I was pleased to see a presentation of the proposed Local Transport Plan at the West Area Committee of Northumberland. I am optimistic that we are going to get a new river crossing into the plan. Under previous administrations, the need for a new river crossing was never recognised. Anyone who lives in Prudhoe knows the impact that a proper link with the A69, like Hexham and Haltwhistle have, would help the town and residents a lot. The current bridge and road links to the A69 are grossly inadequate. Getting the bridge on the list doesn't mean it will happen. ...
This afternoon was the first carol service of the season - Queen's Campus of Durham University. There's a tradition that after the service and evening dining the university processes with lanterns across the river to the Town Centre and is greeted by the Mayor and Chief Executive of the Council at the Town Hall. It's a very enjoyable and picturesque event but this year the procession had to be
What a mess. I've not been blogging much lately, but watching today's events unfold, and the vitriol being expressed by some of the opponents of the government, I thought I might as well put some thoughts together, if only as an aid to my own thought process. Where to start? The Policy Itself Personally, I ...
Photo by Sabine J Hutchinson http://www.virtual-shropshire.co.uk/ My favourite Shropshire hill ranges featured in this week's The Living World on Radio 4: Lionel Kelleway travels to a remote part of Shropshire where thankfully the raven is making a remarkable comeback. Here on the Stiperstones National Nature Reserve he meets up with Leo Smith and Tom Wall from the Shropshire Raven Study Group, a group who have been studying these magnificent birds for nearly 20 years, and who have recorded the changes in the fortunes for these huge members of the crow family.
The full Hansard list of how MP's voted is now on Hansard. Click here to see for yourself who sold out students today. I see my MP for Woking Jonathan Lord followed the party line and refused to back the ... Continue reading →
This is why I totally love Twitter. There I was tonight, with emotions completely minced after watching the turmoil and trauma of the Coronation Street live 50th anniversary episode. In my mentions column, I saw this from Fabienne, who tweets as @gift_of_the_fab. Seemingly connected, but not connected tweets.. @SallyBercow:http://bit.ly/eAp8Xv Followed byhttp://bit.ly/hun78V by @caronmlindsayYou can't but wonder what that was about. Well, the first tweet was from Labour activist and serial tweeter Sally Bercow: *whispers* Now off to @torybear's Christmas Party #yesIwasinvited#crosspartybuddies.And the second was this from me: Can't believe they let Sally go in there without a hard hat. What ...
I have received an update from the City Council regarding two current road closures : "Thomson Street will run for a further six weeks from the original end date. This is due to a combination of weather conditions and unforseen operational difficulties. Park Place will run for a further two weeks from the original end date. Again this is due to weather conditions and unforseen operational difficulties." Whilst all accept it is reasonable to expect some delay given the weather conditions, I am speaking with the City Council and Scotland Gas Network's contractor regarding the lengthy delay at Thomson Street. ...
1/ Whilst the debate on tuition fees and the repercussions from the vote are far from over, the vote itself is done and perhaps now some of the news will centre less on the headline maximum tuition-fee cap figure and more on some of the more progressive elements incorporated by the Lib Dems such as raising the earnings threshold at which fees start to be re-paid, the extension of loans to part-time students, and measures to help the poorest students. We do, however, need an internal party enquiry on what has come to pass on this issue. That is not ...
On another Lib Dem blog we read that Today's tuition fee vote is a milestone for the Liberal Democrat party. It is the first time the party has had to seriously consider the wisdom of a policy designed for permanent opposition from the perspective of government. Twenty-seven of the fifty-five present and able to vote ...
How has the magazine been getting on since it decided it could manage without my services? The new Private Eye provides us with a clue: Insiders at the New Statesman confirm that although editor Jason Cowley earns a handsome six-figure salary, around a third of his staff are unpaid interns. A review of their jobs board confirms that their soon-to-be-launched sister mag, Charity Insight, plans to staff itself from a rolling stock of unpaid interns with no guaranteed job at the end.Socialism in action.
The City Council are proposing to cut the speed limit along the Fox Hollies Road. Currently the limit is 40mph from the junction with Olton Boulevard, south to where it meets the Stratford Road in Hall Green. The proposal is to reduce this to 30mph. The proposal follows a study of accidents including their severity, causes and frequency together with surveys of traffic speeds to make an overall assessment of whether existing speed limits are appropriate for main roads. This has been done across Birmingham and the Fox Hollies Road came out as one that should have its limit reduced ...
Noone can fail but be appalled at the actions of many of the protesters in London today who have seen fit to make their protests by smashing up everything they come into contact with and exhorting mindless violence on our capital. I ... Continue reading →
I know a case a few years back where a family was targeted by their local Labour Party. The family was ordinary working class, the man of the household had by dint of working every spare hour at night school had managed to gain some qualifications (having left school without any) and had managed to gain a University place. His wife worked to support him and their child. The local Labour Apparatchiks of course were appalled that anybody would have the temerity to do this without their say so (or at least holding a Labour party membership card to clear ...
So much has been written about Tuition Fees of late, it's not surprising this bit of good news for pensioners hasn't made it to any mainstream media. The state pension will rise for single people from next April, it was announced today. Liberal Democrat Pensions Minister Steve Webb said the pension for a single person will rise by £4.50 to £102.15 a week. Single people on the pensions credit would receive an above-earnings increase to their minimum guarantee of £4.75 to take their weekly income to £137.35. For couples, the increase on their minimum guarantee would be £7.30, taking their ...
[IMG: student-demos-008] Today's tuition fee vote is a milestone for the Liberal Democrat party. It is the first time the party has had to seriously consider the wisdom of a policy designed for permanent opposition from the perspective of government. Twenty-seven of the fifty-five present and able to vote decided to vote in the national interest for a policy that was well-designed, fair, and should ensure sustained quality in the higher education for the many, not the few. They should be congratulated. We cannot attribute exact motives to the twenty-one who voted against and seven that abstained, there is no ...
Mapping the UK: phone calls reveal social and cultural links This is really rather cool, especially the map at the bottom. Makes the Westcountry too big, as usual, but could be a very helpful tool if redrawing borders and boundaries at some point. The BBC needs to point a decent sub editor at the whole article though, most of my blog posts have fewer typos. (tags: bbc maps) Diet advice problems solved: poo lady vs Nigella Perhaps a little bit unfair and objectifying, but it definitely makes the point. Nigella is FIFTY? Ye gods. (tags: nigella+lawson gilliean+mckeith fraudsters)
Dear Steve, Today's vote on Higher Education funding was one of the hardest things we have had to do in politics. I know that there are strong and passionately held views on all sides of the debate, which I very much respect. And of course I understand why many in our party wish we could have pursued a different policy. I wish that too; but we simply were not in that position, we did not win the General Election but went into a coalition and had to tackle the greatest economic crisis in decades. Within those constraints, Vince Cable and ...
I suspect I might well be one of Tesco's typical "Metro" shoppers, most week nights I end up foraging for food, I go to Tesco for two reasons its product quality and efficient tills, and none of that doing you a favour attitude you get in some. I just want to get in, out and fed. Music however has never really been part of the experience, nor has Christmas, so shopping was doubly irritating tonight when my local Tesco had one of my least favourite seasonal tunes, which skipped as it played, Elton John singing "Step into Christmas", which apart ...
Congratulations to the 21 Liberal Democrat MPs who stuck to their principles and the pledge they signed. Shame on those that voted to massively increase wealth inequality and debt. You are no better than the charlatans of the Labour Party whose deceit you gleefully opposed. Fuller commentary to follow.
There was much hilarity this time last year when it was announced that Swindon was to be twinned with Disney World in Florida. But, according to a report in the Swindon Advertiser, much good has come from the initiative. Most important as far as this blog is concerned, Disney staff have been helping renovate the garden of the Richard Jefferies Museum at Coate.
By magic this post will appear just a few minutes before the live episode to be broadcast this evening to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the "serial drama" (as they're called these days) Coronation Street. When I was growing up, we watched Corrie more religiously than we went to Church. The first episode I can remember watching was Emily Bishop's wedding to Ernest on Easter Monday in 1972. I remember we'd been at the beach at Nairn and had to rush back for this great event. I watched pretty much every single episode until I left my parents' home and ...
And so the government has won the controversial tuition fees vote 323 to 302, giving them a majority of 21. While the Tories have escaped much of the spleen-venting over the issue (presumably people expect them to live up to their billing as 'the Nasty Party') the whole issue has torn the Liberal Democrats apart. ...
This afternoon, I happened to be in Belfast City Centre as the protest on tution fees was taking place at the gates of Belfast City Hall. Earlier this evening as Northern Ireland Liberal Democrat Chair I issued a press release. I said: Whilst I support the students' right to have their point heard, and indeed ...
So I got my email from Nick Clegg: Dear Lisa, Today's vote on Higher Education funding was one of the hardest things we have had to do in politics. I know that there are strong and passionately held views on ... Continue reading →
You may remember that we told you a few weeks ago about BT's Race to Infinity survey to see which communities are most interested in fibre-optic broadband. We've just heard that Almondsbury has got 800 requests, but we've still only got 139 people who seem to be interested, out of more than 15,000. If you've got a landline and you think our area could benefit from having faster broadband, please visit http://www.racetoinfinity.bt.com/ and fill out the form before the end of the month!
I am a very very angry LibDem party member this evening. My party betrayed every single voter that it coveted during the General Election campaign in voting to allow a rise in Tuition Fees after we have campaigned against it ... Continue reading →
The Liberal Democrats have been damaged by our divisions over tuition fees. The strongly held views of different MPs couldn't be reconciled, and our role in government meant that we couldn't share with Labour the luxury of being able to criticise without explaining how we would fund higher education. Nick Clegg's authority has taken a blow, but it is one from which he can recover. He will appreciate as never before that the inescapable rule for all political parties is that whether they do things well, or do things badly, they must do them together. Our influence over government policy ...
21 voted against 8 abstained That leaves 28 either voting for or, perhaps, not there (not sure if the abstentions figure include actual absentees such as Chris Huhne). Those figures are from the Guardian. My wild guess early yesterday was: 18 against, 29 for, 10 abstentions. -So I was a bit out.
From the Guardian: Two former Lib Dem leaders, Charles Kennedy and Sir Menzies Campbell were among the 21 Lib Dems who rebelled. A further eight abstained.
The BBC reports: At least 25 coalition MPs are believed to have rebelled. While the vote was tighter than many anticipated, should that figure be confirmed it would represent only the second largest rebellion in this parliament. Thirty seven Conservatives rebelled in a vote on the EU budget.
The resolution and SI were passed today. Now we can continue to work to improve the system. What I am looking for is to move the whole system away from the concept of debt towards that of a future (contingent) tax liability. This is important because then people will not be put off going to university with the thought of debt.Over the years I have paid probably millions of pounds in various
Cross posted from Liberal Democrat Voice Vince Cable lined up as a "bookend" for the Prime Minister at his question time today. One had a feeling, then, that university funding would be high on the agenda. And so it was. In the first section of Q&A (with Ed Miliband) I think Miliband edged a points win - perhaps in decimal places. A "Rizla" win - a fag paper's width between them. Cameron failed to pick up Miliband on some obvious points. The opposition leader referred to English students likely to have the "highest tuition fees" in the world. But presumably ...
These figures were for the first vote but I understand the second vote was identical. 645 MPs have taken the oath. 625 MPs out of that 645 voted on university funding. 323 voted in favour. 302 voted against. 20 MPs who have taken the oath either abstained or weren't present. There are 363 Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs, so a 40 coalition MPs either voted against or abstained. There are 287 non-coalition MPs, so a net 15 coalition MPs rebelled. But once you account for opposition abstainers, then the number will be higher. LibDem PPSs Mike Crockart and Jenny Willott ...
[IMG: http://www.wikio.co.uk] [IMG: Hmmm] The time has come and the vote on University tuition fees has happened. The result: First vote for £9000 cap: For 323, Against 302 - Passed Motion to increase basic fees to £6000: To follow I've found this whole story quite annoying and I can completely understand why students have been protesting - I did the same in 2000 when Labour first wanted to bring in fees! Fat lot of good that did! It is Lib Dem policy to drop fees, but the Coalition isn't doing that. I've also been quite aggravated by the unfair reporting ...
This afternoon Northern Ireland Liberal Democrat Chair Michael Carchrie Campbell was in Belfast city centre and witnessed the student protests outside City Hall at close quarters. Speaking a short time after leaving Donegall Square, Michael said: "Whilst I support the students' right to have their point heard, and indeed agree with them that this tripling ...
I really have had a gutful of the university funding debate. Students who hold forth on the subject who obviously have no idea what the proposals involve (e.g the young lady who said she was "middle class" on Channel Four News last night) are making me extremely angry. How dare they sully the good name of British universities by speaking publicly on this subject, when they haven't spent the ten minutes necessary to read the basic details of the proposal! It's a damn disgrace. The whole point of University is to give one a grounding in how to approach a ...
I blogged a while ago about my frustration at the failure of the Liverpool Poverty Commission to actually start meeting. The problem was highlighted when a City Council motion was unanimously passed asking the Commission to do a piece of work, and it couldn't because it hadn't actually got going. Anyway, since then there's been some progress and assuming no disaster the Commission should start off in January. It won't be called the Poverty Commission but it'll be looking at all the sorts of things you'd expect it to and it will be producing recommendations that are not just for ...
I'm grateful to everyone who took the trouble to contact me about the difficult issue of fees. I've thought long and hard about it, as you might imagine. I've had to consider two key things - the content of the policy and the things we said before the election. I think the policy is far more positive and fair than the media reports would imply. At the moment, students repay their fees as soon as they start earning £15,000 per year, well below the typical graduate starting salary. Under the new scheme, repayments won't start until £21,000. This means that ...
Birmingham is the first location in the UK to install gunshot sensors that by cross referencing sounds analysed as gunshots can place where the gunshot was fired down to about 8m (25feet). Apparently 50 cities in the US have this system deployed already. I first heard of this technology in New Scientist and chuffed to hear its been made to work. Despite its £150,000 price tag what a great system to give instant information to the Police to get cracking to contain the problem of guns being shot. Would it help in Southwark?
Andrew wrote the other day about the farcical incident where Radio 4's World at One programme broadcast an interview with a Yorkshireman purporting to be Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West Mike Crockart. Mike Crockart has now hit the headlines himself by resigning as PPS to Michael Moore MP, Secretary of State for Scotland so he can vote against the tuition fees rise tonight. That means that at least three of the eleven Scottish Liberal Democrat MPs will be voting against the proposals, Mike, Ming Campbell and Charles Kennedy and at least four for, Alistair Carmichael, Danny Alexander, Jo Swinson ...
Speaking in the House of Commnons today, "I will vote against tuition fees simply because I believe that an increase in the cap will discourage some young people from going to university in the future." "I stick by the old-fashioned ... Continue reading →
Turns out even the NUS has been hacking away at funding for poor students, in their case focusing on methods that have the greatest impact: cutting maintenance grants and raising the interest rate on loans. All to maintain political appearances. This highlights a fundamental problem with fighting against fees in preference of graduate taxes. Campaigning on the basis of labels rather than substance leads to inferior proposals. In the desire to avoid talking about "fees", people resort to more damaging tactics under the waterline, out of sight. I think the most valuable thing about tuition fees is that it brings ...
...I find myself disappointed that Clegg hasn't gone out to face them. He did so during the Coalition negotiations, when Take Back Parliament protested outside the venue. He's been extremely forthright in defending his position on the subject, which I can respect, even though I disagree with it. If he goes out now with a ...
At First Minister's Questions today, Alex Salmond name checked Edinburgh Central Liberal Democrat candidate Alex Cole-Hamilton. Brandishing a newspaper in response to a planted question on tuition fees from Christina McKelvie, he pointed out a photgraph of Alex Cole Hamilton with a no fees banner. It was good of him to remind us all of Alex's long record as an anti fees campaigner and student activist. Alex was President of Aberdeen University's SRC as an independent and joined the Liberal Democrats because of the way we'd delivered on abolishing tuition fees in the first Holyrood Government. Then we faced a ...
Opponents of the government's tuition fees proposals have put forward very few alternatives as to how higher education could be financed. The total oppositionists simply state that it should be free (ie free for the student) and so should be financed from general taxation. There is of course no explanation whatsoever from any of these people as to how such a gigantic spending commitment can be
Whilst my party is busy self-immolating over its tuition fee proposals (which are fairer than we have now, as per the IFS, but still not good enough, as per me), I have been busy being a local Councillor with almost no influence on the debate whatsoever. Last night was a meeting of the Council's Internal Scrutiny Committee. I hauled myself from my sick bed to Chair it, stricken as I am with a nasty cold which makes me head feel like it's being squeezed by a vice. I purchased some chocolates for the occasion, in celebration of a fellow committee ...
If we have 'national treasures' why can't we have 'town treasures'. I guess for Southport Jean Alexander may well fall into that category. The BBC website has just done an interview with her from her Southport home: Thousands of characters have come and gone during Coronation Street's 50-year history. But only a few live on in viewers' affections long after leaving the cobbles. Hilda Ogden is one of them. With her curlers and headscarf, the cleaning lady has remained arguably the most iconic character of the last five decades. Actress Jean Alexander, who played Hilda, recalls her days on the ...
I understand Team Bury Executive - the body that brings the Council together with Partners and other agencies to apply a strategic cross thinking approach to Bury issue, will be considering a report reviewing the organisation of that body and the future of Local Area Partnerships. Below is my response to the proposals to scrap LAP's. I have requested that members of Team Bury receive it before they consider the future of area partnerships. FAO of Team Bury Executive Today I understand that Team Bury's Executive will discuss the future "shape" and organisation of Team Bury amidst a number of ...
I have to admit that I'm quite pleased with myself today. Last night saw the discussion of next year's budget for Creeting St Peter and, like last year, I have emerged fairly triumphant from the discussion. Our Parish Clerk is a cautious soul, allowing generous scope for cost increases of those key services that we provide - street lighting and grass cutting - and attempting to build up an appropriate general reserve. I, on the other hand, am more frugal. It's somebody else's money, at the end of the day, and whilst I am happy to fund services that support ...
Shepway District Council are "looking to appoint a suitably qualified contractor to provide for the following minor works services: all minor works including building, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, decorating, routine repairs to Shepway District Council owned corporate properties."
I have a confession to make. I have always rather liked Matthew Offord, Hendon's Conservative MP, on a personal level. I don't know him all that well, but I've known him in passing for many years, and, during the General Election campaign, he showed me, his Liberal Democrat opponent, nothing but courtesy and good humour. Anyway, I was intrigued, watching last night's Newsnight, to see Matthew's name listed by Michael Crick as one of the Tory MPs who might rebel on tuition fees. Is Mr Crick right? Google provides me with no sign of Matthew having campaigned on this, and ...
Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader (of the Parliamentary Party) Simon Hughes has become the thirtieth Liberal Democrat MP on Twitter. You can follow him at @libdemsimon or you can follow all the LibDemMPs on Twitter via the list http://twitter.com/markpack/libdem-mps Hat tip: Tweetminster (and thanks to the Lib Dem press office for so quickly confirming it is a genuine account)
Those of us who were part of the 104 have been having a lively debate over the last couple of weeks. An email we received this morning from Martin Pierce really sums the situation up brilliantly - with his permission I reproduce it - On the day of the vote some things seem clear to me: * Nick and Vince and co will win the vote but have lost the argument * I - and I think voters - understand that manifestos are statements of intent and particularly in a coalition, cannot be enacted in full. However, it's the breaking ...
Ed Miliband said today of the student fees debate: "Before the election, they promised families and young people that they would oppose any increase in tuition fees" That's true Ed, but then before the 1997 election Labour said there would be a vote on a fairer electoral system. They won that election and failed to do this. Before the 1997 election Labour said they would abolish the House of Lords. They won that election and failed to do this. After the 1997 election John Prescott pledged to reduce road transport dramatically and he failed utterly and miserably. His only achievement ...
I think I did too much on Monday going to the doctor's AND to work to drop off my sick note because I was completely wiped out yesterday. I got out of bed for maybe 2 hours in the evening. The whole "don't lift anything heavier than a cup of tea for at least three weeks" thing is getting very old. Things heavier than a cup of tea which I normally lift without thinking include:RoxyHollyplates of food, pots and panspints of beerThankfully, [IMG: [personal profile] ] magister has stuck around to be nursemaid, which is lovely. It takes a lot ...
Thu 9th
13:01
"Ill thought out, lacking in detail and irresponsible shadow Welsh budget" says Peter Black
Commenting on Conservative proposals to impose further cuts on top of those already proposed by the Welsh Government, Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrats Shadow Finance Minister said:"The Conservative shadow budget is ill thought out, lacking in detail and irresponsible. They have chosen to turn a blind eye to wasteful bureaucracy and over-management in the health service and instead pay for the inflated salaries of directors. That is not responsible budgeting. "They are prioritising slashing public services and not dealing with waste and inefficiency in government spending. "They also don't realise that throwing money at the NHS and then have it ...
2010 has been like living on a rollercoaster. Oblivion, I think. A long, slow crawl up, teetering on the edge for what seems like forever, then rushing down and up to a plateau where I'm neither happy nor sad, before it starts again. Over and over. I like excitement, but I think I'd like fewer swooping ups and downs for next year. (Today is not going so well, either. Feeling short of hugs, and seem to have inadvertently annoyed the one person I really want to spend time with at the moment. Not so helpful, as I'm in the sort ...
A former Liberal Democrat MP explores the coalition's tuition fee policy and explains why - despite its merits - he would have voted against it If I were still a Liberal Democrat MP I would vote against the proposed rise in tuition fees. The coalition deal does mean accepting compromises and supporting an overall programme, including things you like as well as things you don't. But this policy is different, for several reasons. I will analyse the policy itself here and deal with the politics and the Lib Dem's pre-election pledge in a later post. First the good aspects of ...
[IMG: Poling Station sign] My own Twitter feed can get rather busy with my work, Lib Dem, chocolate and other interests, so I've started up a Twitter account just for election law news. It's also a way of highlighting election law and administration stories that are of interest but about which I've not got enough commentary to add really to be worthy of a blog post on their own. There is also the occasional piece of non-UK election law news which has relevance for the UK, for eample because similar issues arise here. The account is @UKElectionLaw . I hope ...
You can read it here. It seems that my tongue-in-cheek view that the Whig party is back in power might not have been so fanciful after all.
Whilst at university, I dabbled in Student Politics. I was elected as a Newcastle University delegate to the annual NUS conference in Blackpool on a massive vote of (I think) 12 votes out of a potential electorate of almost 20,000. I was then driven in a minibus and put up in a three star hotel and wined and dined for four days. As a student this was the height of luxury. At the time the newly elected Labour government was introducing top up fees and the leadership under then president Andrew Pakes was very quiet on the issue. I soon ...
Following last week's posts on World AIDS Day, I am posting this important news story, in case you have not seen it. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that a porn actor who contracted HIV while filming has called for condoms to be made compulsory across the adult film industry. Derrick Burts, 24, tested positive ...
Joss Whedon is the creative genius behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly and Dollhouse. All three shows deal with power, question authority and asks what is it that makes us what we are. Firefly is his most political, Dollhouse his most existential and Buffy his most popular. All are worth watching.
This morning's Daily Telegraph contains the startling allegations that NUS UK, the student body that has led the protests on behalf of the Labour Party against the Coalition Government's fees policy, are themselves deep in the mire in undermining the interest of students. They say that leaked e-mails reveal that the National Union of Students secretly urged the Coalition to make deep cuts in student grants and charge market rates of interest on student loans as an alternative to raising tuition fees: In private talks in October, the NUS tried to persuade ministers at the Department for Business to enact ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Local Government, Veronica German, has welcomed news that there will be an independent review into the failures of the Boundary Commission's process. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales had earlier published a report on electoral arrangements for Newport that had completely omitted to consider the representations made by local Liberal Democrats and Conservatives. Veronica commented: "I am pleased that the Boundary Commission's plans have been withdrawn. It is critical that boundary reviews are seen to be impartial. This was clearly not the case due to the lack of representation from two groups ...
Durham County Council's Cabinet will be holding their meeting at Consett Civic Centre on Wednesday December 15th. Whilst much of the meeting itself may be pretty dry, from 9.30 till 10.00 there is a half-hour opportunity for you to put a question to the cabinet - the body that makes most decisions in County Durham - on any issue that interests you. The format gives first opportunity to people who put in a question in advance - the easiest way is to email your question to Cabinetquestions@durham.gov.uk - but you have to do it before 12 Noon on Friday to ...
Understanding a secular vision of compassion is vital if we are to use it in any meaningful manner to improve the places where we live. The Charter for Compassion offers some excellent views on this and this video from TED Talks by Robert Wright uses evolutionary biology and game theory to explain why we appreciate ...
A few quick points about wikileaks: Firstly, they don't steal data. They don't spy and plot, they just publish data people give them. If you want to prosecute someone for leaking something, find out who did it and prosecute them. This apparently needs to be made clear to some in the US media. Secondly, you can't charge foreign citizens with treason; they aren't even supposed to be loyal to you. Assange is an Australian citizen, so the US can't try him for treason. That one is for the benefit of Mitt Romney, who apparently thinks otherwise. Finally, I think the ...
Just a quick reminder to Swinton South residents - if you have an issue you'd like to raise, or a problem you need help with, why not come alone to my councillor's surgery tonight. Surgery Details: Location: Worsley Road Methodist Church (entrance from Harrowby Road) Time: 6.30pm - 7.30pm No appointment needed. See you there!
Perhaps students could have voted with more unity and sense of their own best interests in May. Only 20 more Lib Dem MP's would have given our party much more negotiating elbow room and a true holding of the balance of power. Instead for those you voted in the General Election, most supported parties that introduced and otherwise were pledged to uphold tuition fees and the inevitable rises that come with that policy. What next time, I wonder?
Last night, the Annual General Meeting of the Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats was held having been postponed from two weeks prior to that. Not just the usual... Apart from the usual business of AGMs - that of receiving reports, approving accounts, election of officers - we listened to Stephen Glenn, Regional Organiser for Northern Ireland, ...
Later today MPs will vote on whether or not to significantly increase tuition fees. For me the lead up to this vote, and the implications for the party I have campaigned for for 23 years, are profoundly depressing. I do accept that in a coalition we will have to make compromises. We have 57 MPs in a House Commons where the two dominant political parties both believe that individual students should make a substantial contribution to the cost of their first degree. I understand and accept that. But what I find depressing is the way in which our party leaders, ...
The other week I went with some friends to the new Jamie Oliver Italian restaurant in the Bull Ring in Birmingham. I think it is fair to say we were all looking forward to it, and all came away disappointed.
Today is crunch day for tuition fees. I was up at Parliament last night and saw all the crush barriers in readiness for the demonstrations. I have no problem with students taking to the streets to make points about issues that are dear to them; it takes me back to my own student days. However, violence is completely unnecessary, and pretty counterproductive when you want to be taken seriously. In Kingston, students ran a petition against the rise in tuition fees, which was signed by the Leader of the Council, and many other Liberal Democrat councillors and supporters (including me). ...
So, Chris Huhne has decided to stay in Cancun to continue the valuable work he's doing at the UN climate change conference. This is a good thing, and shows that he's prepared to stick by what's important, regardless of the political consequences. Let's hope that he really can achieve some progress on measures to combat climate change and persuade those countries who have their fingers in their ears going la la la la la that they need to do more or the global consequences will be catastrophic. The reason this was ever an issue was, as I wrote yesterday, because ...
Back in early September, I blogged here about the impending local government boundary reviews that were due to come into force in time for the 2012 elections and the expected loss of my Aberteifi Rhyd-Y-Fuwch ward as a part of that process. Well, Local Government Minister Carl Sargeant has now announced that the review is not to come into force across Wales until at least 2016 because of the differential rate of progress of review across Wales. I had a feeling that the whole process may be moved back a year until 2013 but the situation has become so acute ...
Julian Huppert MP tells us he is supporting the Campaign for a PFI Rebate. It sounds like something best avoided. It represents a fraction of a per cent of what is widely acknowledged as a complete rip off. That isn't a rebate – it's bargain basement political cover to allow private firms to keep 99.5% of the money they are ripping out of the public purse. If we're serious about wanting to tackle the PFI drain, the starting point is a decent investigation in to just how badly we're being treated. It shouldn't be too difficult to draw up a ...
It's a historic day for Coronation Street. Today is the 50th anniversary of what is a British institution. We're in the middle of a dramatic week on the Cobbles of Coronation Street. On Monday we saw a great tram crash and since then, the frantic rescue operation has been underway. It culminates with the soap celebrating its 50th birthday tonight 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's quote comes from Elsie Tanner - the siren of the ...
Thu 9th
07:34
This is a tough day for Lib Dems...but we'll take no lessons from the hypocritical Labour Party!
Labour, with massive majorities, voted in tuition fees and then top-up fees having said they'd do neither...that was when they had the mandate, power and money to have taken whatever decision they wanted to.
9 December 1938: birth of Waris Hussein, director of An Unearthly Child (1963) and Marco Polo (1964). 9 December 1967: broadcast of fifth episode of The Ice Warriors. Clent prepares to use the ioniser; the Ice Warriors prepare to use their sonic cannon. 9 December 1978: broadcast of third episode of The Androids of Tara. The Doctor tries to rescue Romana, but it's her android double; the real Romana escapes and is recaptured.
The consultation on the Plaid Cymru-Labour's Government's badger cull in North Pembrokeshire ends on 17th December. I have set out below my response. Apologies for the length. Question 1: Do you object to the culling of any wildlife for the purposes of controlling disease in farm animals? * If yes, please explain why? : Yes, Firstly, I would like to point out that this is a leading question. The consultation document is only concerned with badgers, a protected species, and therefore questions should only be related to badgers rather than wildlife as a whole. However, by concentrating on the badger ...
There I've said it – goaded by the nutty left brigade both on the far left and within the party plus the cynical positioning of Labour. It's time to choose. Governing is about choosing – not prevaricating. I think i've heard enough about students and tuition fees to last a life time. I've read so ...
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 Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now. :/ and :( - I am really ...
Student visa reform proposed | Home Office "Contribute your views to our consultation into how we can best reduce the number of students who can come to the UK." An appalling pretence at public consultation with the most biased online survey I have ever seen. (tags: ukpolitics)
The social sciences rarely have yes/no answers. Yesterday's blog should have been a yes/no sort of problem. Should we have a roundabout which follows the Highway Code? Somebody decided that there should be a variation allowing for a complex change to the usual road markings. A much more complex decision has to be made over the planning of a new cycle path in Morecambe. The problem is that the path, as well as a bus lane, will cause the destruction of a very mature hawthorn hedge as well as producing much more tarmac. What sort of influences are there on ...
Thu 9th
00:00
Labour and So-Called Green Party Leaders Both Disgusting Hypocrites - Anyone Surprised?
Tonight on tuition fees, the Liberal Democrats reach the climax of their worst political fuck-up for twenty years. This is a cause of ructions for Lib Dems, hilarity for the media, hypocrisy from Labour who created the policy (except the fairer bits), and disgusting hypocrisy from the Labour-run "National Union of Students," whose policy is functionally identical to the Coalition Government's but who pretend outrage. What you won't see in the terrible press the Lib Dems are getting is that the Leaders of the Labour and, shockingly, the So-Called "Green Party" prioritise embarrassing the Government instead of tackling climate change. ...
