how the scheme works and see a map of locations here. It costs £1 per day, or £5 per week, or £45 per year, plus £3 for the key. Then every time you borrow a bike you get 30 minutes free but are charged for anything more. I'm not a cyclist but thought you ought to know.
Irrelevant Friday post ...
It would have been nice if Liberal Democrat participation in government had led to us being feted in the country and a massive surge in our popularity. But no one should really be surprised if there has been a dip in Lib Dem support according to the opinion polls, although how far this is the case has been disputed. While the Lib Dems aim to transcend class-based two-party politics, it is hard to do so completely. The Labour versus Conservative struggle remains a reality, and those people who voted for us, but who defined themselves as 'anti-Tory' were never going ...
Announcements about making it easier for people to get back to work are interesting. One of the big issues I had raised with me during the election was people in low paid employment who were being penalised by the system where they were worse off in work. It isn't just benefits people lose when starting to work, it is free school meals, free health entitlements such as prescriptions and so on. ...
The final piece of the puzzle falls into place. Ed Miliband has, in a Twitter message to me, confirmed his support for marriage equality. "@JaeKay Got asked abt this today &made clear I support principle of gay marriage. Need to consult on how to implement." That is now all five Labour leader candidates on board the marriage equality bus. UPDATE: Here's earwicga's actual question and answer earlier. If you feel benevolent and particularly generous, this writer always appreciates things bought for him from his wishlist
Apologies for a couple of days with no bloggings. Or, if you prefer, apologies for returning when you may have thought I'd gone for good. I haven't gone for good, although things might be a bit sporadic over the next few weeks as I get hitched and then disappear off on honeymoon. My own wedding (coincidentally taking place at precisely the same time as my fiancee's) is next Saturday, but tomorrow is a dummy run in the form of another wedding to which we've been invited. I did consider dressing in next weekend's clothes to get a practice session in, ...
I have to admit it. There have been a few times in my life when this thought has crossed my mind: "Why don't I join the Labour party?" The last time this thought occurred to me, for example, was in 1989. I have since had a team of scientists measuring the duration of that thought. Using measurement systems normally used to measure flashes of light which are so brief that they are invisible to the naked eye, they have recorded that thought in 1989 as being of 0.0000000000000000000000000000101 nanoseconds in duration. But, I have to say, the behaviour of the ...
The New Statesman arriving on a Friday is now a mixed blessing, given the unflinchingly hostile line it has taken to the coalition from day 1. The only way is seems able to treat the new government is with retro 80s-style anti-Thatcherite rhetoric. The theme of this week's issue is 'Politics and comedy' and includes an article on arts funding by alleged comedian Stewart Lee. Deploring the likelihood of cuts in state arts budgets, he comments: 'Artists are sensitive souls who may feel compromised by sponsorship' (article not available online so far as I can tell). But in that case ...
I've had a look at the Excel car park off Cavendish Street today and found a notice with a lot of conditions written on it. In amongst the blurb was a very small wheelchair icon, about 1" high and lettering about half an inch high saying that disabled drivers were not exempt from paying the normal fee. There are some very big objections to that. In the first place I had to get out of my car to read the wording, it was so small. That's not easy for a disabled driver. Secondly the only place their conditions are displayed ...
TfL have just started the second trial of allowing motorbikes in its bus lanes across London. The first trial was a failure in that motorbikes were found to break the speed limit more and have more collisions and more serious collisions. By any measure the trial has shown this idea should end. Repeating a failed trial is abject failure in political leadership by Boris. By repeating the trial he will presumably keep the motorbike lobby happy but at what cost to London. The first trial suggests no increase in cyclist casualties. I suspect many cyclists have voted with their bikes. ...
"Ultimately The Way You Lead Can Be No Better Than The Way You Live" Judah Smith
I often sing the praises of the Audit Committee. It's a good example of councillors working together in robust inquiry into the way the county council is run. And in Wednesday's council meeting its chair gave a very honest appraisal of how things stand. You can judge it for yourself: For 2009-10, the responsibility for approving the Annual Statement of Accounts, which includes the Annual Governance Statement, has been discharged to the Audit Committee. I would like to thank the Committee members for the commitment they have given to meeting this responsibility, and in particular the robust challenge they have ...
Walk Score helps people live a carfree lifestyle by measuring how walkable a place is - not just how pretty the area is for walking. The Walk Score uses data and mapping from Google Maps to provide coverage of the walkability of any address in the world. Although it only gives an approximation of walkability, Walk Score believes it is useful tool to motivate people to get out and walk. Walk Score shows amenities within walking distance - such as restaurants, shops, parks, schools or libraries - and awards points depending on the closeness of the amenity, with the most ...
Three former Labour MPs and a Conservative peer lost their appeals this morning, over last month's ruling that they could not avoid trial for alleged expenses fraud by claiming Parliamentary privilege. From the BBC: Elliott Morley, David Chaytor, Jim Devine and Lord Hanningfield had argued at the Court of Appeal that only Parliament could hear their case. The four all deny charges of false accounting over their expenses. The charges carry a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment. The men had appealed against a ruling in June by Mr Justice Saunders sitting at Southwark Crown Court in central London. The ...
From the Harborough Mail website: An 11-year-old boy has been excluded from school after brandishing a knife in front of horrified fellow pupils. The boy was found with the knife while on a school bus which was parked at Uppingham Community College waiting to take pupils home to villages in the north of Harborough district, including Skeffington, Tilton on the Hill and Tugby. Worrying stuff, particularly when you read the quote from a parent: "Children on the bus were absolutely horrified by it. My children came home frightened to death. "There are a lot of worried parents as a result ...
A whirlwind tour of the best of the blogosphere: Terence Eden talks about how he nearly got sued by the BPI Tom Harris' podcast with Doctor Who producer Steven Moffatt could just as easily be titled "Two smug boys on the Terrace". They are smugger than a cat who's managed to get the entire country's supply of cream but the podcast is very funny even if it doesn't tell you that much. Spidey tackles Labour accusations that we've sold our soul to the devil. Dib Lemming is sad that the press are making political capital out of the tragic suicide ...
Came across this term and was mystified until I read on..... www.carfreewalks.org Idea is that many ramblers drive to the start of a walk and then walk. In fact many cyclists drive to a great start for cycle. Terrible for the environment and for me would ruin the whole point of going for a walk or cycle. Take a look at the website. Try a walk via public transport.
RT @libdig Tories Disrespect Vince By Repeating What He Said Last Week | @achinton sets the record straight http://libdig.co.uk/2096 # RT @libdig New Tory/Ashcroft poll shows Lib Dems suffering badly | Beau Bo D'Or http://libdig.co.uk/2097 < Joke didn't work well for Thatch. # @jamesgraham But well what? [IMG: :)] in reply to jamesgraham # @nextleft re 'coupon election' interesting post but unconvinced by LG/Asquith parallels. LDs don't have 2 warring alternative leaders (yet!) in reply to nextleft # RT @libdemvoice Nick Clegg meets ... Abingdon. Live now on Sky News http://news.sky.com/skynews << budget cuts + Trident asked so far # ...
This week's heartfelt, if disgustingly loyalist, House Points column from Liberal Democrat News. World Wide Words has a short article on these Dutch expressions. Interestingly, it seems that the one you hear most often today - "Dutch auction" - originally had no pejorative sense but has acquired it by association over the years. Going Dutch The English language embodies our history, and there is a little group of expressions that remind us of a forgotten corner of it. 'Dutch courage,' 'Dutch treat' and 'Dutch concert' were all coined in the latter half of the 17th century when we were fighting ...
Congratulations to Councillor Simon Allen and Keynsham Town Councillor Andy Halliday. Both Liberal Democrats were elected last night with significant majorities after energetic campaigns. These two elections were held in what until recent times have been rock solid Labour strongholds with Independents challenging in Radstock and Conservatives in Keynsham South. A by-election for Radstock ward on B&NES was called after the death of an Independent member; Labour had expected to win the seat in this former mining town. However, Simon was an excellent local candidate, backed up by the best Liberal Democrat campaign team in the West. The Liberal Democrats ...
This week the Government announcemed a key Liberal Democrat policy of the Pupil Premium next September. This will make a big difference for many children in our area. It will mean that funds will be provided for local schools to allow children from disadvantaged backgrounds to receive the extra support they deserve, allowing them to have an equal chance for a good education, no matter which school they go to in our area and across the country. In Southwark we've seen an incredibly rapid rise in pupil achievement over the last seven years while Lib Dems ran the council, but ...
Lib Dem Voice carries a press release from Ming Campbell on Trident. (and for those who saw BBC2's 5 days I wonder if Ming has a pet-and does he look like it?): 'If fierce cuts are to be made in Britain's conventional forces, surely we have to consider whether replacing Trident can be justified' I don't really care if the Tories come round to our way of thinking on the grounds of cost, or because of a more sensible recognition of our strategic needs or for moral reason. Labour failed to make the right decision on any grounds. Mind you ...
The Labour leader in Southwark has signed an agreement to redevelop the Elephant & Castle area. This agreement is considerably revised version of the draft agreed with the Lib Dems but the local elections this year got in the way of it being signed. By my estimates it will result in between £100M and £200M less for the residents of Southwark in reduced social housing and overage. It also rips up the award winning proposal of Combined Heat and Power for the scheme. This makes the scheme far more carbon damaging. It also means no plans are in place to ...
David Miliband has undergone a Damascene conversion, and today came out in support of equal marriage, becoming the fourth (of five) Labour leader candidate to support it. His brother Ed Miliband remains the only hold out. Please rate up my question to him on Yoosk in the hopes of encouraging him to join the equality club. In other news, Angela Eagle (Labour MP) supports anti-marriage Penny Wong and Elton John first besmirches straight marriage (by divorcing) then says no to gay marriage. Nice guy. If you feel benevolent and particularly generous, this writer always appreciates things bought for him from ...
The B&NES planning is currently considering an application to generate power from the river at Iford Manor using an archimedian screw hydopower installation. It is a great scheme and I have put in a comment in support to the application. It is great to see mini generating solutions coming through to generate green clean energy. The main document can be read at this LINK
It's 20 years since I was last in Algiers. In the interim, Algeria's capital was often plagued by terrorist violence and kidnappings. Mercifully, that is all over and the city itself is being restored to its former glory. Although some of the post-independence suburbs are pretty horrid, the city centre is glorious and deservedly bears the ...
The "Evening Telegraph" tonight covered the challenging situation facing Dundee City Council in relation to its future budgets. Today, the City Council's Chief Executive has confirmed to him that he is to bring a report about the 2011/12 council budget to the City Council's Policy and Resources Committee on 23rd August. I had asked Chief Executive David Dorward about the budget situation following this week's publication of Scotland's Independent Budget Review. He replied today : "The chief officers have been working quite extensively on preparing for the 2011/12 Revenue Budget and the implementation of the Corporate Improvement Plan that was ...
Looks like we'll soon be getting our kitchen back. Hooray! We've had to have a new roof put on because the old one was leaking. Of course as soon as the guys started the job our lovely summer weather turned a "bit back-endish" as we say ...
The New York Times reports that all suppliers to the Chelsea Clinton wedding have signed confidentiality agreements. So, despite tramping around all the shops and businesses in Rhinebeck, New Jersey (close to the location of the wedding), the Times' intrepid reporters couldn't get a squeak out of any of those business owners who are supplying anything to the wedding. But that hasn't stopped celebrity chin-waggers like those on Fox 5, a local New York station (which, from my viewing seems quite a good station, with none of the dodginess of its more famous sister station, Fox News) from breathlessly putting ...
I recently watched Michael Moore's documentary Capitalism: A Love Story. I always enjoy Michael Moore's films but I do always have problems wrestling with the agenda of his stories. Although often don't disagree with the agenda I don't like have it smacked in my face every five minutes. This of course does happen in Moore's films. This film covers how capitalism is not working for the working people of America and goes on to say all the problems with it. Its not offering alternatives just suggests that it needs control. there is plenty of ammo for him to get his ...
I always had a laugh when I saw "Poughkeepsie" on the TV weather map. Of course, it is highly tempting to pronounce it "Poohkeepsie" but it is actually pronounce "PUH KIP SEE" - apparently. Schenectady is another good one – also in New York state. It's pronounced "Skinny Atlas", believe it or not. But my favourite is Throgs Neck Bridge. It's quite a beautiful bridge in Queens – here's a photo from the Metropolitan Transport Authority's site:
The fact that George Osborne has placed the cost of Trident within the Defence budget is quite an interesting gamble. It's bound to enrage MoD types, and it's made Dr Liam Fox, our esteemed Secretary of State for Defence, even more of a pariah than he already is. The odds on Liam Fox being the ...
On Tuesday, the front page of the New York Times showed a series of map graphics of the Gulf oil spill, under the title "Gulf surface oil is vanishing fast; Concerns stay". (it is typical of the NYT, bless them, to have a headline which is so well balanced and contains a semi-colon). Those graphics are available as an excellent time-phased online tool which shows the impact of the spill since it started. What was remarkable about the NYT maps is that, as of now, the sea surface oil in the gulf is minimal. Just a few small, light patches ...
From the Council: People of all ages can explore the world of books and learning with Stockport Council's week long 'Reading Comes Alive' celebrations between 31st July- 6th August. A series of lively and informative free events will be taking place throughout the week in Merseyway Shopping Centre precinct, including: · Saturday 31st July 10am-4pm and Sunday 1st August 11am-4pm - "Summer Reading" - what's hot and what's not; find out about the best of summer reading · Monday 2nd August - "Help yourself to better health" - help and support from organisations such as Stockport Health Trainers, stop smoking, ...
My aversion to Follow Friday on Twitter continues at full speed this week so brace yourself for the full on Spidey's web treatment and see if you or your blog caught in the web! Top 10 tweeters CTerry1985 – Called ... Continue reading →
A press release arrives in the Lib Dem Voice in-tray: Commenting on George Osborne's announcement that the Ministry of Defence will be responsible for the cost of replacing Trident, Liberal Democrat MP, Sir Menzies Campbell said: "This confirmation of what had already been predicted makes it essential that the case for like-for-like replacement of Trident should, as the Liberal Democrats have agreed, be part of the Strategic Defence Review. "How can you possibly take on such a large financial commitment as Trident without considering the military and political implications? "If fierce cuts are to be made in Britain's conventional forces, ...
As the County Council prepares to take on the running of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme from the eleven district and borough councils in Hampshire, it is asking residents how they use their entitlement to a free bus pass.The transfer of concessionary fares from district authorities to county authorities was announced at the very end of the last Government. The transfer will take effect
In many ways this is quite an extraordinary development. When you consider how the states of the US have fought over the years to keep their independence within the union, it is remarkable that Massachusetts has passed this law, following Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and Washington. The law will mean that the state's electoral votes would be assigned to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote – regardless of whom Massachusetts voters preferred. So, a situation such as Al Gore in 2000 (when he had about a million more votes cast in his favour than George Bush, ...
Anti-Trident campaigners should today be lauding George Osborne, who has knocked back Liam Fox's claim that the capital costs for the replacement of Trident would be met from outwith the defence budget. This makes it much more likely that Trident will not be replaced at all – Fox knows that in order to find the ...
There are a lot of stories doing the rounds about disquiet within the Liberal Democrats over the state of the coalition. The disquiet exists, but runs nowhere near as deep as is sometimes played up in the media. And it has to be set against some clear realities. Reality check 1 - there was no choice for the Lib Dems after the general election With the arithmetic produced by our crazy electoral system, there was really no choice but to accept David Cameron's offer of a coalition. The maths wouldn't have made a deal with Labour work (Labour didn't want ...
My day was brightened somewhat by and unexpected flurry of mentions on my twitter timeline pointing me to the House of Twits Top 200 political tweeters poll. I think you can imagine my surprise and (vast embarrassment) when i found ... Continue reading →
From the Council: Stockport has been awarded nine Green Flag Awards and one Green Pennant Award for 2010-11, in recognition of the high standard of its parks and open spaces. Three parks were entered for the first time and all were successful: Diamond Jubilee Park, North Reddish Park and Shaw Health Park. The following parks retained their Green Flags: Adswood Park, Brinnington Park, Hallam Gardens, Heaton Norris Park, Oak Meadow and Reddish Vale Country Park. This brings the total number of sites that are at Green Flag standard across the borough to 20. To be eligible for a Green Flag ...
A final reminder that time is running out: voting ends tomorrow in the Total Politics Blog Award... We hope readers may be inclined to list Lib Dem Voice somewhere, alongside many of the other fabulous Lib Dem blogging talent listed on Ryan Cullen's Aggregator. It's that time of year again, when Total Politics asks you to vote for your Top 10 favourite blogs. This is the fifth year of the poll. The votes will be compiled and included in the forthcoming book, the Total Politics Guide to Blogging 2010-11, which will be published in September. For the second year running, ...
The Local Government Ombudsmans has just released their report on Southwark Councils performance for the last financial year April 2009 to March 2010. This was the last year of the Lib Dem led administration. 332 complaints received. Many were upheld. With a population of around 300,000 people all using a multitude of Southwark Council services things go wrong. That they weren't resolved to a residents satisfaction or quickly enough is food for thought and action. What I found reassuring that things were getting much better was that the turnaround of complaints by Southwark has dramatically improve.
Yesterday Boris announced the Olympic "fat cats" segregated car lanes to usher all those self important Olympic officials, sponsors and media people around - and the much fewer athletes of course. Why? So not only is every Londoner paying extra £20 council tax every year to over a dozen years exclusively to subsidise the Olympics but our roads will be barred from us on pain of a £200 per incursion. Why are these and why do they think they are more important than any other human being? This is not the egalitarian ethos I'd have presumed the Olympics was all ...
The decision by the Treasury that Trident submarine replacement should be paid for from within the existing defence budget means the Ministry of Defence must now look seriously at whether or not a Trident replacement is needed. The Treasury has now significantly undermined the argument that Trident is in the national interest. Some of us go further and argue that Trident is not in the national
I link to today's judgment impressively quickly uploaded onto Bailii.This relates to the question as to whether expenses fraud is covered by parliamentary privilege (readers of this weblog will know that I believe that it is not).The judgment is worth reading for those interested in the law of parliament.There are some interesting precedents that I have not heard of before such as Att-Gen of
A while back the BBC parliament channel devoted an evening to the night the government fell in 1979 on which we reported at the time. Well they are at it again, this time looking at the two elections of 1910 (details here). Readers will recall that Southport Lib Dems held a big dinner to mark that election and the candidacy of Baron de Forest last year
Conservative Future are holding their annual (by which I mean whenever CCHQ tells them to) elections. There's three main candidates: Ben Howlett, Simon Cavalier-Jones and Criag Cox. I've only met Ben and he seems like an alright guy but I suppose anyone can be over a few drinks. Out of the three of them he seems more likely to support the current coalition rather than fight against it every step of the way. This is important and hopefully it will curb some of the mad right-wingers still present in CF. At the moment their leadership election is probably more interesting ...
George Osborne has gone ahead and made it clear that if the MOD wants Trident then it will have to fork out the money itself where it has previously been paid for by the treasury. Considering that Trident would take up approximately Half of the Defence budget (based on the current budget being around £40 billion and trident being £20 Billion though this is debated) this would be a serious pay out
I was talking with a fellow plot holder at the Birkdale Irrigation Allotment site and our conversation turned to when the site was established. More that ten years ago I spent a happy few hours reading the back minutes of the old Birkdale Urban District Council and the Southport Guardian to track down that information. as is the way with my filing system I cannot find my notes now but I recall the outlines. (Health warning my memory is not as good as it once was and I think the temporary Library has the minute books in storage) The 1906 ...
I've just been involved in a discussion on the Laurence Reed show on BBC Radio Cornwall about the proposed new parking charges in Cornwall. The discussion was prompted by Town Councillor Connie Geach who was particularly annoyed at the proposal to scrap the rover ticket which allows people to park in any long stay car park in the former NCDC area for £190 a year. Local people accepted that the price might have to rise, but the Council's proposal was for a rise to £800 a year - with the right to park in any long stay car park across ...
Briefing note: 10 weeks on the Lib Dems have had huge influence in Government In just 10 weeks since the start of the Coalition Government, the Liberal Democrats have exerted a huge influence over its agenda. Going into the election the Liberal Democrats made clear that they had four key priorities: fairer taxes; a fair start for children with extra funding for disadvantaged pupils; a comprehensive clean up of our politics, including a fairer voting system; and a green, sustainable economy. Thanks to Lib Dem involvement, the Government will deliver on each of these. There are also a large number ...
On Tuesday this week, Camborne Town councillors were invited to visit the town's fire station ahead of their open day this Saturday, to have a look round. I'd not visited the station since I was at school, and needless to say there had been a few changes since then! Everyone is aware of the day-to-day duties of the Fire and Rescue Service, such as house fires, arson, animal rescue etc. It was fascinating to learn just how many other responsibilities our station undertakes though - from youth education to community work. Camborne is one of the busiest and largest stations ...
Having spoken to many teachers about the inspection process I got the firm impression that this was not something that they considered to be a benefit to the school in its drive to improve standards. So it was interesting to come across research which stated that the inspection process did not improve school standards and ...
Much brouhaha this week as esteemed local fish'n'chip wrapper the Telegraph & Argus launches its campaign against the EDL rally slated to take place in Bradford during the August Bank Holiday weekend. Now while it's safe to say that no right-thinking person wants to see the city centre taken over by a gang of leery, beery shaved apes chanting and sieg-heiling - much less any flames being fanned by the well-meaning but clueless Tiny Trots, and let us not even think about any revenge actions by the Asian yoot after the events of 1997 and 2001 - it's clear that ...
It was somewhat of a shock. I was watching telly with the family. There were 2000 channels available on our cable TV. (I think there were anyway. That's what the counter said. We managed to get up to about 43 before giving up through sheer boredom.) As I flicked through, we were assailed by the image of a man attacking a pig's carcass with a sword. I kid you not. It was quite a traumatic vision for a family. I quickly flicked onto the next channel. It turns out that said porcine carcass splitting was part of Spike TV's "Deadliest ...
It is not a secret that there has been a lot of dissatisfaction about the communication strategy of Sefton Council. Mark Bigley the Conservative Councillor for Ainsdale (until the recent elections) made a series of suggestions for improvement. Others of us have be frustrated at the failure of the council to exploit the possibilities of social media-by which I include things as basic as the website! We were still getting pleas to put out a full delivery Council Newspaper. Somethings went a head-before my time expensive video equipment was bought and films made which few people knew about and even ...
I spent most of Wednesday at the NHS Lothian Board meeting in their fabulous new Head Quarters in Waverley Gate at the east end of Princes St. My first visit to that building was many years ago just after it had closed as the GPO and it was hosting a German Beer Festival. Lots of Bratwurst and Fustenberg and the obligatory ompah Band. The new offices are fantastic and, while many staff are still moving in, most I have talked to have been very positive about the move. The fact that it is only 3 minutes walk from my office ...
Over the past couple of weeks, I've posted a number of blogs agreeing with Eric Pickles about pay offs for chief officers, weekly bin collections and returning to the committee system. But now, inevitably, our paths are diverging and this love affair must end. Mr Pickles has made a statement today which seems to be the opposite of the localism that he claims to be advocating. He says that MPs should have the right to set a maximum increase in the council tax across England and that there should be local referendums if councils propose increases above this level. Having ...
Gainsborough is about to undergo a major transformation. The first of 4 phases which will see around a new 2500 homes added to the town. It will also mean there will be more schools, shops and employment. On Wednesday 4th August, the planning committee at West Lindsey District Council sit down for an extraordinary meeting to decide the plans for the first phase to the Gainsborough Southern Neighbourhood Extension. I would urge any resident who is interested and able to attend the meeting 0- it's starting at 10am at the Guildhall. The full planning reports can be found at the ...
20 mile cycle ride, Sunday 1st August, meet 10.30am Meeting at St Marys Park car park , Prestwich Leisurely circular cycle ride with Bury Council's Ranger Service following National Cycle Route 6 along the Outwood trail and the Bury Bolton canal to Bury. Heading through Pilsworth, Unsworth, and Heaton Park back to St Mary's Park. Off and on road - some of the off road sections are on rough surfaced tracks and the ride includes some short steep slopes but no big hills!. There will be stopping points along the route including a lunch stop, so please bring pack lunch ...
Quick linkdump before I go to work. Firstly, don't forget to nominate people for my blog awards. To answer various questions: yes, twitters, tumblrs and all that count as blogs. If it's public, it's cool. Sex-positive is whatever you want to define it as. And I am not going to accept any nominations for myself; I am not Iain Dale. Do feel free to pimp the link out on your own blogs, too. The more the merrier! Awesome tattoo; very very not safe for work. From the department of stating the bleeding obvious: minister admits state pension is not enough ...
Our local Liberal Democrats are welcoming two new councillors today. Cllr Simon Allen has been elected to B&NES council to represent Radstock. Last night he won the by-election to replace a deceased Independent member. Andy Halliday was elected to Keynsham Town Council after the previous Labour member resigned. I've been running both of their election campaigns through July and spent seventeen hours in Radstock yesterday co-ordinating our activists, so I am especially pleased with Simon's win. B&NES council remains under Conservative minority control, but the Liberal Democrat group is now in a better position to challenge them. After yesterday's win ...
As you may have noticed it appears to be the time of year where everyone votes for everything and there are three things I'd like you to consider voting for me in. Firstly there is the Total Politics Political Blogs where you have to submit at least 5 blogs (more details here) Then there is the Lib Dem Blog of the Year (especially the best new Blog) finally there is the House of Twits Top 200
Researchers have discoed some rocks on the surface of Mars which are similar to some in Australia which have revealed fossilised remains of the earliest life on Earth were discovered. Yeah a team for the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute in California (SETI) have identified a trench in the Nili Fossae which has rocks similar to those in Pilbara region of NW Australia. They contain carbonate which is what life turns into in many cases when it is buried. The white cliffs of Dover contain calcium carbonate, limestone, to give them their distinctive white chalk colour. The rocks at Pilbara ...
Welcome to a series where old posts are revived for a second outing for reasons such as their subject has become topical again, they have aged well but were first posted when the site's readership was only a tenth or less of what it is currently or they got published and the site crashed, hiding the finest words of wisdom behind an incomprehensible error message. Today's has been updated with the latest hemline flip-flop. Daily Telegraph, 12 December 2008: "Recession pulls hemlines down". Daily Telegraph, 6 March 2009: "Hemlines rise during economic downturns". Daily Telegraph, 9 July 2010: "It's happening ...
I point you to the Labour-o-matic.
I think it's very dangerous for us to start down the road of the American-style politicisation of the police. Norfolk Blogger has a good post on why elected police commissioners that are being proposed by the coalition are wrong. The police should be more accountable but the best way of doing this is having more elected councillors on police authority's and also making sure local councils have far more involvement with their local police authority. This is real localism and real 'power to the people'. Councillors are the most local representatives so they know what people in their area want ...
See how I just slipped in "in the fall" there? Sickening, isn't it? But, yes, there is a Democrat standing for election in November who has a popularity rating of 69% and is currently beating potential Republican challengers by more than 2 to 1. He is managing to get very enthusiastic support from his local party supporters, while the opposition are demoralised. Who is this shining star? Step forward, Andrew Cuomo, standing for New York State Governor. When you see him in action below you can see why he's doing so well. He has inherited some of the charisma of ...
When you read this I shall, hopefully, be enjoying a café au lait somewhere in the South of France. That's perhaps not the best way to start a post which is shortly going to go on and ask you to vote for this blog in the Total Politics poll of blogs... However just think how ...
Honesty is the best policy, or so my mother told me. Granted she wasn't a diplomat, but it seems to make sense to most people that when something becomes so big to hide, you only look ludicrous for ignoring it or worst denying it. So some would applaud David Cameron this week for a few truths which needed to be said: Gaza is a prison camp, Pakistan should do more to control terrorists and Turkey should become an EU member. He said it, a few gasped, and then we moved on. Cameron said he wanted British foreign policy to be ...
[IMG: Kindle] So, the Kindle finally launches in the UK. This blog has become something of a Mecca for users of the Elonex 511EB. The comments on my reviews run in to the hundreds, I get thousands of page views a month on them, I regularly answer private emails about the device. So, why am I abandoning Elonex? Simply put – Elonex abandoned me. Their staff and website promised updates which never came. We're not just talking about additional features – there are some serious bugs in the device. They ignored emails when people complained about faulty devices – as, ...
A lady who displayed her blue disabled person's parking badge when when she parked at the Excel car park next to Westgate Department store in Keighley for half an hour has asked me for help. The Excel company is trying to fine her for not paying the ...
Went to a screening last night of a new film to be released in the autumn - Made in Dagenham. Invited - because it is the story of equal pay - how the women machinists at Ford Dagenham car plant went on strike for equal pay over forty years ago. Their action led to the Equal Pay Act forty years ago. That fight still goes on today - with a pay gap between men and women in full time work - as unacceptable now too. But outside of the issue itself - which is extremely timely with the coalition commitment ...
In local dialect, people often wish each other Salukes on parting. (Stress on the second vowel, which is pronounced like German ü.) This curious word is a combination of the French salut, which is a slang greeting, with the plural of the Flemish diminutive -ke. I hear it often from our neighbours on the bus to Leuven in the morning; I wonder how wide-spread it is in Flanders?
Even though it was the end of the last week of school term, and people were about to go on holiday residents turned out last Friday to hear Chris Willmore and Steve Webb explain more about how they can fight South Gloucestershire's plans for 3000 houses here. And hear that Barretts is planning 250. The meeting very much concluded that the development already in the pipeline, some 500 houses, is enough to meet local needs and we should oppose the massive development at Brimsham Park as a community. The biggest issue people felt was the fact there is no suggestion ...
Proposals by Iain Duncan Smith to sweep away Britain's complex system of benefits and replace them with a single payment to claimants have to be a significant and radical step forward. In fact it very much reflects an old Liberal Policy of working towards a citizens' income. I hope that the moderating and expert influence of Lib Dem pensions minister, Steve Webb is reflected in the final proposals. Of course the devil will be in the detail and we have yet to see what that is. However, what we know so far is that the proposals seek to streamline and ...
Yesterday Labour won the Bilston North by-election in Wolverhampton, gaining the seat from the Conservatives (the Liberal Democrats came fifth). This means Labour now have 30, of the 60, Councillors compared to 25 Conservatives and 5 Liberal Democrats leaving control of the Council on the Mayor's casting vote.
@lesteph @simond On the up side, it makes me think I should acquire more techie WP knowledge as I'm clearly missing out on the, er..., fun in reply to lesteph # @jamescrabtree Was that you asking a cycling question on ITV4 last night? # @drbenjohnson The bottom freeze frame on the page is, um, best not looked at [IMG: :)] in reply to drbenjohnson # @jamescrabtree About collisions between cyclists and spectators in reply to jamescrabtree # Mmm, top chocolate cake courtesy of Islington LibDems # @caronmlindsay Mosaic analysis? in reply to caronmlindsay # @BridgetFox And great chocolate cake! in ...
It's Friday, so here's a fistful of lists that sum up the past week on Liberal Democrat Voice: 5 most-read stories on LDV this week 1. The Independent View: Labour and Lib Dems must show a willingness to work together (39 comments) by Will Straw 2. Six Lib Dem MPs rebel on Coalition's Academies Bill (10 comments) by Stephen Tall 3. Opinion: Lib Dems should abstain or campaign for "No" on AV referendum (65 comments) by Fred Carver 4. Nick Clegg meets ... Showing the Lib Dem fight against the Tories is alive and well (45 comments) by Stephen Tall ...
[IMG: Click here to vote in the Total Politics Best Blogs Poll 2010] You have until midnight on Saturday (31 July) to vote in this year's Total Politics poll. The magazine's website gives the rules for voting: You must vote for your ten favourite blogs and ranks them from 1 (your favourite) to 10 (your tenth favourite).Your votes must be ranked from 1 to 10. Any votes which do not have rankings will not be counted.You MUST include at least FIVE blogs in your list, but please list ten if you can. If you include fewer than five, your vote ...
date almost specified in canon 30 July 1977: Most of episode 1, all of episode 2 and the first part of episode 3 of Image of the Fendahl (1977) appear to be set on this date, for reasons which will be explained tomorrow.
[IMG: At the site of the proposed development] Yesterday, I investigated the site of a proposed 'backlands' development off Elyne Road, which residents who back onto the area are up in arms about. The proposal is to put a large five bedroom house onto the small site just a few meters from the edge of residents' gardens. What I hadn't realised fully until I visited, was just how narrow the access to the site is – less than one metre wide in places, and not enough space for even a wheelbarrow. Residents are concerned this would mean chaos when building ...
The new owners of Harrods, the Qatari royal family, parked two cars worth £1.5Million outside their new acquisition. They got clamped. Hurray for the traffic wardens say I! The owners deserved to be clamped if only for painting £1.5 M worth of top range automobiles in torquoise.
There will be plenty to tantalise the tastebuds when Prestwich Farmers Market returns to the Longfield Centre on Sunday August 22. The market has become a regular fixture in the Prestwich calendar offering a range of locally sourced foods and products to suit every taste. On offer will be traditional, quality goods ranging from speciality meats, pies and cheeses and home-made cakes to pastas, chutneys, jams and drinks. There will be plenty of opportunities to sample the food, enjoy entertainment from Squeaky the Clown, and enter a draw to win a hamper worth £50. Councillor Vic D'Albert, chairperson of Prestwich ...
Research by the Welsh Liberal Democrats has shown that the Welsh Government has spent £900,000, £1,100,000 and £1,400,000 in each of the last three years on promoting climate change awareness. Grants include £20,000 over two years for annual newspaper supplements on climate change and over £0.5 million a year to the Sustainable Development Commission and Cynnal Cymru. We estimate that this could have paid for around 1000 improvements to homes in fuel poverty through the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme - making an immediate impact on carbon emissions. The last few years have seen an unprecedented amount of public awareness of ...
If you were thinking that last winter's long cold spell indicated that global warming was a thing of the past, the annual "State of the Climate" report, produced with the help of the UK's Met Office, will make you think again. The report states that the world is "unequivocally warming" after considering the temperature of the oceans, which absorb 90% of the world's heat, alongside the latest data on melting sea ice (this summer has seen particularly rapid retreat of the Arctic sea ice), retreating glaciers and the temperature of the upper atmosphere. The authors of the report say that ...
Fri 30th
01:01
You know when Nick Clegg said that this was going to be the most radical, reforming government since...
Well, now I believe him. Wow. The 'Citizen's Income' model of benefits is something I've idly talked about as a lovely, lovely theory with politically-minded friends on more than one occasion. Did you know there are 58 benefits an out-of-work person might claim, each one requiring its own mammoth form-filling task, and the presenting of various proofs of entitlement? Can you imagine what a complete and total arse-ache that is if you find yourself out of work and broke? Now imagine that every person of working age gets a single benefit. In a similar way to the tax credits helpline, ...
Now the dust has started to settle, with a new coach in place and the confirmation that Legue is staying. Things are looking better already. Let's get back to hockey. Freshly released today is a brand new promo video ready for 4th September. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XxjvYdxT_8 I hope the new website is as slick as this and that we go back to a more hi energy introduction on the night.
Are you looking forward to retirement or is it the moment when you will be forced to leave the work you love? The fixed retirement age is 65 for men and 60 for women but in October next year there will be no compulsory retirement. At first glance this is a great step forward. You may now choose to continue to work if you love your work. If you don't then it doesn't matter because you can still retire. For the individual the great advantage is that you have greater earnings. What is wrong with working five or ten years ...
