I haven't written any of my Christmas cards yet. I seem to leave it later and later every year. And judging by my visit to the Montpelier Royal Mail centre this morning (officially the North Bristol Delivery office) many other people are doing the same. The visit by the local MP to see the Christmas ...
Yesterday was the fifth anniversary of the death of my little brother, Stewart Iain Taylor. To mark the event the family held a memorial puja at the Scottish Buddhist Vihara in Glasgow. The ceremony was lead by Venerable "Bhante" Rewatha who is Chief Sangha Nayaka of Great Britain. Bhante is the most senior Sri Lankan ...
Nice to hear a sound artist from Glasgow has won the Turner, with Susan Phillipsz and her Lowlands piece at Tate Britain. Sound installations remain a bit obscure. I wish I'd known about the concept back in 1992 when I did a year of Electronics and Music at Glasgow Uni (a course that was tediously stuck in past decades and centuries, a lazy bodge of modules with absolutely no thought to given to the interaction of the two subjects). Could have been the artist instead of being hidden away backstage doing sound design for other people's plays! I love this ...
In his recent Guardian Interview Julian Assange makes a powerful point about what freedom. The west has fiscalised its basic power relationships through a web of contracts, loans, shareholdings, bank holdings and so on. In such an environment it is easy for speech to be "free" because a change in political will rarely leads to ...
I don't plan on spending any more nights away from home this year, so my list of places where I've spent midnight away from home in 2010 is as follows (non-consecutive stays in the same place marked with an asterisk, several overnight flights not tallied): Nicosia, Cyprus Juba, Southern Sudan* Nairobi, Kenya* Viana do Castelo, Portugal Geneva, Switzerland Belfast, Northern Ireland* Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Waterford, Ireland Dublin, Ireland Klingenthal, Alsace Manchester, England Priština, Kosovo London, England Kampala, Uganda Cluny, France Kidderminster, England* Loughbrickland, Northern Ireland Berlin, Germany* Cambridge, England Chişinău, Moldova* Hucknall, Nottingham, England New York, NY, USA* Washington, DC, ...
This evenings BBC's South East Today programme assuming I heard correct has announced that West Kent NHS are planning to refuse medical treatment to smokers and the obese. I know my more puritanical and sanctimonious readers will applaud such discrimination, on the basis, that smokers and the obese are self harmer's who don't deserve medical assistance despite having been taxed to er .. Whilst that might be true, both conditions are considered to be illness, however I believe that both are less likely to occur in the professional & middle classes (the sort who run West Kent NHS) and more ...
There you are. In American geographical terms this road is "near London". A bit of a tease? Well, so are the Wikleaks cables if today's "sensation" is anything to go by. It's an alleged list of facilities "critical" to the US national interest. Well the "F" list that is. The UK ones could be culled from a twenty minute Google search. Most of them have been on Wikipedia for years. The list omits the really major stuff. I can think, off hand, of three major installations which are not on the list. It's a sort of civil list. So why ...
Yesterday, when I was getting ready for work, I fell down the stairs. this caused minor bruising on my elbow, a slight carpet burn on my hip, and Gideon to twist himself round my uterus. This caused absolutely excruciating pain, and an ambulance was called. After the usual being asked the same questions about a million times, I ended up in emergency surgery. The surgical team (Linda, Claire, Carol, Olga the Anaesthetist, and Doctor Chan the surgeon) were absolutely amazing. I couldn't have wished for a safer set of hands. [IMG: [personal profile] ] magister and [IMG: [personal profile] ] ...
If there is one thing that the current situation with tuition fees shows us, it's that not being honest and failing to keep your word does not go down well at all with the voting public. One of the reasons ... Continue reading →
I haven't always got good things to say about Sunderland City Council, but they do deserve tremendous credit for the illuminated Christmas Wonderland they've put on in Mowbray Park this year. The 'late night opening' is on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so we were planning to visit next week, but we saw the park gates were open when we walked past tonight on the way to the City Library, and decided to pop our heads in. We only saw the winter gardens end but it is beautiful – perhaps even more so because of the thick snow that's still on ...
As an exiled Englishwoman, perennially homesick, and with a great love of the parochial, idiosyncratic and mildly eccentric aspects of English life, I'd like to thank all the Lib Dem bloggers who blog on local affairs. Today's posts include: latest Fuller's Earth sagaSpotlight on Cricklewood (Alan Coren lives)Grit bin requestsand Bubble cars in churchtownThe individual posts are usually mundane and worthy notices about local issues, but the English tapestry the headings create on my blog-list gives me great pleasure. Thank-you all.
On Saturday I was priveleged to attend the launch of the Andover Street Pastors. A packed meeting in the Upper Guildhall saw the sixteen volunteers formally appointed and welcomede to the organisation. Street Pastors is an inter-denominational Church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the streets to care, listen and dialogue. It was pioneered in London in January 2003 by Rev Les Isaac, Director of the Ascension Trust, and has seen some remarkable results, including drops in crime in areas where teams have been working. There are now over 100 teams around the United Kingdom including a very ...
The following was today posted on the Woking Borough Council website. If you have still not had your refuse collected, the following may be of interest: Following the recent inclement weather, Woking Borough Council services are retuning to normal. We ... Continue reading →
If you believe today's Metro (Page 13) then some government ministers and MPs are living in the 19th Century: Digital hubs boost for faster internet EVERY community in Britain will have a "digital hub" under plans to have the fastest broadband in Europe by 2015. These will boost internet speeds by operating as a local satellite station for "superfast" broadband, according to media secretary Jeremy Hunt. It is part of an £830 million plan to turn Britain into one of world's most technically advanced nations. We've had these hubs since 1870 for years: they're called Telephone Exchanges. I'm guessing this ...
Mon 6th
19:02
Greg Mulholland may have tried to upstage me by being interviewed whilst on fire, but...
At lunchtime I appeared on the Daily Politics, just after Greg Mulholland gave an interview during which his feet were apparently was on fire (smoke kept on appearing from the bottom of the screen): (Also on the BBC website here.)
There link is to a petition complaining about what I said on the PM programme today.Here is a transcript of the first part of the interview:Well I think they're still in my office. It's like occupying a CAB. We deal with people who have very serious problems. Like one problem we have been prevented with dealing with is that of someone who is not getting any benefits at all although they are
BBC News 24 has learned this evening that David Davis has sent an email to his local NUS group saying that he is voting against the governments proposals for raising tuition fees. As someone who has been consistently against the ... Continue reading →
Steve and Nigel Have signed a request for the Conservative Cabinet to re-consider their decision to close Culverhay Conservative Executive has yet again come to a badly flawed decision on Culverhay. The fault lies entirely with the way they have handled the secondary
A plan to remove the legal minimum number of scientists from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs risks further harming relationships with scientists and with evidence When it comes to the government and drugs policy it is a case of "Hear no evil, see no evil, just speak evil". Perhaps evil is too strong a word but the previous Labour government tackled drugs policy by first shooting the messenger and then threatening his colleagues and successors. With its proposals to amend the law to remove a requirement to have effective science advice on drugs, this government is in ...
Here is a link to a fascinating piece by academic John Hasnas that I have just discovered. Its main focus is on anarchy but it should interest anyone concerned with regulation, how we organise ourselves and the limitations of government. Hat tip Obnoxio the Clown. If you want to know more about the author, then click here to read his explanation as to why he is a libertarian.
The Cricklewood Improvement Group are organising a get-together of the three police Safer Neighbourhood Teams that cover Cricklewood: Fortune Green, Mapesbury and Child's Hill. As I often lament, Cricklewood is not only split between 3 wards, but also between three boroughs. It will be interesting to see what issues are raised at the meeting and how the teams work together. Details below if you're able to come along... COMMUNITY MEETINGto discuss future plans for Cricklewood BroadwayTuesday 7 December 2010 at 7 pmat CHC, 60 Ashford Road, NW2All residents invited - this is an opportunity to have your say! Agenda:1. Discussion ...
Glory be! The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has belatedly noticed that the public is being ripped off by the intentionally misleading deceitful pricing practices of 'Big Retail'. The deceitful practices concerned are a fraud on a monumental scale and are highly regressive in their impact yet few people have noticed what's going on – they're hidden ...
In spite of extravagant claims of support for the 'big society', the Council will reduce voluntary sector funding by £1m this year. With severe cuts already planned to valuable services, it will be elderly, disabled and young people who will be hit hardest. This year at least, our local funding allocations remain (albeit at a lower level) and it is even more important to target this money carefully towards those who need it most, and not, as some members seem to think, towards luxuries such as heritage streetlamps. I was therefore delighted to have three proposals from my allocation approved ...
[IMG: Nicholas Coombes clears snow on the Bathwick Hill] With the return of the cold weather our roads and pavements are icing up again. I have recieved requests for new grit bins on Minster Way (top of hill), The Avenue and Bathwick Hill (middle). While these are not in my gift, I intend to collate these and present an omnibus request. If your area needs a new grit bin please put a request in the comments. Quarry Rock Gardens now have their own private grit bins after needed to be rescued by the fire-brigade (I helped a little) in January ...
Churchtown played host to North West microcars at a weekend recently, seen lined up at Silverthorne Drive ready for a "run out" to Burscough. Meols ward councillor David Tattersall has a silver Messerschmitt KR200 three-wheeler and with fellow local enthusiast Alan Town helped organise the get-together. More than dozen "bubble" and vintage car and motorcycle owners, from Southport, West Lancs - and as far away as Bolton - met up at the Farmers Arms pub, Burscough.
Tonight sees the start of the great tram crash week in Coronation Street. An explosion at The Joinery will set the scene for a dramatic week of deaths, a wedding and a birth. It will culminate with the soap celebrating its 50th birthday this Thursday, 9th December with a live 1 hour episode. To pay tribute to the world's longest current runnning soap, I'm blogging a quote a day from Corrie's past up until the big day. Today, it's the turn of Don Brennan. He is probably best remembered for taking Alma Baldwin hostage as a part of his long-running ...
Newcastle United have disgracefully sacked manager Chirs Hughton, the man who led them back to the Premiership at the first attempt. Chris Hughton has led his rag bag team of ex-cons, future-cons, and Sol Campbell to some big wins this season, and they are sitting comfortably in mid-table coming up to Christmas, when most people thought they would be under severe risk of relegation. Clearly these was undesirable for the Toon board, who much prefer inflicting high drama and suffering on their ever deranged fans. The question is, and has been for a while, who on Earth would want to ...
A Lib Dem team from Southport and Hightown braved the bitter winter weather to help Elwyn Watkins, beaten by Labour's Phil Woolas by just 103 at the general election, win the Parliamentary seat at a by-election expected early in the New Year. Disgraced former Labour Minister Woolas has lost his bid to overturn High Court judges decision removing him from parliament for lying about his Lib Dem opponent Mr Watkins. Seeking refuge from the cold and for suitable liquid refreshment in a local pub, the team sat down only to find the most appropriate picture hanging above them on the ...
This hasn't been my best year for blogging, has it? Mostly down to my own ill-health, though my computer's recently come out in sympathy. As most of my interaction with the outside world or even thinking time goes through it, this is a bit of a blow. In short, I was rebooting and it suddenly got no further than the company logo (a Dell PC running Windows XP) before the screen went blank. My very limited skills have got as far as unproductively re-plugging things and then failing to start safe mode, which simply sticks on one screen half-way through. ...
The press and others have been very busy on twitter today announcing the resignation of Edinburgh West MP, Mike Crockart from the Government as PPS to Michael Moore, Secretary of State for Scotland. Unfortunately for them they had all been speaking or listening to the wrong Mike Crockart. Instead of them listening to the MP they were instead listening to a Yorkshire man possibly with the same name. As well as the World at One falling for the Yorkshire Mike Crockart, even Guido Fawkes fell for this one reporting it on his site and then Iain Dale reported that Guido ...
Word on the street is that MEPs look set today to dismiss parliaments plans to increase maternity leave from the current EU minimum of 14 weeks to 20 weeks, (all of which would be on compulsory full pay). In the first bit of good news for businesss we've seen for a while, Ed Davey (Employment Relations minister) is quoted as saying that the proposals would be "socially regressive" and "extremely costly to business and also to the public purse"...."I will be lobbying against these costly and regressive proposals today and making our case to member states - I know that ...
I've written a piece for Liberal Democrat Voice on this topic. Do pop over and read it. It is an edited version of the talk I gave last week at the Future Democracy 10 conference.
[IMG: Nudge Dredd] Sarah Teather ,(Children's minister), has announced today an inquiry into retailers selling "sexualised products" aimed at children. The inquiry will stop retailers selling such things as t-shirts that say "Future WAG", padded bras for pre-teens, lap-dancing kits and "playboy branded" stationary etc. My first reaction was to chuckle - raise an eyebrow and ask at what point parents want to resign ALL parental control to the state. what do I care if the government wants to meddle - and parents want to let them - it's not my concern. And yet it is my concern because its ...
At 12.09 today I sent an email to my office about a case where a constituent is destitute because there has been a breakdown in the benefits system. At around that time a group of students occupied the office and so it was closed. I discussed the issue on air with one of the organisers of the protest and made the point that they were preventing my office from dealing with some very serious and
The call-in by Council to review the Council Executive decision to close Culverhay will be heard at the Guildhall on Tuesday 14 December at 5.30. The Call-in this time is being lead by Cllr Nigel Roberts (Lib Dem - Odd Down). Your support at this meeting will be greatly appreciated.
Warning: this article contains spoonfuls of anecdotal evidence. I heard, via various channels, that the British are failing once again to cope with the snow, and are a laughing stock all over Europe where the rest of us are coping and life carries on like normal. Living in Germany I turn on the TV news, ...
The proposed changes in the support for students paying fees look a lot better than the sytem they will replace. If the fees levels had been frozen the new system could be hailed as a triumph. It is not unreasonable for Vince and others to point this out. The immediate gerations of students may well be better of than under the plans proposed by (for example) the NUS. But the underlying fee levels are being raised. And more important, the principle of future hikes seems to be conceded. For me the crux of the fees rows is the clear intention ...
The meetings that I attend as a Councillor have much in common with buses. In both cases, I am forced to share a confined space with people being noisier than they should. In addition, lots of Conservatives want to privatise them both, And this week at least, having waited for a fortnight without any, three are coming at once. Tonight's isn't really a Council meeting so much as a Lib Dem event. It's the Annual General Meeting of the local party in fact, where we elect people to the exalted heights of Executive Committee positions and wince as we reflect ...
This is kind of immodest of me, but how can I sell my new book (Eminent Corporations) if I don't pass on the review in the Financial Times this morning? OK, it is the other side of a log in (which is free). OK, they call me Daniel not David. But it is good to be noticed, and I can't help feeling - what with Caroline Spelman's outrageous decision to allow the sale of cloned meat and milk without labelling - that the strange history of Britain's big companies needs telling now more than ever.
South Gloucestershire Libraries are once again holding festive events during the school holidays. Events at Yate Library (all free) are as follows: Sunday 12 December Festive fun - drop in between 11.30am and 2pm. Suitable for three to seven-year-olds. Tuesday 21 December Christmas Chill Out: Crafts and games for all the family - drop in between 2 and 4pm. Suitable for all ages. Thursday 23 December Stories around the Christmas tree. 6 - 7pm. Suitable for four to nine-year-olds Plus, win a Blu-ray player and other Shrek Forever After goodies with the Shrek Forever After quiz. Simply pick up a ...
Here they are listed based on declarations/hints so far on Tom Griffin's blog - hat-tip to Gareth Epps. Current scores on doors are: Likely rebels – 13 Waverers – 16 No stated position – 7 Likely government supporters – 3 Payroll – 18
What a joy for fans of 2D codes. London's freesheet "Metro" has adverts with two different styles of 2D codes on pages 14 and 15. [IMG: 2D Codes in the Metro] In the left corner – John Lewis sporting a QR Code. In the right corner – the Donkey from Shrek going into battle with an MS Tag. FIGHT!QR CodeThis use of QR code leaves me a little conflicted. [IMG: John Lewis QR Code] On the one hand, the code is too small and, either in resizing or printing, has become distorted. [IMG: Jagged QR Code detail] On the other ...
Mon 6th
12:00
Day 3627: There SHOULD be a three way split on Tuition Fees... and lots of other issues!
Monday: There was a lady on the BBC news last night saying that there might be "embarrassment" if the Liberal Democrats voted in different ways on Tuition Fees. EMBARRASSMENT? Are YOU embarrassed, Lady from the BBC? Because I'm not. There are several very complicated and difficult-to-resolve issues in collision here and the Liberal Democrats are obviously and very publically trying to think them through and take opinion onboard. And, unsurprisingly when you ask a bunch of people ELECTED to be independent thinkers, some come to different conclusions. This is called DEMOCRACY. But the Lady from the BBC calls it "embarrassment". ...
[IMG: Harringay Online screenshot] Turning an online profile into offline action is a common theme amongst those trying to make use of the internet, whether it is politicians wanting to turn Facebook friends into doorstepping canvassers, retailers wanting to turn online reviews into high street sales or company Chief Executives wanting to turn buzz about their firm into higher share prices. A new study has looked at a different aspect of this theme: can community websites help strengthen community ties in the offline world? The Online Neighbourhood Networks Study 2010, "has explored the ways in which people communicate online using ...
Since the 1960s there has been a lot of talk amongst liberals about a realignment of the Left. The view now is that this project has been derailed by the coalition. The idea of realignment goes back to the early 20th century when the Liberal party lost ground to the emerging Labour party. The co-operative movement, mutuals and trade unions had been loosely aligned to the Liberal party in the 19th century. Even independent Labour MPs took the Liberal Whip. Then all was split asunder and the Labour party came to represent a new coalition of 'progressive' forces. Life isn't ...
Whilst searching for something else I came across this great clip from coverage of the 1974 General Election. Anyone recognise who this is ? If you don't, check the video.
... can't imagine why.
A viral campaign in support of the NSPCC has kicked off on Facebook, with users changing their profile picture to their favourite childhood TV character. VN thinks this is a lovely idea. There are a few naysayers who rightly point out that changing a profile picture has no direct effect, donating or campaigning does that, however it is a great way to raise awareness.We're talking about the NSPCC now....
If you asked someone to name a liberal hero they might say John Stuart Mill but it is unlikely that they would think of Groucho Marx. Other people write about liberal philosophers, and do a very good job of explaining why they are important. I have already written about the connections between Hayek and Marx but now that I am starting this liberal heroes theme, wanted to include Groucho. I thought it would be fun to look at some unusual suspects who have contributed to spreading a sense of liberty. Grouch is certainly a comic hero. He, along with his ...
The Government's strategy for addressing poverty and inequality is geared towards tackling benefit dependency and making the transition into work easier. In this respect there is a great deal of continuity with the rhetoric, if not the practice, of the previous Labour administration. The publication today of this year's Monitoring Poverty and Social Exclusion by ...
I remain as vehemently opposed to tuition fees as ever but I am sick to death of Labour hypocrisy over the subject. (Here's an example from their demo outside our conference in Plymouth). We all know that if there were a Labour government today they would be increasing tuition fees as recommended by the Browne Report which they commissioned. Here's their duplicitous record.July 1997 Education
Tonight there is a meeting of Shepway Council Corporate Scrutiny Committee, which, like most Shepway Council meetings, is open to the public. An agenda and documents for the meeting are available at http://tinyurl.com/29a9hxs
County Councillor Tim Prater is keen to hear your views on how Kent have managed with snow clearance over the past few days. Has the response been better than to the last snow falls early this year, or not?
I was saddened last year to hear how Cadbury's had been left to be swallowed up by Kraft in a mega chocolate takeover. Clearly the business policies of the last Labour Government was anything goes - even the US would'nt be that laissez faire about such takeovers. This disappointment turned to anger over the weekend when I read that Kraft is planning to rearrange asset ownership so that the Cadbury brand will be owned from Swizterland side stepping circa £200M of yearly UK taxes. This also puts pressures on economies to be out compete each other on ever lower taxation ...
It turned out to be yet another weekend of brilliant Premier League action that continued the unpredictable foundation the current campaign has been built upon. There were plenty of goals, controversial refereeing decisions, as well as a postponement as Blackpool's clash against Manchester United fell foul of the freezing temperatures. A Samir Nasri double made sure Arsenal overcame a spirited Fulham side at The Emirates. The Frenchman has been in sensational form this season, taking the limelight away from other fans' favourites such as Fabregas and Van Persie. The midfielder produced some amazing footwork and tidy finishing to grab a ...
It seems that being leader of the NUS is like a militant training ground for Labour MPs ie the likes of Straw or Woolas. For Mr Porter I'll give it five years. You know the speech `when I was younger I was a bit naive, a bit of a firebrand. Now I'm interested in supporting ...
The Digger must have been on the phone. From the Sun today, we have an article entitled "Brave Clegg": For 65 years, since the last full-blown coalition, his party had been a bunch of chancers backing any popular cause no matter how wacky – safe in the knowledge they hadn't a cat in hell's chance of being in government. Now the Lib Dem leader has had the courage to come off the sidelines, even though it makes him a hate figure among some who were his most ardent supporters. ...Nick Clegg has shown that being in a coalition means you ...
The latest assessment of Southwark Councils social care for financial year 09_10 when the Lib Dems led is that Southwark was performing 'well'. This is clearly a big step up from the previous years performing 'adequately'. Which without change followed the previous 'outstanding' which was decided under a different regime. How this grading can oscillate so much with fundamentally small change I think says more about the bodies measuring the performance than it does about Southwark Councils social care. Either-way, well done Cllr David Noakes who politically led social care during 09_10 and all the officers, volunteers and residents this ...
The topic of tuition fees may seem an odd choice for someone who tries to avoid writing about public policy. Then again, how can someone who writes about politics and the way we might become a more liberal society not touch upon something that has the potential to be a defining issue for the Liberal Democrats. The arguments for and against the coalitions proposals have been well rehearsed by many others. Putting all that to one side, what impact will the policy have on the third party? It seems that Liberal Democrat ministers will vote for the policy with some ...
South Glos Council is consulting about the revised parking and turning restrictions on Link Road, Yate. The planning permission for the Tesco redevelopment required improvements such as better access to Yate bus station, and safer pedestrian links and routes for cyclists on the B4059 Link Road. If you haven't seen the plans for this area before, these are worth a quick look - for example, you can see the new bus station layout, and what the road layout will look like when the current works have been finished. Drivers coming out of the Shopping Centre car park at the exit ...
Is it me or have Kent highways struck on a new way to deter motorist, driving along the Canterbury road back into Margate, last night it seemed to me that Kent's road bods must have acquired a shed load of speed camera signs as there seemed to be one attached to every other lamppost. What is going on?
Adrian Chiles was recently asked whether he might be sacked from "Daybreak" in a Guardian profile: What about the rumours that ITV might sack them? "People say they could get rid of us," muses Chiles mischievously, "but I don't think they can, can they? We've got contracts, haven't we? Unless I say '&%$#' on air or something. Which I might do on a bad morning, and try it to see if that gets me off. Well James Naughtie has done it. He meant to say "After the news we'll be talking to the Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt" but instead transposed ...
The "Red Lion" BP garage on Stockport Road, Cheadle has been ordered to remove the stand-alone cash machine erected in the forecourt. The garage installed the cash machine without applying for planning permission. Local residents came to Pam and myself and we asked the Council's planning officers to look into it. They've now come back and said there's no planning permission and it would be unlikely to be granted if applied for, so the cash machine has to go by 3rd January 2011 or enforcement action will be taken.
Nah, only joking! However, if you are the Welsh Environment Minister then you know I am talking about you. According to the Welsh Government website, Ms. Davidson has flown out to Cancun in Mexico this weekend, where the temperatures are 26 degrees centigrade, to take part in a 'major international summit on global warming'. She writes: Whilst in Cancun I will certainly be emphasising the importance of local action, and the need for sub-national governments like Wales to be represented at international discussions on this global issue, because the truth is that the majority of delivery levers lie at our ...
I love football and the votes for England in the race to host the 2018 World Cup (just 1 apart from our own) was depressing. To be fair the USA and Australia must be even more perplexed as to how they lost out for 2022 to Qatar, a tiny country with a totally unsuitable climate for the tournament and no profile as a footballing nation. The chance of a World Cup in England is probably not likely in my lifetime, so lets move to help the game we invented. Not by lecturing FIFA on how it is corrupt and dodgy, ...
Interesting article in this morning's Guardian suggesting that results from the most respected international study of achievement in literacy, maths and science due out tomorrow are likely to show that schools in Britain are performing poorly compared with those in other countries. The paper says that the coalition government will point to the OECD figures, that compare British pupils with teenagers in other developed nations is evidence of a decline in standards under the previous government: The education secretary, Michael Gove, who is thought to have seen the OECD results, told the Commons recently that England was "failing to keep ...
This morning's Western Mail reports that Labour have been accused of seeking to use the Assembly powers referendum as a springboard from which to win outright victory in next May's election. The accusation comes from one of their Plaid Cymru allies after the Labour candidate for Cardiff West published an article in the Institute of Welsh Affairs' journal Agenda, arguing that the referendum campaign should be led by Labour. Mr. Drakeford said: "To be blunt, the chances of motivating Labour voters diminishes each time the advocacy of a Yes vote is associated with the Conservatives or Plaid Cymru. "The Tory ...
As of 11,40am, Stockport School and Mile End school are reported as being closed on Monday 6th December 2010, with all other Stockport schools open.
Mon 6th
08:31
Policy-based evidence - Government proposes to remove scientists from drugs advisory committee
Government's relationship with the scientific community has been strained for some time; whether over the provision of empty sugar pills on the NHS, the future of research funding or the proper place of evidence in formulating government policy on drugs. There is particular concern amongst scientists that scientific evidence is wheeled out in defence of a political viewpoint when it is deemed convenient, and ditched in favour of dogma, expedience and ideology when it isn't. The sacking of Prof. David Nutt as Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs encapsulated the breakdown of trust between government and ...
The general Election of 2010 gave no party what it wanted, All the parties lost, and that was clearly the message that the electorate deliberately sent to the political class. For the Liberal Democrats, the loss was doubly painful, since the party seemed to be at the point of making a breakthrough that could have changed British politics. In the end, the Liberal Democrats made no progress, despite the widely held view that the party and its leader, Nick Clegg, had fought the best campaign. Indeed several losses- and very near misses- were extremely painful. In that sense, the offer ...
In some minds, Clegg's tuition fees debacle is comparable to Blair's Iraq, where that PM established the principle of pre-emptive war to send fellow citizens to die in a country while hundreds of thousands of locals were killed, for reasons he didn't think any of us deserved to know about beforehand. This ridiculous comparison gives you a good idea of the sense of perspective of many political activists. The Lib Dems need to get their heads around the fact they've just encountered the reality of representative democracy – it takes precedence over party democracy, and isn't shy about proving the ...
Mon 6th
08:00
November: Beckett and Blunkett on AV, MEP voting records, the EU budget, tuition fees and more...
A roundup of posts from On Liberty Now and On Europe Now in November Do you know which way your MEP votes? the main system of voting used is a show of hands UK MEPs unite to vote against EU Budget rise, except... the Greens MEPs voted 546 for (or effectively against the European Council's budget cut plans) with 88 against. 53 of those against came from the UK with the Conservatives, Labour, Lib Dem and UKIP MEPs voting against the proposals, all the Green UK MEPs (5) voted for. Liberal Democrats should abstain on the tuition fees vote When ...
In September I wrote a blog entry about competiton. A new bus service started between Loughton and Waltham Abbey, running a few minutes before the established one and charging less.My main concern was that competition made lead to the regulated service being withdrawn and then prices will rise whilst the quality of service would be fall. I have since found out that the service I use, run by
i) births and deaths 6 December 1932: birth of Declan Mulholland, one of the few Northern Irish actors to appear in Who, as Clark in The Sea Devils (1972) and Till in The Androids of Tara (1978). 6 December 1975: birth of Noel Clarke, who played Mickey Smith in New Who (2005-2009) ii) broadcast anniversaries 6 December 1975: broadcast of third episode of The Android Invasion. The Doctor learns the Kraal's plan; Sarah saves him from brainwiping; and they both stow away on the rocket to Earth. 6 December 1980: broadcast of third episode of State of Decay. Tarak rescues ...
So, I awoke this morning to hear Jennie crying in agony on the stairs from the attic room. She'd been getting ready to go to work and had got some clothes from the attic drying racks. And slipped and fallen a few steps on the way down. Normally, this sort of fall would merit a loud ow and possibly a minute or two to recover. Unfortunately, she has, for the last few weeks, had a cyst on one of her ovaries, that has been more than a little bit painful (for a definition of pain that us mere men simply ...
Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now. Day Two: Nine things about yourself. Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart. Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot. Day Five: Six things you wish you'd never done. Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever) Day Seven: Four turn offs. Day Eight: Three turn ons. Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now. Day Ten: One confession. Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever) Mum: well, she's my mum. ...
I heard some interesting news two days ago. It seems that if you book train tickets exactly two months in advance then they are cheaper. I thought I would give it a go as I like a couple of days here and there rather than a week or ten days holiday in one go. If you follow the photography blog you will see photos of the breaks that I have been taking, and one of the favourite cities from earlier this year was Edinburgh so if the price is right I would be going again in two months. Try it ...
