Earlier this month, I highlighted residents' concerns about the state of the car park and roadway owned by the Housing Department at the end of Ancrum Place, behind the Morven Terrace/Ancrum Place sheltered housing. The issue was also highlighted in the Evening Telegraph. I am pleased to report good news I received today from the City Council's Housing Strategy Manager : "Dear Cllr Macpherson I refer to your previous correspondence on the poor state of the car park at Ancrum Place. In order to address the problems residents are facing here a contribution from the risk management fund has been ...
Today : * I had a very useful meeting with the Director of Dundee Contract Services and a senior member of his team about garden and open space maintenance. This follows on from several issues raised with me by residents in the Corso/Abbotsford area and in the Logie Estate. * This evening I attended part of the River Crescent Residents' Association meeting at which I updated members on a number of local matters, including the proposed Harris Academy school buildings improvement. * And ... later this evening, I attended the Friends of Magdalen Green committee meeting where we planned our ...
I am stunned that the same approach by both the secular and religious authorities seem to have been taken towards the priest accused of taking part in bombing Claudy in 1972 as seems to have been taken towards priests accused of abusing children. I.e. don't prosecute, just move them on to another place, if necessary over a border to prevent prosecution. I can't help but wonder why the then Northern Ireland Secretary spoke to the Bishop rather than arranging for a trial. I had thought that the notion of one law for the Priesthood and another for everybody else, which ...
It was only back in May that all the major political parties were claiming 'change' as there own objective. They recognised that people were fed up with the way the world and our country were going. Both a political and economic crises had made 'change' important. It is difficult to criticise the coalition regarding political change. Within 100 days we know a referendum will be coming on voting reform, the number of MPs will reduce. The expenses system has changed and Lords reform and party funding is being reviewed with a clear intent that the status quo is not an ...
A letter arrives from a cove I know at the Natural History Museum - he spends his holidays in the village and gets excited and waves his arms about when Ruttie puts in an appearance. This morning's screed is full of speculation about a "high-pitched, warbling mating call" and gives the old girl a rather grand Latin name. I think this rather farfetched: if I had had any reason to think that Ruttie knows Latin I should have sought her assistance when I was a schoolboy. Believe me: a chap needed all the help he could get with the dratted ...
What happened to Lib Dem use of social media? asks Simon McGrath on Liberal Democrat Voice. Simon Goldie considers the similarities and tensions between liberalism and mutualism. "I have resolved to take every opportunity to promote, purchase and indeed consume Moldovan wine, whenever and wherever possible. It is a tough job but someone has to do it," says Gauge Opinion. He is doing it because Moldova is being bullied by Russia because of its determination to tell the truth about the Soviet regime. The Cat's Meat Shop shows us a remarkable Victorian anticipation of the internet - and its disadvantages: ...
Reading Iain Dale's Total Politics interview with Matthew Parris... You mention Weekend World there. You're quite critical of yourself in your autobiography on that. Was it something that you felt instantly uncomfortable with? Yeah. I felt instantly uncomfortable with it when I started. I thought, and I suppose everyone does, that after a while you'd get better at it but I found after two years I still wasn't getting better at it and our ratings were dropping. I don't think I was a flop. What I failed to be was the new Brian Walden. The programme itself was probably out ...
Today I had an offer of $100 from a medical education site, to put a link from one of the pages on my last operation, to their site. Its the second similar offer I've had recently and in other circumstances it might be a way of earning a living. The problem is that people might suspect a blogger who gets paid, of adjusting their content to fit in with the needs of advertisers
Labour-run Brent Council has hit the local and regional news for its decision to pay for 27 senior staff and Labour councillors to spend the weekend at a luxury country hotel – where they planned budget cuts. [IMG: Brent Town Hall. Photo credit: stevecadman on Flickr] The council is quite right that it is good management practice for senior teams every now and again to spend time together making longer term plans. Going to Latimer Place De Vere Hotel in Chesham, Buckinghamshire isn't exactly the only way to do it though. Councillor Paul Lorber, Brent Liberal Democrat opposition leader, told ...
The Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy — one of the sanest Jewish voices in Israel today — is in Britain at the moment to promote his new book The Punishment of Gaza (Verso), an impassioned account of the one of the latest and most grotesque aspects of the prolonged Israeli policy of belligerency and occupation. I met Mr Levy ...
There will be a Take Back Parliament at the Lansdowne pub, 123 London Road, Leicester on Saturday 28 August (7.30 - 8.30 p.m.) Full details on the campaign's website. Take Back Parliament: brings together a coalition of different groups and organisations in the call for fair votes. They include Unlock Democracy. Electoral Reform Society, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, NUS, Ekkelsia and others.
The following article is reproduced with the kind permission of Mark Pack and Lib Dem Voice - Co-editor, Liberal Democrat Voice (www.LibDemVoice.org) Blog: www.MarkPack.org.uk Twitter: twitter.com/markpack Facebook: www.facebook.com/mark.pack By Mark Pack | Published 24th August 2010 - 10:24 am Labour-run Knowsley Council is continuing to pump money in to the Labour Party's coffers by exhibiting at the party's conference. The council pays to appear only at the Labour Party's conferences, ignoring other parties, and is continuing to do so even now that Labour is no longer in government. Back in January 2007 Liberal Democrat Voice revealed Knowsley Council had spent ...
On the right hand side of Bracknell blog you will see a small advert for a local community event. This event is being held at St Georges School in Ascot and is organised by the Alzheimer's Society. The walk is on Sunday 12th September 2010. the full address is St George's School St George's Lane Off Ascot High Street Ascot SL5 7DZ Walk starts 2:30pm (registration from 2:00pm) This is one of a number of walks held around the country details of this walk can be found at This is a family event which a has the aim of ...
Reading Clarence Lee Swartz's What is Mutualism I was struck by how close his ideas are to liberal thought. Swartz argued for "a social system based on equal freedom, reciprocity and the sovereignty of the individual over himself, his affairs and his products". This definition of mutualism has echoes of the works of John Locke, John Stuart Mill, Tom Paine and others. Swart had no time for the State but nor did he much like organisations that form monopolies. He made it clear he favoured a free market and supported property rights, differentiating his writing from socialised State-less societies. He ...
Regular blogfollowers might remember my June 8th posting showing how one of Hertfordshire's beautiful 30 mph signs was obscured by the branches of an over-exuberant sycamore tree. Despite Herts Highways being informed it was still not clear this afternoon. So, since we are now in a coalition at Westminster (though emphatically not at either Dacorum Civic Centre or County Hall), I decided to respond to wee Davey Cameron's call to take part in his Big Society - and I cut the branches down myself. The 30 mph sign is now revealed (and found to be in need of a wash) ...
The Liberal Democrats will hold their Autumn 2012 Conference in Brighton, Brighton and Hove Council has revealed today: The council's tourism arm VisitBrighton has said the party is expected to bring around 8,000 delegates to the event, injecting around £10m into the local economy. The party last held its autumn conference in the city in 2007. Council bosses say the news justifies recently spending £1m on refurbishments to the Brighton Conference Centre. They expect the event to attract extensive media coverage for the city, given the Lib Dems' role in the coalition government. Council leader Mary Mears said: "I'm delighted. ...
[IMG: timesquare] I have been lucky in past years to afford to travel and will no doubt do so again, currently the choice is stark, since work can be scarce, irregular, and available at short notice, so a planned break is not possible, so even the staycation, is not practical, so its the nocation for me this year. [IMG: punch and judy] Still even having the odd day here and there is better than nothing, and certainly there are worse places to find yourself unable to take a proper holiday, even with little money, here in Thanet we have various ...
When you are a small landlocked eastern European nation, dependent on Russia for your exports, you might think twice before declaring a national day of remembrance of Soviet atrocities or erecting a memorial to the victims of communist oppression. Well little, liberal Moldova has done just that and is currently suffering the consequences. Moldova is a former Soviet republic, nestled between Romania and Ukraine, close to but not quite touching the Black Sea. Its capital city Chisinau feels very European and prosperous but 75% of the population lives a relatively impoverished, rural existence. Its main export is wine and its ...
My new wife commented the other day that summer seems to have shifted forward three months. These days, it's lovely between about March and June, but then horrible between July and August, the months where in the long-gone days of my youth I seem to remember it being quite sunny. I floated this meteorological proposition to some colleagues today, as we looked out at the storm lashing Ashton-under-Lyne. The response was that the lovely April weather I was referring to was what has always been known as "spring," and that all that's happened is that summer has disappeared. Whatever's going ...
Having taken some time off to write my memoirs, I've been catching up with things. You know, the 1500 pieces of e-mail awaiting filing, reading or action, that sort of thing (it's going quite well, since you ask...). Now, I've dipped back into the outside world, only to discover that our little relationship with the Conservatives is under the spotlight. The Economist's recent front page, depicting David Cameron with a Union Jack mohican, suggests that Britain may have one of the world's most radical governments. Now, whilst radical isn't necessarily good, it does attract attention. I'm told that interest in ...
Not much blogging happening at the moment, but that doesn't mean I've been idle. One of the things I have been working on is a refresh of the Luton Liberal Democrats website. A little late, but it needed redoing following the general election. I admit that it doesn't look very exciting, but I intend to add some photo galleries and there will be new content as we get closer to next year's local elections. I also hope to get one or two more people involved in updating it so that it isn't just reliant on me and we can get ...
Election posters in this country tend to be pretty tame. Generally they are just the name of the candidate or occasionally a picture of the candidate too. National ones are a bit better with clever and occasionally humorous slogans, but that's about as far as it goes. So the winner for one of the best ...
Over at The Guardian's Comment is Free website, Lib Dem blogger James Graham argues that Nick Clegg needs to admit the party's economic differences with the Tories in public – the alternative, he warns, is that the Coalition will become rudderless. Here's an excerpt: That the government is embarking on a programme of deep cuts is not in question; but nobody seems to be able to explain what it is all for. The coalition can't explain because, frankly, the coalition can't agree. That's why the government's "vision" has been dominated by empty flannel such as the "big society", which can ...
The new Gym which is part of the Sager building has applied to change the planning condition which restricts its opening hours. It wants to be allowed to be open all day AND all night!! Apparently its to cater for the early morning trade -the 5.0 or 6.0 am fitness freaks who want a work out before going to their day job. Well, fine - I'm all for healthy lifestyles (as long as no-one expects me to participate - particularly at ungodly hours) and can just about see a reason for early morning opening but all night? Would love to ...
No, I've not gone all yobbish, this is the headline of a new poster from Hastings Council as it gets crude and rude in their new doggy doo campaign You can also read the Council Leader's thoughts on this campaign here Love it or loath it this has certainly attracted a lot of attention - which is, of course, the idea behind these campaigns. The (very small) prudish voice at the back of my head can't help but ask; is it ever acceptable for Councils to use language like this? I'm not sure if there is a right or wrong ...
Note from county council King Harry Lane in St Albans is to be resurfaced between The Ramparts and Bluehouse Hill from Monday September 6. The works involve resurfacing, repairs to ironwork and drains and renewing the road markings. They will take two weeks, weather permitting. Anti-skid surfacing will be put in on September 27 and 28. To ensure the safety of both our workforce and members of the public, a full road closure is necessary. A fully signed diversion will be in place. The works will be carried out in three phases and the working hours will be from 9.30am ...
I was delighted to hear last week that the Housing and Communities Agency (HCA) and Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) had committed £25.3mn for new housing projects across Manchester. This investment by the coalition Government will deliver 670 new homes and also create a large number of much-needed local jobs.
I haven't been able to blog, recently as I haven't got access to interweb on th ward, so I am resorting to using my blackberry. Its my Anniversary today. This time 8 years' ago I married my husband. I want to take this as an opportunity to thank him for being my rock. I couldn't have got this far, not only with my illness, but with my career and volunteering without him. His undending love, care and support throughout our marriage is one of the things that makes him so special. Love you Pip. More recently, I have been getting ...
Congratulations to David and Samantha Cameron on the birth of their daughter - born a couple of weeks early at Treliske Hospital whilst they are on holiday in Cornwall.
Former Liberal Democrat Councillor Dave Smithson, who represented Halewood North ward on Knowsley Council until May this year, has confirmed today he has no plans to defect to Labour or indeed any other party. His says the decision was an easy one to make and took very little if any soul searching but following a series of high profile stories and speculation in the national media in recent days Dave said he felt obliged to quell the rumours before they started! Dave has also confirmed he has no plans to run for election to become the Lib Dem candidate for ...
Tonight (8pm Channel 4) sees the end of Big Brother 11. It will also see the start of Ultimate Big Brother with tonight's winner and our 'favourites' from the past ten series'. I am officially very exciting!
Tue 24th
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New LDV members survey now live: what you think of key Lib Dem issues and the Coalition Government
The new LDV members' survey is now live. So if you are one of the 1,000+ registered members of the Liberal Democrat Voice forum - and any paid-up party member is welcome to join - then you now have the opportunity to make your views known. Questions we are asking your opinion on include: your views on nuclear power; whether the Lib Dems should make any electoral arrangement with the Conservatives; your views on the Alternative Vote; is the media giving the Lib Dems a fair hearing; what you think are the biggest immediate threats to the Lib Dems; whether ...
Before and during the election there was a great deal of talk about the Lib Dem use of social media as a way of getting our message across cheaply and effectively. Since then though the Party seems too place very little importance on social media with the result that an important and effective way of communicating with our members and supporters is being ignored. Look at the three main Social media outlets, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. On Facebook the Lib Dems official Page has 97,000 fans but is rarely updated - there have been just 5 updates since the beginning ...
As you may know, fly-posting has been a problem particularly on the now closed George & Dragon pub in Cheadle. Because it's a privately owned building, it's more complicated to get it removed. I wrote to Punch Taverns, who own the pub, asking if they would remove the fly-posting or, failing that, authorise me to remove fly-posting on their behalf. I've now received a reply, which is they won't do that because they're hopeful a sale is imminent and the new owners should clear it up. We'll wait and see, but having that building under new ownership and, hopefully, being ...
This award is all about the blogging efforts of our Parliamentarians and Councillors. It's often difficult to find the time amidst representing constituents, holding down a day job if you're a Councillor, doing the campaigning stuff that will get you re-elected and trying to find some hours to recharge your batteries. Maintaining a blog on top of all of that can be a real challenge. My first suggestion as a nominee for this award is Lynne Featherstone. As parliamentary candidate, constituency MP and now a Minister in the Home Office, she has kept going, using her blog not just as ...
[IMG: houses.jpg] A new planning application has been received which is within Holyrood Ward of Prestwich as detailed below:- Application number: 53049 Type of application: Consultation From Neighbouring Authority Applicant: Rochdale Council Location: Former Car Supermarket site, Heywood Old Road/Manchester Old Road, Middleton Proposal: Residential development for 87 dwellings Plans will be available to view on the Council's website within 2 working days from the date of this email. Should you require further details please contact the case officer: Mark Kilby on: 0161 253 7639. If you would like to discuss this application or how you can comment, please don't ...
[IMG: Network cables] The internet has changed in many ways over the last six years, broadening its international reach and with a far more diverse range of uses. That change is neatly illustrated by comparing the select list of sites that had a Google Pagerank* of 10 back in 2004 and those that do now. Here's the 2004 list: US technology outfits Adobe Adobe Acrobat 10 Apple Computers Apple - QuickTime Blogger Google Google Search Hewlett-Packard Development Company Intel Corporation Macromedia PHPBB Forum Real Media US bodies Energy.gov National Science Foundation Other World Wide Web Consortium The fourteen sites on ...
To me, the beauty of the American political system is in its enforced renewal. Every two years, the populist House has to be re-mandated. It is this very nature that makes it populist. Meanwhile, their ultimate leader and national figurehead, the President, gets a little longer, but is not allowed to stick around for more ...
Put it in your diary now; Monday 27th September Birkdale and Ainsdale Wards are combining to host a meal at the Ainsdale restaurant Dolce Vita. Tickets are available from Haydn Preece 01704 5780689 or can be reserved via this website. It promises to be a great night.
Former Cabinet Member and Brown advisor, Ed Miliband, has focused an awful lot of his campaign for the Labour Leadership by ranting about the Lib Dems recently. He has written a Guardian column aimed at winning over Lib Dem voters. This follows the ... Continue reading →
I've never been Phil Woolas's biggest fan. Quite the opposite, in fact. But he managed to fall even further down in my estimations in May's election campaign. His narrow election victory will now be subject to a legal challenge from ... Continue reading →
I got the results from Byron's biopsy just now. It is/was a soft tissue sarcoma. It's benign, and wasn't very aggressive, so is very unlikely to metastasise, but it's fairly likely to recur in the same spot. It's unlikely to kill him even if it does recur. So, you know. It could have been a lot worse. In other news, I just got my first piece accepted for the Pod Delusion, so listen out on Friday when the episode comes out for a bit by me.
I don't know what to make of the decision by Eric Pickles to get rid of the audit commission entirely over the next two years. The audit commission does good work in overseeing the spending of various public sector departments ... Continue reading →
So why did Gary Lineker's potty mouthed son fail to get into uni? Was it the Pre-U exams adopted by his private school in place of A-levels, or was it because he went on holiday just before he took them? Every year, the A-level results bring record pass marks and accusations that they are getting easier. In fact, the biggest change was moving from a quota system (whereby only the top x% were awarded A grades) to an achievement system (whereby anyone who achieves over a certain number of marks is awarded an A grade). But this year there is ...
Labour-run Knowsley Council is continuing to pump money in to the Labour Party's coffers by exhibiting at the party's conference. The council pays to appear only at the Labour Party's conferences, ignoring other parties, and is continuing to do so even now that Labour is no longer in government. Back in January 2007 Liberal Democrat Voice revealed Knowsley Council had spent £47,000 on exhibiting at the Labour conference over the previous four years. At the time the council said that, "Knowsley does not attend any other party political conference, it attends the Labour Party Annual Conference as the party in ...
Most of the newspapers and the blogs this morning make mention of the huge sums of money raised by the three major parties both during and subsequent to the General Election. According to the Daily Telegraph donations to political parties around this year's general election were the highest level on record: Almost £26.3 million was given to political parties compared to the previous record of £20.6 million, received by parties in January, February and March 2005 before that year's election. According to figures released by the Electoral Commission, Nick Clegg's party registered cash donations worth £1,899,382. In April, May and ...
Prestwich Festival and many other important community projects may be at risk after an annoucement that Bury Council is to cut all Area Board Grants in the current financial year. [IMG: DSC_0120] The Conservative-led Council has announced that there will be no Area Partnership grants for Prestwich - or any other the other parts of Bury this year. This is a grant scheme which has been running by the local areas for the last ten years. In Prestwich the grants have funded projects throughout the community, with the support for Prestwich Festival being the most visible in recent years. Local ...
As August moves onto September and the Conference season approaches, one can sense a certain desperation on the part of journalists, anxious to fill up all those blank news columns Admittedly, the spurious and vindictive rumours about Charles Kennedy's fictional defection started on the internet by Labour bloggers and tweeters, desperate to gain some traction against the Liberal Democrats. But that does not excuse newspapers such as the Daily Mirror, amongst others, who picked up the non-story with glee, irrespective of the facts and without checking first. This morning's Hickey column in the Daily Express has no such excuse. From ...
The doing a series of top 10 UK walks today's is one I have done and can thoroughly recommend, and it is an excuse for you all to come over and see me. The reason being that the best walk for cliff-top views is the North Antrim coast at the Giant's Causeway. It is a majestic walk from the top looking down on the basalt columns below, or up at those rising above or around you. It is quite a sight of a different fiery past in that part of the world when the lava flowed up to the surface ...
The Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West, Stephen Williams, is now on Twitter as @swilliamsmp. You can follow all the LibDem MPs on Twitter via the list at http://twitter.com/#list/markpack/libdem-mps
Adam Bienkov has the remarkable story of how Mayor of London Boris Johnson managed to up the costs of the annual 'State of London' debate despite cutting back its scope, moving it from an external venue to City Hall and having fewer people attend. One extra detail I'd add to what Adam has covered: looking at the GLA's evaluation report, I'm struck by how many opportunities were missed to promote the event online at very little cost. In particular, publicising events via Facebook comes with no charge and can be an effect way of making a high profile event spread ...
i) births and deaths None that caught my eye. ii) broadcast anniversary 24th August 1968: Broadcast of episode 3 of The Dominators (1968). Zoe, Cully and the other Dulcians are being used by the Dominators as slave labour. Cully escapes, but the Doctor is captured, and yet another episode ends with falling masonry. iii) date specified in canon 24th August 2006: Maria Jackson and her father move in across the road from Sarah Jane Smith; later that night Maria sees Sarah talking to an alien being. (SJA: Invasion of the Bane, 2007)
The town trail leafleft said: The influence of the past is all around the visitor to an historic town such as Bridgnorth. The medieval castle, Victorian shop fronts, steam railway, elegant promenade, river-port and timber-framed house and inns are all encountered in this study "on the ground" of the rich and varied history of the town. The Trail starts from the library but can be joined at any point on the route. It can be completed in about an hour, but more time will be needed if every feature is explored in full. It took me more like four and ...
The BBC is talking lots today about libraries. The Government has talked about reviewing library services and Cornwall is one of the areas which is piloting ideas for running library services in a different way. What this means is unclear from the press release (I've asked for details). But almost all the coverage to date has been about borrowing novels. That may be a fundamental part of what a library does, but it is far from being the only thing. So whilst you can put bookshelves in pubs or even in red phone boxes (as BBC Radio Cornwall suggested this ...
Happy Independence Day to everyone with links to Ukraine!
Last night, I was watching Big Brother and the housemates gave an impromptu rendition of Perfect by Fairground Attraction. It is, of course a fantastic song - although perhaps a bit dated now - but I always prefered Find My Love: And here's Eddi Reader as a solo artist with Patience of Angels. There were a number of candidates for inclusion here - you could do worse than search for Eddi's work on the video/music site of your choice. Enjoy: Andrew P.S. You can find the video for Perfect here.
And when the sun is shining down On this little mining town People come from miles around To see the funny snarling clowns But not you You were the one I liked best You were the grooviest dressed The only looney left in town Carter USM It is enormously entertaining to see the Labour leadership candidates vying to be prolier-than-thou.. After painting themselves as the future of old Labour, a quick cold shower is required to scrub away those hard to shift Brown stains. Squeaky clean and invigorated, the new Labour leader will step, Bobby Ewing like, out of the ...
I have a family history website for the benefit of my relatives, but I try to keep it separate from this blog because my family history is really very dull, and this blog has enough problems with my life being boring. Certainly I can't compete with Nick Clegg or David Cameron's genealogies; nobody in my family has ever been beaten to death by his own peasants, had an affair with HG Wells, or been King of England. Alas, not only are none of my ancestors famous, but they are also all English: there's not even an Irish, Scots or Welsh ...
The Keys Of Marinus Writer: Terry Nation Director: John Gorrie DVD availability: single-disc DVD Buy from Amazon This one's taken a *long* time to get around to writing about, hasn't it? Partly that's because my DVD player broke, but also it's because of the nature of this story. While it might have worked well as ...
Much has been written about Tony Blair's motivation in giving the proceeds from the sale of his forthcoming autobiography to the British Legion. To me it seems quite simple. He had no choice. Many voices were being raised against him making money from his dubious decision to go to war, while the servicemen on the ground suffered the consequences. These voices would have grown stronger, and the likelihood of the book becoming an expensive and embarrassing flop was increasing. Tony Blair desperately needs the book to succeed, because what remains of his reputation depends on it. It isn't often that ...
Pauline, the American girl mentioned in the previous extract, seems fated to play the supporting female romantic role in Florence Barclay's 1910 novel, The Rosary. But I was startled by a phrase in this passage from Chapter X of the book, where she reflects on how she will never marry Garth "Dal" Dalmain, the male lead: But after her maid had left her, Pauline switched off the electric light and, drawing back the curtain, stood for a long while at her window, looking out at the peaceful English scene bathed in moonlight. At last she murmured softly, leaning her beautiful ...
