Q: What is the difference between a joist and a girder? A: Joyce wrote Ulysses and Goethe wrote Faust. Joyce would probably have appreciated this apocryphal exchange between an Irish arts student and the manager of the building site where he was applying for a job. Not that there's a lot of laughs in Dubliners; it's an unsentimental, realistic, very recognisable set of sketches of life a hundred years ago in the capital city, which itself is a character lurking in the backgroound of the stories. It's noticeable how many of the characters are mildly dissolute young men, though Joyce ...
what do I say in a political blog about today, spent looking at where I have come from ? Perhaps just that I have come from families that have worked hard with good values. I only hope that generations to come will find something good to think of my endeavours, and as I look back over time it will be most interesting to see how decisions made now by the coalition government will affect the...
I read with alarm in the Telegraph that the Royal Air Force Display Team – The Red Arrows were not guaranteed funding as part of the defence review. To lose them would be an absolute disaster. They are a symbol ... Continue reading →
A couple of weeks ago I upgraded my iPhone 3GS from OS 3.something to the shiny new iOS 4. There are two significant changes as far as I'm concerned from the 3.x series, and two minor changes that are worth mentioning, plus a bunch of stupid irrelevant crap like being able to have background images (in fact I think you have to have a background image now). I wouldn't have bothered upgrading, except that an app that I use quite a lot required a newer version of the OS.First the minor changes. Their mail client can now talk to my ...
This is my weekly blog of the top 5 people who caught my eye on the Twitterverse this week. 1. @GetLabourOut's Comprehensive Labour Bookshop never ceases to amaze me 2. @StealthMunchkin published probably the best blog post about what Labour ... Continue reading →
Yesterday, I mentioned that the West End Local Community Planning Partnership meeting was taking place last night. It was a very productive meeting, and in addition to an interesting presentation on Dundee Waterfront, there was agreement on a joint initiative between Tayside Police, Tayside Fire and Rescue and the City Council's Housing Department to promote grant aid to encourage controlled entry for flatted properties in the West End. Additionally, there was an update on progress about road safety in Pentland, following the site visit I participated in back in June - improvements in Pentland Crescent look possible, subject to funding ...
I have lots of sympathy for all the A level students currently looking for university places. I remember all too well when I got my results. I was nowhere near where I needed to be, and spent a long time looking at other options, including some crazy things I would never have enjoyed. I was one of the fortunate ones, and eventually got onto the course I wanted to do- I realise how lucky I was as I definitely wouldn't have managed it this year. Some comments I've heard this year seem rather insensitive. The Guardian is reporting David Willetts ...
Since the spurt of blogging on Tuesday, I have been so busy that I've not been able to repeat it. It turns out that the aftermath of a wedding (thank you card writing, photograph analysis, present unwrapping, apologising to the female guests I drunkenly came on to etc etc) takes up more time than the wedding itself. For the oversight, I apologise. That's not to say that I have been idle. Aside from a return to work today (to 283 emails) there has been casework. This week I have had a housing issue to deal with, after some troublesome council ...
Following a long campaign against rogue car clampers led in Birmingham by Lib Dem Cllr Neil Eustace (Stechford & Yardley North) in his role as the Chairman of the Public Protection committee, action has been announced by Lib Dem Ministers in the Coalition Government. Earlier this week Liberal Democrat ministers Lynne Featherstone and Norman Baker announced that car clamping on private land is to be banned as part of the Freedom Bill this Autumn. This delivers on another Lib Dem manifesto promise and stands in stark contrast to Labour's failure to act on the problem, which saw motorists stung for ...
In response to general and some planning application enquiries we receive, Council Connect and Planning Information Officers will assist in the first instance by responding to queries and providing information. This should allow Planning Officers to concentrate on core technical activities such as dealing with applications and pre application submissions. If a query is complex, customers will be
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. Opinion: why we should wish Labour well (99) by George Kendall 2. Tory MP in Commons sex party "scandal" (14) by The Voice 3. The Miliband campaigning house parties (5) by Mark Pack 4. Opinion: unnatural constituency boundaries - the hidden menace (48) by David Allen 5. LibLink: Nick Clegg - My vision for a new political map and voting system (33) by NewsHound 5 active LDV Members' Forum threads 1. Tories attack the ...
Recently there has been claims of cuts to pensions, child benefit or winter fuel allowance and other so called middle class benefits (really universal benefits). I would just like to remind the frenzied media that this is all speculation. Yes these benefits are part of the discussions but you don't know what the conclusion are and nor will we for months. Perhaps some of these benefits will be means tested or perhaps those cuts won't happen. Who knows I don't and nor do you (the media). I agreed with Iain Dale (see Middle Class Benefits: Luxuries We Cannot Afford) in ...
Well Mícheál Carchrie Campbell (Northern Ireland Lib Dem Chair) and I are currently having a race to see who can blog the early episodes of Operation Evacuate*, over the table from each other as Bangor comes into view on the starboard side. Hiccup One shortly after the X300 deposited me in Belfast City Centre I had a phone call from Enterprise (hire company number two) of Operation Evacuate's chequered history in getting the key incredient (ie the van) sorted. The person on the other end of the line said, "We are sorry but the van you have booked will not ...
I don't follow sport just to look at sportsmen (as some people have been known to suggest) and as a general rule I don't find them attractive - although this important linguistic story on Stephen's blog about the Spanish inability to pronounce "ps" does feature a very nice Fernando Torres. I also don't tend to use this blog to publish pictures of fit young men -there are plenty of other places on the internet for that sort of thing! But... I've featured Andy Murray in previous posts and much as I admire him, I've never really found him that attractive. ...
[IMG: Whell calmping to be controlled] The Lib Dems will be delivering on another manifesto commitment when car clamping on private land is banned. Liberal Democrat ministers Lynne Featherstone and Norman Baker have announced that car clamping on private land is to be banned as part of the Freedom Bill this autumn. Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone MP when making the announcement said "The Government is committed to ending the menace of rogue private sector wheel clampers once and for all." "For too long motorists have fallen victim to unscrupulous tactics by many clamping firms. Reports of motorists being marched ...
[IMG: http://www.wikio.co.uk] The Labour party are THE progressive party! HA! [IMG: Labourfail] Yes, the party that brought us several wars (one of which was illegal and another was a bit dubious) despite the majority of citizens being against them, expensive National ID cards tied to an unsecured database, removed the 10p tax rate at the expense of those on low incomes, did precious little to reduce child poverty, acted as poor losers after the last general election and brought us closer to a police state than at any other time in our history... amongst other things... Yes, they clearly are ...
Yes I know it is 2010, however in 1882 on this very day Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky unveiled his new composition Торжественная увертюра «1812 год» at the Church of Christ the Saviour in Moscow. You know him better as Peter and the piece as the 1812 Overture. Part 1 Part 2 But hang on say my loyal readers. That's too straight laced for a Friday post at 5pm. Of course it was used in V for Vendetta as the Palace of Wesminster gets destroyed (but I can't embed). So instead of the field guns how about some Muppet explosions. Or Yosemite ...
In its first 100 days in office, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government has launched a raft of substantial new policy initiatives, from NHS reform and academies to reorganising the police. The "Big Society" has emerged as a major theme, alongside a drastic programme or decentralising political power. Nick Clegg has big plans for political reform. The speed with which the government is moving and the radicalism of its programme are both big themes of the media narrative about the coalition. The government has produced a lot of lists of speeches, policies and bills. But so far they have told only ...
From Stockport Council: Stockport Council and The Friends of Abney Hall have secured a £10,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund 'Awards for All', to enhance Abney Hall Park. Some of the exciting improvements to be made over the next year will include new picnic benches, a board walk, interpretation board, new educational material, new ponds and a 'dipping platform'. Floating islands will be added to the park's larger pond to improve vegetation and provide a safe habitat for birds, amphibians and other pond life. Accessibility will also be improved, with some of the park's paths being resurfaced. The park's ...
Officialdom seems to have opened a new front in its battle against those who commit the terrible sin of studying while black. One of my students has been sent a summons to appear in court for not paying full Council Tax. The problem arises because non-EU students come in on a visa that specifies they must be recorded as being actively taught in college for at least 15 hours per week in college premises. However, to be exempt from Council Tax a "full-time" student must study for 21 hours per week. Hands up anyone who got a degree at university ...
Upon taking over the lead of Southwark Council Labour decided to set up a democracy commission. They feel council assembly is rather dull. I tend t agree with them on that. The majority of the decision making powers is with what was called the Excecutive and now Cabinet of 10 councillors. Saying council assembly is dull is a pretty natural conclusion of power not reciding with council assembly. Saying that a few ideas that the Lib Dems have proposed to increase interest: · Lobby government about the Localism Bill which plans to free up local authorities from centrally controlled rules. ...
This piece in the Indy about Timothy Winter, aka Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Murad, named as Britain's most influential Muslim, is fascinating and struck me today. His reflective approach to his faith and life in the UK are set out including the moment in his life when he converted: (A peach eaten by a young Jewish girl!) This is his take on radicalisation of young Muslims: "The principle reason, which Whitehall cannot admit, is that people are incensed by foreign policy. Iraq is a smoking ruin in the Iranian orbit. Those who are from a Muslim background are disgusted by the hypocrisy. ...
We are delighted to have got this motion onto the agenda of this autumn's Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool. It will be debated during the morning session on Tuesday 21 September. F34 Ensuring Fairness in a Time of Austerity 34 conference representatives Mover: James Graham Summation: David Hall-Matthews Conference notes: i) The fragile state of the global economy. ii) That the poor, the young and the vulnerable have historically suffered during periods of austerity. iii) The crucial role the Liberal Democrats must play in government to ensure that during this downturn, those with the broadest shoulders carry the greatest burden, ...
Fri 20th
15:21
"The Liberal Democrats aren't a sort of glorified form of the Electoral Reform Society"
So says Nick Clegg in an interview for Radio 4′s Westminster Hour. His underlying point is a good one – the coalition isn't a single-issue coalition which is about AV and nothing else. And, as James Graham points out, the Electoral Reform Society isn't a sort of glorified from of the Liberal Democrats either. However, Nick Clegg does make the point at some length in the interview – "The Liberal Democrats aren't a sort of glorified form of the Electoral Reform Society", "I wouldn't have stood for the leadership of the Lib Dems if I thought the only sole purpose ...
IT has been a very varied couple of days or so ranging from holding my surgery in a new venue, attending Corstorphine Community Council, a reception with King Abdulla of Jordan, attendance at the Tattoo, the Council meeting, and this morning I helped raise the newly acquired Green Flag on Corstorphine Hill. This last item is a source of immense satisfaction as this year Edinburgh managed to secure a whopping 13 green flags - half of the Scottish total! Corstorphine Hill is a real gem and the work of the Friends of Corstorphine Hill has again been rewarded with a ...
Sir Menzies Campbell MP has repeated his call for Trident to be included in the Strategic Defence Review in a letter to Defence Secretary Liam Fox. Following the announcement by the Chancellor that the Ministry of Defence will be responsible for paying the cost of a Trident replacement, Sir Menzies has said that it must now be "de facto" under consideration. Sir Menzies also raised questions about the need for continuous "at sea deterrence" as there "is no immediate nuclear threat to the United Kingdom" and if scaled back the life of Trident could be extended by several years. In ...
The latest edition of Total Politics magazine includes an interview with journalist and former Conservative MP Matthew Parris, which is quite apt as I've just finished reading Matthew Parris' autobiography which I was already planning to blog about. I've always had a soft spot for Matthew Parris. It's not just because I enjoy his sketch ...
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. Gordon Brown's foray during his premiership into YouTube in order to promote his plans for reforming MPs' expenses was widely panned. So what lessons should be drawn by anyone thinking of using YouTube to strengthen ...
North East Fife MP Sir Menzies Campbell and MSP Iain Smith have welcomed the introduction of a Code of Practice for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) which should bring to an end the misleading claims of broadband speed by some companies in their adverts so customers "get what they see on the tin". Following their constituency wide survey last year which concluded that the speed and quality of the broadband in North east Fife was not at the levels advertised by ISPs, Sir Menzies and Mr Smith have been making numerous representations to Ofcom and BT for an end to misleading ...
11.30 am Economic Development Advisory Group The first item for discussion was a review of the work and achievements of the Economic Recovery Working Group, set up to implement practical action to help businesses and residents through the economic recession. The individual actions had been well received by those affected and could be seen to ...
Iain Duncan Smith is a right-winger. He was one of the first politicians to call for an invasion of Iraq, he is a eurosceptic. So, obviously, anything he's proposing on welfare reform will be anathema to left-wingers. Right? Well, maybe not. Under the current welfare system, many claimants aren't interested in low paid work because they believe they'll be worse off. This isn't a guess, I've heard it with my own ears. This is outrageous. In the eighties, I was incensed when the Conservatives used to bang on about using tax cuts to improve incentives to the rich, but left ...
We had an unusual request to Cheadle Area Committee on Tuesday. The owners of 10 Priest Avenue, Gatley have asked to lease a pond on the edge of Scholes Park from the Council. They had previously fenced the pond (which is a small pond within a copse on the edge of the field - see map below) without permission and are seeking to make the arrangement formal. Some local residents are concerned about this. The Council officers have produced a report going through the details and recommending that an annual tenancy be granted. Rather than make the decision on the ...
Looking at the newly published Lib Dem Conference Fringe Directory, I see a lot of fringe meetings about Israel/Palestine. And, since I'm involved in organising one of those meetings, I can hardly complain about that. So, yes, clearly, there's lots to say about that aspect of the Middle East, so on we go. But when you search the directory for "Iran", not a single reference comes up. Lots of meetings about Israel, not one about Iran. Now, I know that the Coalition Government, including the Lib Dem Ministers, absolutely gets the importance of Iran as an issue and I applaud ...
After sniffing around Gordon Browns rebellious nature earlier I thought I'd spend a small part of my lunch looking for serious dissenters on the public whip. Imagine my surprise when I found out they actually have a rebellion league table so here comes more statistical trivia for you all. The political make up of the top ten rebels* of this Parliament breaks down as 6 Tory, 3 Lib Dem and 1 Labour. According to the public whip the Lib Dem MP for Portsmouth South Mike Hancock seems to have established himself as the king of the rebels by rebelling 48.4% ...
Several changes have been announced to bus services between Yate and Bristol, via Iron Acton and Winterbourne: Service X27 - Wessex Connect is taking over the route - details on the South Glos Council X27 bus timetable Service 327/329 - Timetable changes, one late-night journey extended - details on the South Glos Council 327/329 bus timetable. Sunday services will be run by Wessex Connect.Timetables for all other services are available from the main South Glos Council bus timetable page.
Lewisham Council have published a consultation document for a proposed 20mph zone in the area around Thorpewood Avenue, SE23. Until it's up on the council's website at you can see it at Please respond to the consultation with your views and let us know your thoughts.
For the Conservatives it's the quitting of their next treasurer, David Rowland, whilst for Labour it's John Prescott warning of the Labour facing bankrupcy (the context for which you can see in these graphs).
Nick Clegg has recorded an interview for the BBC's Westminster Hour on Sunday about the challenges facing the Lib Dems. According to the BBC story, Clegg reaffirmed the blindingly obvious – that the Lib Dems are, and will remain, an independent party fighting elections against the Conservatives. On poll ratings, Clegg says "I think it is one of the oldest rules in politics that parties in government... tend to get a dip in their popularity." "Do I think we are going to be able to defy those rules of gravity at a time we are taking very difficult decisions on ...
Congratulations to everyone who got the A Level results they wanted. At this time of year there's always negative press comment saying "It was harder in our day". Ignore it! It's not easier now, it's just different - and often taught better too. Enjoy your success, it's well deserved. And if you didn't get quite what you wanted, keep an open mind - this year there are fewer universities and colleges with places still available, but maybe you could consider other opportunities such as apprenticeships. There's an interesting article about the A Level results on the website of Stephen Williams, ...
I understand Transport for London is looking for four more areas in London to trial 20mph average speed cameras. Initial trials have been very successful in having collisions and injuries that involved illegal speeding. In Southwark the only trial we've been involved with is on Salter Road. Very successful it feels to. I've yet to see a definitive report on it. Ideally Walworth road, which is meant to be 20mph, would have average speed cameras. We'd then see a further step decrease of injuries and collisions and crashes after its complete rebuild and redesign. It would complete the Walworth road ...
Time's ticking till close of nominations for the Lib Dem Blog of the Year Awards, so here's a reminder of the categories and an exhortation to vote early! Nominate in any or all of these: Best new Liberal Democrat blog (started since 1st September 2009) Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office (The Tim Garden Award) Best use of blogging / social networking / e-campaigning by a Liberal Democrat Best posting on a Liberal Democrat blog (since 1st September 2009) Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year To be eligible for 'Best blog from ...
What with our crossbow cannibals, our £24m holes in the ground, and the prospect of neo-nazi football hooligans marching down Manchester Road next Saturday unless Theresa May gets her finger out, it's safe to assume Bradford has something of an image problem when it comes to selling itself to the bruschetta-eating classes as a vibrant multicultural Northern city; indeed it's safe to say that Bill Bryson had a valid point when he stated in Notes From A Small Island that its "role in life is to make every place else in the world look better in comparison", though I wouldn't ...
I don't have any specialist knowledge of drug addiction. There have been people in our family who have been alcoholics, so I know something of the horrors of that particular addiction for the person affected and those around them. I know how that however lucid and rational and determined to stop the alcoholic can be one moment, when that craving for the next drink takes over, it takes a huge effort to overcome it. One of the most heartbreaking things I have ever seen was a painting by that person. It depicts a woman, her face showing the strain of ...
I was honoured when David Wood asked me to present at his first "brown bag" lunch lecture at Accenture. [IMG: Title Slide] Normally I would run through a presentation of this length at several different venues and thoroughly hone it before presenting at a high profile event. As you'll see from the slides and video, it's still a bit rough round the edges. I based this talk on Jonathan Zittrain's excellent Future of the Internet – And How To Stop It . You can keep up to date with all of Zittrain's work on network neutrality on his blog. The ...
Quaequam Blog! wakes up and points out the ridiculous position Labour has got itself into on public services: "Labour pledged at the last election to halve the deficit within four years; the coalition plan to half the deficit within three years. Labour planned a 70:30 cuts:tax rises package and conspicuously didn't rule out raising VAT; the Coalition plan a 77:23 cut:tax rises package which includes raising VAT. While the Coalition's cuts are undeniable steeper than what Labour intended, Labour has made it clear that they oppose number of cuts to non-frontline services that the Coalition is introducing - specifically by ...
Collies are good at problem-solving. It's one of the endearing features of the breed. Last night Byron realised he wasn't going to be able to get his cone of shame off, and set about trying to solve the problem of how to get at his wound because it was itching. The solution he hit upon was to rub it on the carpet... He was in danger of re-opening it, and was making the most heartbreaking piteous mewling sound I have ever heard, so this morning he has been back to the vet for some more painkillers, which will hopefully numb ...
It's been a tense week for Southwark arboriculturalists and local campaigners lobbying to save an historic 400 year old Zelkova tree on Dulwich Common. Deemed to be leaning dangerously over a busy intersection of the South Circular, legal discussions have ... Continue reading →
A book about a posthuman society - most people exist as virtual entities in the datanet of vast supercomputers - dealing with astrophysical disaster striking the earth and then trying to explore parallel universes. Lots of mathematical theory, but rather short on interesting characters or plot resolution; perhaps a bit like Stapledon without his trademark breathlessness. Glad to have finally ticked this off my list.
The funeral of John Ballard takes place at the Congregational Chapel in Market Harborough today. John was a lifelong Liberal and one of my helpers in my district council by-election in 1986. I am sorry I cannot be there and shall remember John for his great good humour and for the pleasure he got from seeing the Liberals do well in local elections. Before his retirement John had been a carpet layer. In fact he had laid most of the carpets in the old people's bungalows in the ward. Our canvassing there consisted of his introducing me to the residents ...
Susan's departure from the Tardis at the end of The Dalek Invasion of Earth was the first departure of a comopanion, and in some ways the least satisfactorily resolved of all; what sort of life does she face, presumably one of the Doctor's own race, but living with humans for the rest of her life? (When she pops up again in The Five Doctors we are told nothing of what she has been up to in the meantime.) The 1994 radio play Whatever Happened to Susan Foreman? had her wandering back to the twentieth century and becoming European Commissioner for ...
'Good News' people cry, like the tricoteuses of revolutionary France, when another quango head rolls into the basket. Such was the whoop (at least from aficionados) when the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council was given its P45. It seemed an obvious move and one that I had advocated myself. I still support it: but, as I have pointed out before, there are potentially unintended consequences. The libraries improvement regime can be taken over easily by the LGA. But what about museums? It seems that 'responsibility', whatever that may mean, for museums will pass to the Arts Council. So in fact ...
It's amazing just how much the Australian election has turned on its head. At the start of the year, it looked like Kevin Rudd, former PM, could do no wrong. So much so that I made a bold prediction: that he would win another landslide later in the year in a "double dissolution" election. Now, ...
For the last decade the Brookfield Shiers Family Trust has been managed by the Council under the direction of councillors from the Cheadle Area Committee for the benefit of residents. The original bequest was £191,100. That investment has grown to £245,548, but is still a real-terms fall in value. The councillors have always taken the view that this money was not to be frittered away and the informal policy has been not to spend any until it was growing in real terms (i.e. above inflation). However, we took the view this time that, in light of the economic problems we ...
The BBC report that one of Wales' teaching unions claims that the gap in funding between England and Wales is part of the reason for a small drop in A-level results in Wales: The overall A-level pass rate dipped a little to 97.1%, while in England and Northern Ireland it is 0.5% higher. The National Union of Teachers Cymru says the dip in results is "not a disaster," but is a concern. The gap between A-level performance in Wales and the rest of the UK widened for the second successive year when results were announced on Thursday. Across the UK ...
The debate in the UK around the upcoming referendum on the Alternative Vote (AV) – or "preferential voting" as it is called in Australia – has focussed up until now on the differences between the current first-past-the-post system and the proposed new AV system, and what it could mean for various parties and the voting ...
One you may have missed from January 24th 2009 Nigel Farrell (who I seem to remember from Nationwide or some sort of regional TV but perhaps I am imagining it) deserves big plaudits for his Parish programmes. Apart from anything else, the man seems to create his own "luck" (if you can call it that), at being in the right place at the right time. First, he did "Seaside Parish" in Boscastle and was there when the floods came. Now he's doing the endlessly absorbing "Island Parish" about the Scilly Isles and he was there to cover the drama of ...
I'm not sure what I was expecting here in Sarejevo, Bosnia, but this is not it. The weather is just stunning - but beyond that the city is also amazingly cosmopolitan and welcoming. The bridges - and it feels like there are loads - are charming, quaint, not over busy. And if you like architecture then churches, mosques, synagogues, austro hungarian, moslem inspired - it's all here. The streets are patently not paved with gold but they have a marble sheen that is well - intoxicating in this weather. But then there is the grim real bit with the range ...
I see that 18% of Americans apparently believe Barrack Obama is a Muslim. Frankly it just shows that in the hate filled world of the radical American right, if you tell a lie big enough, for long enough, it will end up being believed. These are many of the the same people who insist that Obama was not a native born American, and therefore an unconstitutional President- the "birthers". The certainty and the spittle flecked hatred with which these people express their views, for which there is not one scintilla of evidence, is truly extraordinary. It is not one step ...
John Prescott, who is standing for Treasurer of the Labour Party, writes in yesterday's Guardian that the Labour party stands on the verge of bankruptcy. They are more than £20m in debt, facing a long-term decline in membership and a crisis in funding. This is quite a contrast to the constant crowing on twitter by a number of Labour apparatchiks, including Lord Prescott himself, about the flood of members coming to their party since the formation of the coalition government. The former Deputy Prime Minister states that Labour is only kept alive by the Herculean work of party staff and ...
I couldn't sleep last night so I went on a random trawl around t'internet where a blog (sorry no hat tip but I can't remember which one) had a table from the public whip which actually showed Gordon Brown rebelling* against his colleagues on a sigle occasion. For why did he rebel? His rebellion was on the following proposal. That a reformed House of Lords should be composed of 80 per cent elected members and 20 per cent appointed members. Interestingly the pubic whip does not have him voting in any of the other divisions on this topic on that ...
I reported here on the rather bizarre radio interview with S4C's interim chief executive Arwel Ellis Owen in which there was a lively exchange of views on the contents of his CV. According to this morning's Western Mail, the interim chief executive of S4C Arwel Ellis Owen has now amended the wording of the CV on his company's website. Meanwhile, former Welsh Government Permanent Secretary, Sir John Shortridge, has been appointed to undertake a review of the corporate governance arrangements of the S4C Authority. This comes after the channel and its authority announced the ending of the process of due ...
[IMG: Directgov logo] A review into the public sector online behemoth that is Directgov is being carried out, starting with the basics of its purpose and strategy. A sister company at work is helping out the review and the ever-cheerful Clare has more details of the review over on Transform's blog. As you can see from those details, the review touches on the age old questions of to portal or not to portal, and to microsite or not to microsite? In other words, should you try to cram lots of features and information on one page / site or should ...
The recent coverage over A-level results prompts me to tell a tale. A few years ago, I studied law part-time. I got my degree and then the Legal Practice Course. All I needed was to find a two year training contract and I would be a fully qualified solicitor. As anyone working in law knows, finding a contract is not easy - and it was made even more difficult by the first question I always got. What were your A-level results? I would point out that my A-levels were taken in 1987, that since then I had a degree upper ...
Hopefully right about now I'm taking off from Edinburgh Airport bound for Belfast, although this evening I will be sleeping in my bed in Bathgate again. Yes today is the first day of the big move. Though as Andrew Reeves has had in his highlighted posts on his blog since I made the announcement last weekend is it "A sad day for Scottish Lib Dems and Scottish Blogging"? It is somewhat strange to be heading back. I've spent over 17 years including the last nine years and four months firmly ensconced in West Lothian. I'm a fully paid up NIPPLE* ...
i) births and deaths A cracking selection today: 20th August 1932: birth of Anthony Ainley, who played the Master from the last scene of The Keeper of Traken (1981) till the final Old Who story, Survival (1989) 20th August 1943: birth in Dublin of Sylvester McCoy (original name Percy James Patrick Kent-Smith), who played the Seventh Doctor from Time and the Rani (1987) to Survival (1989) and returned for the 1996 TV movie. He continues to feature in Big Finish audios. 20th August 1962: birth of Sophie Aldred, who played Ace from Dragonfire (1987) to Survival (1989) and also continues ...
@beltain35 @kristoferkeane Er, except that @libdemvoice reports by-elections every week, regardless of who wins? in reply to beltain35 # @ruskin147 Congrats! Now what's more important sign of future success - dog or college result...? # Geo-location social networking comes to politics: Gowalla - http://bit.ly/cQlV0o # @probablygeorge Or in deference to Big Society how about we visit library, grab semaphore book + head down nearest station to volunteer? in reply to probablygeorge # @malcolmcoles Natural pattern - people don't get round to unfollowing until prompted by seeing another tweet? in reply to malcolmcoles # @malcolmcoles Cf email lists - it's the ...
slacktivist: Please forgive me for the actions of extremists I have never met who commit acts of violence that I have never advocated Excellent commentary - transferable to many situations. (tags: religion politics funny usa islam) ailbhe: Omagh 1998 Lest we forget (tags: northernireland) It's Sexy A-Levels! Judging by the newspaper coverage, successful A-Level students are mainly female and cute. (tags: funny education)
All, If you'd like to follow me on facebook - try this link: Councillor Philip Vial on facebook You can ask me questions, see what I'm up to and generally keep in touch. I'm also on Twitter (which feeds into this site) - Search for PhilipVial Regards, Philip
This (near the Peahen Junction) has been a problem for some time but we are told that Herts Highways is fully aware of it and that Veolia has it on their list. The note below from Veolia should explain further: Veolia Water plan to undertake mains diversion works at the above junction from this Sunday (22nd) until Tuesday (24th). The diversion works will hopefully solve ongoing issues Veolia have had with leaks on the existing water main that crosses this busy 4 way signalised junction. Veolia propose to complete a new road crossing of London Road about 100m back from ...
An interesting mix of results in this week's by-elections. In the first result of the evening, the Liberal Democrats comfortably held North ward of Seaford Town Council, which is in Lewes constituency. LD Nick Norman: 407 Con: 319 Lab: 137 Ind: 74 BNP: 20 The turnout was 23.7%. The new councillor is currently away on his honeymoon, with new wife Naomi. In Christchurchward in Cockermouth, the Conservatives retained the seat on Allerdale Borough Council. The seat became vacant after the disqualification of Conservative councillor Les Lytollis who had not attended any meetings in a six month period. Con: 466 LD ...
For the first time ever someone has replied to one of my letters to the local paper. I wrote about this letter on the 15th July and then on the 28th and now here is my reply sent to the local paper today. I am pleased to receive a reply to one of my letters, since I have written many over the years but nobody has ever replied, so thanks must go to David Whitaker. However, I'm not sure he addressed the points that I made. It is worth repeating that the Labour administration which he praises left a deficit ...
Friday: Firewall THIS!
