I hope Tony Blair does not think that giving the proceeds from his new book atone's for the terrible decision he masterminded in taking this country into an illegal war inIraq. STORY HERE. Whilst I am pleased that the British Legion rehabilition unit will get a much needed cash boost the simple fact is that Tony Blair has made a fortune since stepping down as the tarnished PM of this country whose actions made the UK and the world a less safe and tolerant place.
Met with a highway engineer in Southdown to discuss some parking problems and possible solutions. Yellow Lines are incredibly expensive to put in place. Legal fees about £3,000, public notices and publicity about £2,000, public consultations and work involved in progressing an application about £1,000. If the new Government is looking to reduce costs it could come up...
Bath City back in the big time of the Conference - or Blue Square Bet Premier as I suppose we should call it. City went in after a lacklustre first half trailing by a goal to Rushden and Diamonds. However after the interval they came out in explosive style and played some scintilating football which produced two fine goals. Great result.
This morning spent time at the school with parents, governors and the Head preparing speaches for tomorrows meeting when the Conservative Cabinet of the Council reconsider their decision on Culverhay. We keep finding new information and data and it is ever clearer that the LEA has not done a good job on the schools consultation. Is this under political pressure from the cabinet is what many...
With thanks to Newshound on Liberal Democrat Voice: Nick Clegg's Views on Electoral Reform
So after my problems, I've finally downloaded Brian Wilson's new album. After a few listens, I can safely say that this is without a doubt the second best solo album by a member of the Beach Boys to be released this year... On paper, the combination of Brian Wilson and George Gershwin is a good ...
Stephen Alfred Humphries was born on 30 January 1897 in Deptford, South London to Thomas George Humphries and Kathleen Hill. Thomas was a Shipwright and worked at the docks in South London. (A Shipwright is a shipbuilder and south London ... Continue reading →
All, After an enquiry from Councillor Richard Cheney (following the announcement that the District Council would like to share the library with the County Council and the Police), we have had this response from Warwickshire Police: There are no plans to close Shipston Police Station. We are currently exploring opportunities with the District and County council to co locate a front office facilty, which will offer members of the public 'one front door' access to public services. This is a model that has been succesful at both Shire Hall in Warwick and now Globe House in Alcester. The footfall to ...
The government's Your Freedom site is an embarrassing mess. It is full of suggestions that are wither well-rehearsed opinions on the issues of the day, nothing to do with restoring liberty, or repeat suggestions. The whole project has basically become an online stress ball for people who believe what they read in the papers. So what's the point? Practically none of the 'ideas' there are even slightly inspired. I really hope that the government didn't set the site up as a cynical gesture to give the false impression of fake interest in the views of the great unwashed. The public's ...
There is something that often irritates about some of the so called 'Christian' extremists who preach things like kill the gays and brandish the word abomination around while enjoying their prawn in their polyester/cotton mix clothing. However, today's 'learn to read the bible' award goes not to an American but Russia's first legal billionaire German Sterligov. He said that he wanted all gay men and women killed when he was interviewed at the weekend on the popular Moscow radio station Echo Moskvi. When challenged by the host Ksenia Larina: "I want to understand, German, what what you want to do ...
Henry Brind has been one of the most illusive of my Great Grandfathers with a live about as unsettled and full of movement as you could ever imagine. Born in Hillingdon on 8th Jan 1859 to Elizabeth, Henry has no ... Continue reading →
*Insert own cliche about buses / two coming along at once etc* It's a rare day that two stories on the BBC News politics page are essentially about politicians being conspicuously honest. Today is one such day. Firstly there is ... Continue reading →
I'm quite chuffed to see the announcement that wheel clamping on private land is going to be banned in England and Wales. In the past year or so I've heard of cases in Rayleigh where someone has been charged about 200 pounds extra, just for paying by card. And I've seen instances where the vehicle was apparently parked on the public highway, and still got clamped.So well done - especially to
''It's 99 days since the new Coalition Government formed. The heat and fury of the General Election have already faded into memory. Voters have a full five years before they again decide who gets their support. If, by polling day, you felt worn down by the relentless advances of the political parties, even 2015 may seem too soon. But in government we're already having to think about the next election. Not about its outcome but about how it's run. There are fundamental flaws in the way we elect MPs, none of them with quick fixes. Sorting them out ahead of ...
I think this will be easier for those who are regular readers or who know of my obsessions. Lib Dem Voice is linking to an excellent article from Nick Clegg regarding his vision for a new political map and voting system. They helpfully post chunks of the article on the page with a link to the standard. A very special prize to the person who can spot what got my knee jerking in this paragraph... While there's no magic-wand solution [to missing voters on the electoral register] there are things we can do. Like exploring allowing registration officers to compare ...
When I was 12, I was just starting to get into American comics, and the garage around the corner from my dad's work did something rather odd – on its magazine rack it got in just one month's worth of DC Comics – February '91. It never got any others in, and as far as ...
A great day, I haven't yet managed the 2 litres of water, I am approaching the 1.5 litres mark so for me a major advancement. Managed the breakfast, snack, lunch, snack then dinner of gammon, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes and a fried egg. Breakfast tomorrow will once again be the 3 egg omelette with mushrooms and tomatoes followed by a banana. The mid morning snack will be 300g of water melon with three slices of parma ham. Lunch will be the same as today, chicken, bacon, Parmesan, sunflower seeds, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce. Dinner will be cod, broccoli, carrots and ...
Born in 1878 in Southwark to parents William Howard and Caroline Davis, Joseph Dunkley Howard was a south Londoner through and through. his father William had a number of different jobs ranging from Velum Binder to Clerk for a shipping company and ... Continue reading →
Will today – Tuesday 17th August 2010 – be looked back on in future as the day when reasonable, accurate, non-partisan reporting in the form of Sky News died, to be replaced by the UK equivalent of America's Fox News? ... Continue reading →
Earlier this year somebody said to me that there were two very strong contenders for the Lib Dem BOTY this year. I asked who and that individual said me and Mark Thompson. Obviously I was chuffed to be held up in such company. It was at a time that the two of us in our own inimitable style where ripping into the Conservatives and Labour, pulling apart their policies or lack of with whim, vigour, reasoned argument and not a little humour in the run up to the election. Of course for me the actual election got in the way ...
Acting Prime Minister... are we allowed to call him that? No, okay then: Holding the Fort Prime Minister Nick Clegg has an article in today's London Evening Standard setting out how he thinks the way in which people vote can be improved by the next general election, in 2015. He looks at three issues. First, Nick notes the current unfairness that unequal constituency sizes mean that the votes of 87,000 voters in the East Ham constituency are worth less than the 66,000 voters living 10 miles away in Islington North: "So, if you live in Islington, your voice counts for ...
I've just been reading about the plight of the American 99ers in the paper. We are a bit more receptive to the needs of those who are unemployed in the UK although we have to wait & see exactly what the revisions to the benefit system amount to. The devil is always in the detail. I'd feel more comfortable if the media & political focus was equally condemnatory, & determined to act, over those who 'massage' their tax bill - legally or otherwise. It is hard to escape the conclusion the that the truly, really, stupid in this country are ...
In an attempt to chronicle the lives of some of my ancestors, I am going to post the stories of some of my ancestors here on the blog. One of the best things that I have ever done is research ... Continue reading →
Germany's Centre-Right/Liberal coalition government is to introduce laws that will permit the supply and use of cannabis for medicinal purposes. Doctors could write prescriptions for cannabis, and pharmacies would be authorised to sell the plant once the law had been adjusted, a member of the junior coalition party, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), said Monday. Marijuana would also be permitted for use as a pain reliever for the terminally ill in hospices and other care facilities, making it a legal part of their emergency pain-relief stocks. This is yet another European country relaxing their drug laws (a little). Can you ...
Thanks to one of the funniest (and cleverest) posts I have read in a while we now know that to give over 100% you need to bulls*it. Read the logic over at subrosa
Four blogs have recently joined my Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator: Trevor Oxborrow – http://frontwindownet.blogspot.com/ Emma Thompson – http://bloodofthescribe-cuttle.blogspot.com/ Zoe O'Connell – http://zoe.complicity.co.uk/blog/ Make IT Policy – http://www.makeitpolicy.org.uk/ Good luck to all the new bloggers, and why not take a moment to pop over to their blogs, take a read and post a comment? Do you know of a blog by a LibDem which isn't listed? Why not get them to add it as well? Whether you are one of these new bloggers or someone who has been on the aggregator for rather longer, why not add you blog to the ...
Constituents have contacted me about the inadequate time drivers turning right from the filter lane in Riverside Drive - going into Dundee rail station (having come from the Riverside Roundabout east of the station) - are given before westbound traffic on Riverside Drive is given the green signal. I have raised their concerns with the council's City Development Department.
[IMG: A moving train] Despite the name, you can buy train tickets for any of the UK train routes via the First TransPennine Express site. What's so great about it? No credit card or booking fees. Simple, clean website design. Clever auto-complete (e.g. trying getting a ticket to or from Bristol and the pop up list of stations tells you which is the one near the city centre). It gives you single and return prices on the same page (none of the "click here because two singles may be cheaper" aka "let's try to hide the best prices from you ...
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Old Spice ads. In what has been one of the most clever marketing campaigns this year, sales of Old Spice products have sky rocketed from a prolonged lull. No longer the scent of your dad, or just old men in general, the adverts featuring ebony adonis Isaiah Mustafa have reinvigorated the Old Spice brand. This advert is an egregious play on hyper-masculine stereotypes. The caption underneath this video on Youtube is as follows: "We're not saying this body wash will make your man smell into a romantic millionaire jet fighter pilot, but we ...
Mark Reckons has decided to finish blogging. Who can blame him. Blogging especially at Marks level becomes very demanding and can take over your life. The media can call you at any time of night, you can be asked questions about the patry when your not an MP. You get dragged into long twitter discussions. You have to keep your blog up to date with regular comment conduct research which takes time and eats into your private life. This the only way to keep your blog popular. It can become an addiction. So I can't blame him for stopping. Mark ...
Further to my update earlier this month, the final stage of the digital switchover in Dundee and across Tayside and north Fife takes place tomorrow - when the final analogue channels get switched-off permanently. Freeview viewers should rescan channels again tomorrow. Full details are available on the Digital UK website. This does not affect cable and Sky viewers. As I have previously indicated, I am particularly anxious that elderly residents are given the fullest assistance, and if I can be of any help to any West End resident, do please call me on Dundee 459378 or e-mail tvswitch@frasermacpherson.org.uk.
07:00 to 19:00 from 23/08/2010 until 28/08/2010 Marl Lane will be closed for Carriageway Resurfacing from the Junction of Victoria Drive, the Whole length up to the Junction of Pentwyn Road. A diversionary route will be in operation.
[IMG: http://www.wikio.co.uk] [Hat tip to WAS] [IMG: Mushy] Recently, at one of his town hall meetings (central London) Lib Dem Leader and Deputy PM NickClegg said that housing benefit payments were more important than Trident. The press, once again, made out that this was the end of the Lib Dem/Tory administration... but is it really? The Lib Dem view is to not have a like-for-like replacement of Trident since it is an out dated relic from the cold war. This view hasn't changed, so why wouldn't Nick speak out against Trident replacement? Especially when the already cash-strapped gov't would have ...
Take this bland pop crap from Justin Bieber... ...and time stretch it to make it 800% slower. The result is this 35 minute ambient masterpiece: J. BIEBZ - U SMILE 800% SLOWER by Shamantis So simple, but so effective. It reminds me a bit of the Brian Eno track used in the Lib Dem's "28 Days Later"-esque election broadcast. Try playing them together; it works rather nicely. One of the many cultural revolutions the Internet has sparked is the explosion in derivative works. From mash-ups to remakes to photoshops to remixes, the creativity of some people knows no bounds. I ...
A passionate debate is raging as to whether certain drugs should be legalised in order to control their abuse. The argument is that by making these drugs freely available on the NHS, this will cut crime and reduce the number ... Continue reading →
Before I start, for those expecting PEP! today, I'm afraid I was so overwhelmed with fielding the response for my last post I've had to leave it til this weekend. That'll teach you to actually read and like things I write. But to make up for that there's two posts today – one on comics ...
You may not remember but a LONG time ago when this blog was in it's infancy I wrote a piece suggesting that SMS was a form in decline. With the rise of twitter, email and other online forms of sending messages, would mean that SMS might become completely redundant. Today Mashable produced a piece with some statistics that suggest that actually text message is growing rather than declining.
Tomorrow afternoon I'll be attending a drop-in session for residents in East Didsbury to be updated on plans for the re-routing of the trans-penine trail and Metrolink extension and how they hope to accommodate both in the old railway cutting. This will be a chance for residents to comment on the plans and to raise any concerns they may have. The ...
Exclusive: Support For Clegg's Lib Dems At 8% screams Sky News's report marking the 100 days of the Coalition. Disaster! Woe! Panic! Erm, except Sky News isn't reporting a poll conducted by a reputable polling organisation of a representative sample of the British public. I mean, you didn't seriously expect journalistic integrity and news values from Rupert Murdoch's Fox News-lite, did you? The figure of 8% support for the Lib Dems is the result of a Sky News Panel survey. The surveys are open to any viewer to join and answer. Sky makes no claim that its Panel is representative, ...
I have come to a decision that due to other commitments I am going to stop blogging. This will be my last blogpost and I will be closing the comment facility at the end of this Thursday on this entry and all old posts. I know that if I leave it open beyond that I will only end up getting sucked into further debates! I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have visited and those who have commented on my posts over the last two or so years. It has been great fun but ...
The destination for our canal trip is Bosworth Field. The Battle was fought on 22nd August and we intend to be well away before anyone arrives to re-enact it. We have plied our way along the Oxford Canal passing through the Newbold Tunnel, navigated the challenging Hawksbury Junction on to the Coventry Canal and thus via Marston Junction on to the Ashby Canal. The photos show the Newbold Tunnel lit with money from a regeneration programme (which also included restoring the tow path) evidence of sustainable energy on a barge (all the windmill are called Rutland 913) and the crew ...
It's the end of an era in Livingston as the old Council HQ, West Lothian House, is being systematically demolished as I write. The photo was taken at around 3 this afternoon. I have to say that it's one of the ugliest, most unimaginatively designed buildings ever so I certainly won't miss its soulless presence on Almondvale Boulevard. However, I've had good memories in that building - of various meetings (and excellent buffets) with the highly efficient and well regarded elections staff. It was much nicer inside than out - and you had the added benefit, a bit like the ...
I'm disabling comments on LiveJournal for this, and I'll probably link with Thagomizer, but I wanted to get the signal boosted: An Appeal Byron is the sweetest, most lovely dog you could ever want to meet. He is friendly, devoted, well behaved, and an indispensible companion to three of my favourite human beings and the only dog in the world I hold in higher esteem than him. He has never failed to make me feel welcome when I've visited Brighouse and the world is a brighter place while he's in it. He has suspected cancer. To raise money for his ...
It's rare that I look at the headline in the Daily Mail and think "that makes sense", but I do agree with their campaign to ban clampers. Personally, I'd like to go further than banning them actually, and instead clamp all clampers to a lamppost and make them wear a giant flashing neon hat saying "clamper" on it, and have people throw vegetables at them until they pay an exorbitant release fee of my choosing. Sadly the government haven't listened to my lamppost / vegetable idea, and have simply banned clampers. The press release actually says that they have banned ...
I enjoy being off work, at least for a while. At first it's all about catching up with sleep and going on nice walks. Before too long it's about not getting up until 15.00 and not opening the curtains for five days, but thankfully I am rarely off for that long. Unfortunately though, even if I am off for a single day, there is the chance that I might forget myself and tune into the phone-ins on Radio 5 Live. I have my radio tuned in there to catch the football, which is what's on in the evenings when I ...
Check out this fascinating interview with the Cato Institute's Brink Lindsey: I think the typical view of politics from inside a partisan mindset is to see politics as a battle of the good guys versus the bad guys. Maybe the good guys are on the left, maybe the good guys are on the right, but it's this Manichean struggle and the way to get progress is for the good side to win and impose their will. Mill sees through that and sees that, in fact, politics is a dialectical process. At any given time truth is partly on one side ...
When the fire in my belly returns: and the current black cloud clears for a sunnier outlook, I shall return. The old demons are a little harder to control of late. It isn't as if there isn't much to get fired up about, but for now the only constant is despair. The tinnitus gnaws away like a ravenous sanity eating worm. The depression locks you away and shuts everyone else out.
Sorry for the hiatus in the blog awards. On the plus side, I passed my belt grading for karate last night. On the minus side, Byron has suspected cancer. He is booked in to the vet on Thursday for (hopefully) removal and cure. But we don't know at this point what's going to be involved; the vet doesn't know until he's gone in and extracted bits for testing. I suspect we are looking at a minimum of £400. I haven't got £400. What I have got is lots of Collectable Stuff. So I'm going to make an offer here, oh ...
The new 20mph limits in parts of the City Centre is a welcome sign that the County Council are perhaps becoming more flexible in their previously rather rigid approach to speed limits. However they are still only willing to put in such limits where the speed of the traffic is already below that limit: basically where there is less need to do so. As a result Northfield Avenue remains off the list of possible reduced limits. This is despite the decision of the City and County's Joint Committee to look at possible options in February 2008. (Picture shows Andy on ...
Have a thought for the Audit Commission. This 'public spending watchdog' is not well understood. Its principal function is to be an auditor cum audit regulator. It is also tasked with producing national studies into good practice in local government (and to some extent the NHS). Its more famous, but essentially minor, inspection role – now anyway abolished – was bolted on recently by the dirigiste regime of Blair and Brown. Three issues now need urgently to be tackled. First: will communities really benefit from councils being able to appoint their own (private sector) auditors? The private sector already supplies ...
For the last four years, May 2006 - 2010, the East Dulwich councillors Richard Thomas, Jonathan Mitchell and myself have provided two face to face surgeries per month except August and xmas week. I remember my first surgery well. A dozen angry residents turned up with an awful lot of angst built up over some time. I was delighted to help them and being my first piece of juicy casework have a soft spot for the residents of Halliwell Court. However, during that period the numbers turning up to face to face surgeries have declined. Every year we've hand delivered ...
I am currently reading the third of the Alan Clark Diaries (Called The Last Diaries) and found an interesting entry early on. It is on p8 of the 2003 paperback edition. It is revealing of Alan Clark's attitudes. MoD, Thursday, 28 February [1991] There is now talk of a General Election in June. Just time to claim, massively, some allowances out of 91-92! [I have removed the rest of the entry, but it doesn't change the meaning.] I doubt anyone would be surprised by that! Clark's diaries are amazing reading and easily obtained second hand. Another interesting quote is in ...
I came back from my honeymoon to the usual mountain of mail. And like everyone else does, I immediately cast it all aside to reach the local free paper from a fortnight ago. I wasn't happy though, when I read the Prestwich Advertiser of 5th August. In it, a local Labour activist queried why I hadn't replied to a previous letter of his asking a simple question about how the Lib Dems had voted in Council this year. His original letter had hinted that there was a deal between the Lib Dems and Tories locally which could be seen when ...
Apologies for the lack of recent bloggings. I have been away, and have returned bronzed, rested, and married. All three of those things were planned. This wasn't a trip to Vegas gone drunkenly wrong. It was in fact a trip to Aldershot gone romantically right, followed by a honeymoon in the Isles of Scilly. The wedding was, for me at least, a marvellous day. I can't speak for my new wife, whose smiles surely masked the horror at having had to legally bind herself to me for life. But as far as I was concerned, it could scarcely have gone ...
Registrations are now open for ALDC's main campaigner training event of the year - KICKSTART - which takes place 26-28 November 2010. Kickstart is for teams of volunteer campaigners - not just for those of us with elections in 2011, but also great for people forward planning for 2012 and beyond. Every year we welcome teams and individuals from across the country who want to learn about how to win local elections. The event has a great track record of success with teams who attend showing a better than average performance in the subsequent May's elections. This year we're in ...
[IMG: Norwich Cathedral] In September, the Liberal Democrats in Exeter and Norwich are facing key elections that will be vital for the parties in both areas. The elections are as a result of the government's decision to cancel the proposal to turn both councils in to unitary authorities. Following this decision the High Court decided that all of the councillors whose terms of office had been extended now had to fight by-elections to regain their positions on the relevant councils. It has also led to the unusual situation in Norwich where all of the opposition leaders and four cabinet members ...
I'm in Sarajevo for four days training parties in campaigning. The idea of the training, which is funded by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, is to help build more robust parties which are cross community (ie not aligned with Serbs, Croats or Bosniaks). But the biggest problem so far has been deciding what time it is. Bosnia operates on Central European Time which is one hour ahead of the UK. In the old days you would simply put your watch an hour ahead when you landed or kept it on UK time but remembered that it was an hour behind ...
The recent announcement that former minister and Labour MP, Alan Milburn, will be examining issues of social mobility on behalf of the Coalition Government have drawn some scathing comments from John Prescott and others accusing him of "collaborating" as if he was somehow engaging in an act of treachery. Yet not so many months ago Brown's Labour Government had appointed Lib Dems, Shirley Williams and Matthew Taylor (amongst others) as advisors on various issues. So why has it different now. Well of course the easy, perhaps cheap shot, is that Labour are now in opposition but I think it is ...
A letter arrives from the Welsh Government seeking my views on an important document. They tell me that the Government has 'developed a single comprehensive list of all nationally defined consultees in the planning application process in Wales.' A draft list has been prepared and they want our views. The document can be found here. So, in plain English the Government are consulting on who to consult. I am glad that is clear.
St Albans City and District Council's Cabinet has reaffirmed its decision to proceed with the existing plans for the re-development of the Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre. At a meeting on 10 August 2010, it confirmed its approval of the facility mix for the scheme which will provide a total of 647m² of water space and an overall capacity for 223 swimmers. This means a 30.5% increase in water space and a 35% increase on the current capacity for 165 swimmers. The proposed swimming pool provision is made up of: · 25m x 17m eight lane main pool (425m²) with a ...
The motion on the Press Complaints Commission which has been selected for debate at the Liberal Democrat conference is concerning. It contains a number of inaccuracies and appears to be based on several false premises. It is especially disappointing because the philosophy behind the PCC and its independent self-regulation of the newspaper and magazine industry is entirely in tune with the Liberal tradition. The PCC exists to protect freedom of expression, while upholding standards by ruling on strict criteria of inaccuracy, intrusion, harassment (and so on), and by establishing case law and the acceptable boundaries of practice. It provides a ...
After taking informal soundings, the county council is now going to consult formally on the two options - one a crossing by Church Crescent and the other a crossing further down near the entrance to Victoria Playing Fields. Informal consultations show that the Church Crescent appears to be favoured, but there is some strong supprot for the alternative site as well.
Autumn Federal Conference 2010 takes place in Liverpool, Saturday 18 - Wednesday 22 September 2010. If you're not registered already and would like to go you can register here. There are some great ALDC and local government fringe events planned - put them in your diary! ALDC Annual General Meeting and Campaigner Awards 2011 Saturday 18 September, 8.00pm, Liverpool Hilton Grace Suite 1, Drinks Members are invited to the Annual General Meeting of the Association which is followed by the presentation of the 2011 Campaigner Awards by Party President Baroness Ros Scott. ALDC Members Reception in partnership with the Co-operative ...
If the government has its way, on 5 May 2011 there will be a referendum on bringing in the alternative vote (AV) system for electing MPs. With the campaign not far off, and the opinion polls suggesting that there's everything to play for, it's time to start thinking more carefully about what arguments, stories and frames will work - and which ones will not. Both sides will surely look to Australia, which uses AV to elect the House of Representatives and the equivalents house in every state except Tasmania, to back up their cases. We should expect to hear plenty ...
The 9/11 attacks were coined an "attack on our freedoms" both in the USA and in other parts of the West (like here). This seemed like reasonable rhetoric, at least until the US government came up with the Patriot Act and a variety of plans to drop a load of bombs on people in the Middle East. The latest sadly ironic post-9/11 assault on freedom involves the reactionary opposition to some community centre in New York which will apparently include a mosque. This has widely been reported as a plan to "build a mosque on ground zero", yet as this ...
Acocks Green now has its own page (and in my list of useful links to the left) on the Birmingham Mail website. This is part of a big effort by the Mail to create community pages for all parts of Birmingham. Its good to see that while some communities are merged with their neighbours (for example Hall Green and Billesley) Acocks Green merits its own page - a good reflection of the vibrancy of the local community. The site has a good mixture of local information, links to local websites and blogs. It has listings of jobs in Birmingham ...
It is laudable that Tony Blair has decided to donate money from this memoirs to Armed Forces charities. It is an interesting gesture from somebody who didn't take the time to visit the wounded whilst in office and who is still declaring that invading Iraq was the right thing to do. Of course, it was the service men and women, plus the residents of Iraq who paid the price of this decision. A war waged on a paper thin premise about weapons which the evidence suggest nobody serious believed existed. We have several important duties towards out armed forces, including ...
The argument goes that the Labour Party believes in a big state as this would help government perform its basic functions better. While the Conservative Party believes we should have a smaller state as this would increase economic efficiency and would therefore be better for long term economic performance. A government may have any size ...
Lynne Featherstone has announced that the Lib Dem policy to ban wheel clamping and towing away of vehicles on private property is to become law. The measure will bring England and Wales in line with Scotland. As Lynne writes on her blog There cannot be an MP in the land who has not had constituents come to them who have been clamped 'unfairly'. The complaints that have come in to the Home Office are tales of exorbitant fees, abusive behaviour, signage being invisible and so on. In a recent adjournment debate I recall that examples were given of a disabled ...
When the expenses scandal broke I'm sure at the back of a few politicains minds they were thinking that one day they may have to answer to someone a little bit more Important than the Telegraph. Well that time has come for six politicians. What I felt was interesting (but not surprising) at the time of the expenses scandal was how relatively clean the Liberal Democrats were in relation to the other two parties. While you had Labour politicians flipping houses to personally gain tens of thousands of pounds and Conservative politicians paying for tennis court heating, duck houses and ...
The BBC are reporting that Lynne Featherstone, as the Equalities and Criminal Information Minister, is to bring forward a bill to ban the clamping or removal of vehicles parked on private land. It is "committed to ending the menace of rogue private sector wheel-clampers once and for all" she says. In the main I completely agree with the sentiment where it is unclear that you are on on 'private land', for example where there are no gates to pass through from the public highway. But where I live this will cause serious problems, so I have just written to Lynne ...
In a moment of madness I decided to fill in one of those lists that people send to you to create a bucket list. But its a bucket list with a difference. The idea is that you mark the things ... Continue reading →
Tonight Spurs will make their Champions League debut, against Young Boys of Bern in Switzerland. Not much is know about their opponents, and after an impressive start to the domestic league season against Manchester City, Spurs will start the game as favourites. However, they must avoid complacency and the feeling that they simply need to turn up to win. Harry Redknapp has said this week that it wouldn't be a disaster for Tottenham not to qualify for the group stage. VN normally wouldn't dare argue with Lord Redknapp of the Lane, but on this occasion he is wrong. Having got ...
The Liberal Democrats are setting up a policy working group looking at information technology and in particular its implication for intellectual property. There will be consultation sessions at the party's conferences this autumn and in spring 2011, followed then by a policy paper to be debated at the autumn 2011 conference. Here's the consultation paper that has just been published ready for the first of those consultation sessions: Information Technology and Intellectual Property Consultation Paper
After something like 20 years of campaigning by people like Esther Ranzten, over two previous Westminster administrations, cowboy clampers are to be put out of business. Lynne Featherstone , the Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Home Officer Minister, has moved to implement the commitment in the coalition's programme for partnership government, that:"We will tackle rogue private sector wheel clampers."
Both Conservative and Liberal Democrats made plenty of justified political hay out of helicopter problems faced by our armed forces back under the Labour government. Now it looks as if both parties will be having to perform a sensitive political change of gear as the Ministry of Defence turns to making helicopter cuts. Apart from the need to save money, there are good substantive policy reasons for this change. One is that the previous shortages have been tackled. As Paul Waugh recounts it, When a newly-elected Prime Minister Cameron held his first meeting with defence chiefs in Number 10, he ...
Avenue Road: given that there will have to be the loss of some places to provide visibility improvements, the county council is talking to the district council about losing some of the yellow lines further away from town which seem to be performing no useful function.
Art from the New World There is still time to catch the 'Art from the New World' exhibition at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery as it runs till Sunday 22th August. There are 49 pieces in the exhibition ranging from sculpture, painting, photography and print by the best of the contemporary American art scene. The show is curated by Corey Helford Gallery, LA and the most of the works have been made for the show. The artists themselves are often self-taught and their work builds on the pop art movement from the end of the last century, appealing to the ...
Attempts by the Welsh Health Minister to acquire powers over the licensing of alcohol have been swiftly rebuffed by Welsh Office Minister. Edwina Hart was planning to ask for the powers to be handed to the Assembly Government even though it was not mentioned in the Welsh Government's legislative programme for the year ahead. If the bid had been successful then Wales could have gone it alone on contentious social issues such as alcohol pricing and licensing hours. But Wales Office Minister David Jones has intervened to rule out such a transfer of powers: He said: "The [Westminster] coalition Government's ...
I am slightly irked to read that Iain Duncan Smith is apparently urging cabinet colleagues to "drop pledges to protect various universal benefits for pensioners and parents." This country has failed the elderly for many many years as it is ... Continue reading →
Latest of the Big Finish Companion Chronicles, bringing back Wendy Padbury as Zoë, in a tale of investigation of curious biological experimentation with the significantly named Achromatics at the Whitaker Institute, close to Zoë's own time and space. I found myself wondering where this was going in the first half, but it picked up after the interval, basically as a narrative of Zoë remembering a past adventure out loud to a very interested listener (Ali, played by Emily Pithon). There is one really good idea here, which is the literary play on words linking the monsters and the title of ...
Now that Lord Pearson of Rannoch has stepped down as leader of UKIP after less than a year in the post it seems appropriate to review their leadership election rule. Here are the new rules to ensure that someone who is in Lord Pearson's words "not much good at party politics" fills the post again. A returning officer shall be appointed.A deputy returning office shall be appointed.The returning officer shall withdraw to the corner of the room where he/ shall have his back to the leadership candidatesThe returning officer shall press play on the music device that is located in ...
The Welsh Assembly is in a unique situation. Each of the four parties represented there are in government at some level. Whilst the Liberal Democrats have entered government in Westminster for the first time, Labour and Plaid Cymru are in their final year of coalition government in Cardiff Bay. This has made for interesting Plenary sessions with both the Welsh governing parties intent on blaming the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives for long-standing problems, whilst we are intent on continuing our scrutiny of their record. The Coalition Agreement contained three specific provisions relating to Wales. One of these concerned the ...
When Big Brother first hit our screens courtesy of Dutch TV company Endemol in 2001, the nation was fascinated by a programme that had been branded as a social experiment in observing how strangers would react to living in such ... Continue reading →
Still here folks, after being somewhat under the weather over the weekend; it's just that when there's no news, there's not a lot of point filling up column inches or whatever the equivalent is in pixels with pontification and whataboutery, and besides if you need any worthwhile political content Septicisle, Andrew Hickey, and amazingly, given his predilection for Marx and brutalism, Owen Hatherley have all articulated the way I feel about life in the ConDemNation right now. Adding anything further would be superfluous. That said, as anyone who's been online for seventeen years ought to know, the Internet is for ...
With Lord Pearson stepping down as Leader of the UK Independence Party (Ukip) it seems appropriate to link (as I'm sure many others have) to that interview by Jon Sopel from the 2010 General Election. I would have blogged this at the time, if I'd had the time, but it is one of my highlights ...
[IMG: UKIP party logo] Image via WikipediaLord Pearson has decided to stand down as UKIP leader. In a rare move for a politician he admitted his inadequacies, saying that he isn't "much good at party politics". He says that UKIP "deserved a better politician...to lead it". UKIP undoubtedly consider their general election campaign to be a disappointment, as they failed to muscle into the mainstream. It is hard to see who could become the next leader of the party, as none of the member have a particularly strong media profile. Inevitably people are looking at former leader Nigel Farage, who ...
Do you remember the Liberal Democrat Conference in 1994 when LDYS submitted a motion suggesting the decriminalisation of Cannabis? This is why we jokingly sing at the Glee Club (for the uninitiated a last-night-of-conference singalong) about the leadership "getting all hot at the thought of pot available sweetie counters". In those days there were very few people calling for any drug to be decriminalised to help tackle addiction and they were pretty much all hippy liberal types. These days, there is increasing concern that prohibition just isn't working. Today a senior doctor, in fact, one of the most prominent in ...
As you may have noticed if you read my Parish Notice at the weekend I'll so be heading over the water to Northern Ireland. Some of you have been concerned about what that means to the blogging. What? You think I won't have stuff to blog about just because I am over the Irish Sea. Don't Panic! The blogging will carry on. Heck I've even been welcomed by the Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland prior to my arrival on the strength of my blogging. No pressure at all then when the local party chair says: "Stephen is a well-known LibDem ...
This morning's Western Mail reports that the Welsh health service expects to lose more than £20m next year because of the Government's increase in VAT. However, I have difficulty believing the accuracy of the Welsh Government's figure in the light of the answer they gave to Kirsty Williams back in January 2009. At that time she asked the Finance Minister how much money the Welsh Assembly Government will save as a result of the then 2.5% cut in VAT. The answer was that the Welsh Government estimates that it will save £1.4m in the current financial year, and about £4.5m ...
When the dulcet tones of the BBC's Shipping Forecast turn to the weather in German Bight, two thoughts often flit through my mind - both related to the history of Heligoland, an island (or strictly speaking, an inhabited island and a small uninhabited neighbour) that previously gave its name to that shipping forecast area until a name change in 1956. The first thought is a reminder of how unbalanced the information provided online can be. Google "Heligoland" and you will usually find results dominated by music (Heligoland was an album title for Massive Attack) and military history (Heligoland was the ...
Just because we're in coalition it doesn't mean we can't have a bit of a laugh at the Tories expense! Enjoy this post from Lib Dem Voice with some of the many spoofs of Tory conference over the years.
One you may have missed from November 7th 2007 Original title: Charles must join our front bench team Having a bit of time on my hands as I passed the Houses of Parliament yesterday, I nipped into the public gallery of the Commons for a while. I thought I would get to see some dry old chip from the Labour or Tory benches harping on about the Queen's Speech. Indeed, as I mounted the stairs to the gallery, the annunicator showed the speaker as someone I would have to scratch my head to remember. Fate smiled on me though. As ...
It's a bit dreich and dismal this morning, and it's the last day of the school holidays and our Summer of Fun must come to an end. However, I do take a wee bit of comfort in the research from Sweden that dark chocolate, eaten in, to be honest, fairly miniscule quantities, can help prevent heart failure in older women. As ever, there's a dietitian on hand to tell you that no, you can't have your sweet treats and should look for the same chemicals in nice vegetables instead, just for the sake of balanced reporting. I know I have ...
From BBC Health: Decriminalising drug use could drastically reduce crime and improve health, the outgoing president of the Royal College of Physicians has said. Sir Ian Gilmore said the laws on misuse of drugs should be reviewed and that their supply should be regulated. He had formed his view after seeing the problems caused by dirty needles and contaminated drugs, the BBC's health correspondent Adam Brimelow said.
[IMG: The Times front page. Photo credit: Graffiti Land on Flickr] A useful set of statistics about how the pay wall around The Times and The Sunday Times is working out has been pulled together by one of my research whiz colleagues at work, Katrine Birk. Although the published data from News International has been fairly limited so far, there is data that can be extracted from internet usage and how it has changed. Looking through this data, Katrine has unearthed this interesting point about the pay wall's impact on the demographics of the website's readership: Interestingly, a more detailed ...
In standard news format it is reported that former chancellor Alistair Darling will say.... "By failing to talk openly about the deficit, and our tough plans to halve it within four years, we vacated the crucial space to make the case for the positive role government can play. "You will only convince people you've got the answers if they believe you know what the question is in the first place. You can't have political credibility without economic credibility." Now all we need is someone from Labour to tell us where their cuts would have fallen. H/T and full story over ...
Retracing my steps by several days, here is Bridgnorth Castle. What little of it remains has been at this crazy angle ever since the Civil War. The green cupola belongs to Thomas Telford's church St Mary Magdalene.
Regular readers will remember I raised the problem of underage drinking at Smannell Road open space and the resultant nuisance to local residents and litter it caused. See the previous items at I am pleased to report the police have been dealing with this and as a result have served a closure notice on Tesco Stores Limited in relation to the Tesco Express at Compton Square. This is because the shop has failed two under age alcohol test purchasing operations within the last three months. The police have the power, and have decided, that the shop will not ...
The Prime Minister has taken his family to Cornwall and officials have been told only to bother him on the most pressing issues, leaving Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for the daily business of government for two weeks - the first time a Liberal has run the country since David Lloyd George in 1922.
A very significant development, IMHO. Nick says that the Trident replacement could make welfare cuts harder to justify. Way to go, Cleggster! Spending "huge, huge" sums to replace the Trident nuclear weapon will make it harder for ministers to justify cuts in spending in areas like welfare, Nick Clegg has said. The Deputy Prime Minister also suggested that the money for the nuclear weapon would be better spent elsewhere and said the final decisions on a replacement have not yet been taken. Mr Clegg entered the heated Government debate over Trident on his first day as the face of the ...
Two activities for the late summer organised by Bury's ranger service: Summer strollers are invited to join Bury's rangers on a guided walk of the local countryside. The 4.5-mile circular walk is over moderate terrain and takes place on Tuesday August 24. Starting from Burrs Country Park, walkers will pass through Chesham Woods Local Nature Reserve and pass Clarence Lido before returning to Burrs. There will be an opportunity to find out more about the varied work of the ranger service. Walkers should meet at the chimney, in the main car park at Burrs Country Park, at 10.30am. No booking ...
In the week that Nick Clegg takes charge of the country, the following quote from former Liberal MP John Pardoe seems especially apt: "Without political power Liberal principles and policies will forever remain in the wings... [but] we must never clutch the cloak of establishment too close around us or warm ourselves too well in ...
The World Bank is to lend [not donate you notice] $900m to Pakistan to relieve the distress of maybe 20million people. About one sixth of the bonus pot being dished out by Goldman Sachs to relieve the distress of a few thousand employees. You've just got to be impressed!!!! No wonder the rest of the world hates the Anglo American power block.
The BBC has the story about Lord Pearson standing down as UKIP's leader following his less than successful general election performance (with that TV interview): In his resignation statement, Lord Pearson said he was "not much good" at party politics and UKIP "deserved a better politician... to lead it". The outgoing leader had a difficult general election campaign, telling one interviewer he could not remember his own manifesto in detail. An interim leader will be chosen at UKIP's annual conference next month. I must admit I'm a little impressed with his departure – it's a rare person who admits they ...
At 35:30 here you can see last night's Newsnight discussion between Simon Hughes and John Prescott. It is hysterically amusing and worth a view. Prescott is in classic angry tribal mode, while Simon Hughes good-humouredly gives him as good as he gets. Well done Simon! Thanks to @thespiderplant for alerting me to this via copious tweets.
On The Widow's World, Andrew Brown has an excellent post based on some good-natured and well-informed banter he exchanged with a couple of SNP-ers.
I know graphology is not well-regarded in some quarters. But, for what it's worth, I once heard a speech from a "top graphologist" who had analysed Tony Blair's handwriting. He offered a thesis of Blair's actions on Iraq which is at least logical and plausible. He said that Blair always did most things because he wanted to be loved. That's all. He decided to send our troops into Iraq with the over-riding thought that he would be hailed as a hero for this far-sighted action (in his view). Blair was then totally dumb-founded that everyone hated him for invading Iraq ...
Angus* MacQueen's excellent Channel 4 series "Our Drugs War" concluded last night. The last episode was the most interesting, which demonstrated how the illegal drug trade has created government corruption in Afghanistan on an unimaginable scale. However I'd like to return to a statistic from the first episode, which is that a paltry 1% of heroin is successfully seized by UK authorities. The UN estimate that to have a significant impact on the drug trade this needs to be raised to at least 60%. Lets combine this with the current annual £1.5 billion budget the UK government spends on drug ...
Tue 17th
06:50
UKIP in turmoil as leader Lord Pearson of Rannoch stands down less than a year into the job
UKIP leader Lord Pearson of Rannoch is to stand down after less than a year in the position. Lord Pearson had a very difficult general election campaign, telling one interviewer he could not remember his own manifesto in detail, BBC political correspondent Ross Hawkins reports. Now Lord Pearson has concluded he neither enjoys, nor has an aptitude for, conducting party politics, the BBC correspondent adds. An interim leader will be chosen at UKIP's annual conference next month. Lord Pearson, who defected to UKIP from the Conservatives in 2007, will remain in place as party leader until the conference in September. ...
i) births and deaths 17th August 1990: death in a shooting accident of Graham Williams, producer of the 15th to 17th seasons of Doctor Who (the fourth to sixth Fourth Doctor seasons, from Horror of Fang Rock to Shada); also co-author of The Invasion of Time and City of Death, and author of the unbroadcast story The Nightmare Fair which brought back the Celestial Toymaker (and was released in audio format by Big Finish last year). ii) broadcast anniversary 17th August 1968: broadcast of episode 2 of The Dominators. The Doctor and Jamie are examined by the Dominators; Zoe goes ...
Andy Burnham MP is plodding along in the Labour leadership race but not really attracting the media attention of the brothers grim. Here is one way to do, get in a photo with the message "end the NHS". In fact Andy Burnham was standing in front of a van with the message "defend our NHS", another reason why someone should always check the photos first......
Wheel clamping on private land (and towing away) is to be banned by the coalition government. We had a commitment to tackle rogue wheel clampers in the coalition agreement – and now we are able to take this forward. It falls in my portfolio at the Home Office. Immobilisation has always had a track record of grief and misery. There cannot be an MP in the land who has not had constituents come to them who have been clamped 'unfairly'. The complaints that have come in to the Home Office are tales of exorbitant fees, abusive behaviour, signage being invisible ...
Canada, through its tar sands industry, is engaged in a callous, venal and mercenary rape of the environment on an almost unimaginable scale. An area the size of England will be denuded of boreal forest in order to extract the dirtiest oil on the planet. Tar-sands oil has three times the emissions of conventional oil because of the energy used in extracting and processing it. In the process air and water are poisoned with disastrous consequences for the local population. The industry is the reason that Canada cannot meet its emission reduction commitments. Defence of the industry has turned Canada ...
It looks like we are going to see an end to mixed sex wards and many of you will be thinking about time too. What does this mean? Well the sight of someone of the opposite gender may be possible at the moment and this must be a bad thing. It may be a cause for the most evil of heterosexual thoughts to pass through our minds and occasionally result in evil actions that make headlines in the tabloid press. When I first encountered same sex toilets in Europe I was surprised and a little shocked. it didn't take too ...
