We need to re-dedicate ourselves to help the least, the last and the lost.
Sun 12th
22:26
Tuition fees - we simply could not continue labour's policy of doing more for richer people and less...
Few people like to criticise their own profession, so it goes against the grain for me - as a journalist - to conclude that the media has behaved pretty despicably over its reporting of the tuition fees issue. But I feel no other conclusion is possible. OK, so we as a political party haven't covered ourselves in glory over this one either, but the blatant misinformation emanating from even some of the more respected political reporters doesn't reflect well on them. Too many have delighted in talking about the Lib Dems' 'U-turn' (or 'dramatic U-turn' or 'spectacular U-turn' - why ...
Out of the blue, a week ago I received a letter from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. It was to inform me that correspondence from me to him from 2008/9 would shortly be published. Now lo and behold, my handiwork appears on the Parliamentary website, in connection with a complaint I made to the commissioner about an MP. It's all part of a laudable step forward in openess by the Comissioner. You can find all the correspodence concerning his rulings for the last three years here.
I've often raved about eMusic.com, a subscription-based MP3 site. I've discovered literally thousands of great albums through it over the years, and have had nothing but good things to say about it. I've got music from there ranging from bands like Vampire Weekend to Benny Goodman, by way of Captain Beefheart, Candypants, Sun Ra, Kristian ...
[IMG: yum yum]
The British media have recently started using the term Union Flag in preference to Union Jack, as in this article about Charlie Gilmour. I don't understand why. It is technically correct, but so is Union Jack, and less likely to cause confusion. Union Flag brings to my mind the image of the USA flag, not the British one.
And, what a superb week it has been on The Street at 50!
Discussing the likely Ed and Nick show next year Odds are, having most of the Labour leadership campaigning along a lot of senior Lib Dems will do a lot to mend wounds and similar. This will, naturally, be a good thing. I seem to recall talk that the EEC referendum that put the sane Labour members campaigning alongside the Liberals helped foster the bonds that eventually led to the Alliance. Given the personal rapport that already existed between Steel and Jenkins, not sure I'm sold on that completely, but anyone got a source or extra info on that? (tags: av ...
On YouTube here below (in three parts) is a 30 minute interview with Nick Clegg on University funding. The interviewer is Dr Evan Harris, this interview was originally published on the Liberal Burblings Blog (here). Like them I thoroughly recommend viewing the interview. It covers an enormous amount of detail on the controversy. A transcript is available here.
Just helped out with a resident's survey. Having moved around the UK fairly regularly over the last ten years, I tend to be slightly divorced from my local community. So it was a nice feeling knocking on doors and having mostly friendly little encounters. It's also slightly bizarre putting on the gloves and hat at the same time as thinking, "It's quite warm today." A few kindly neighbours made sympathetic comments about walking about in the cold and dark. It's worth it just for appreciating the cup of tea back home that little bit more.
I can't help it, I have to write two blogs today. The Washington Redskins are playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a player was angry near one of the referees. The commentators were almost angry too. You don't touch a referee or, in American parlance, you are ejected from the game (sent off in English). Earlier in the game Nick Halling suggested that referees had been making mistakes. His co-presenter, the American Kevin Cadle refused to make any remarks against the referee. We have a problem in England (well Scotland definitely has it too) that we don't respect our referees. ...
A hell of a lot of people are deeply concerned about the loss of the Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA). I was more than a little concerned myself - so I had a look at what the scrapping means and why it's been done. The EMA currently provides up to £30 per week for students from low ...
[IMG: Bathwick St Mary's Primary School] Bathwick's six-monthly Police & Communities Together (PaCT) meeting was at St Mary's Primary last Monday. Rev Prothero chaired the meeting, which included Cllr Nicholas Coombes, Cllr Armand Edwards, PCSO Greg Doyle, PCSO Mike Symonds and Andy Chard from B&NES Council. All previous priorities related to police work; they reported their activities against speeding motorists and anti-social behaviour in Sydney Gardens. New priorities were voted as: illegal parking outside Tesco on Bathwick Hill speeding on Bathwick Hill and Claverton Down Road pedestrian safety on the Bathwick Hill zebra crossing The next PaCT meeting is planned ...
It has been widely reported that Israel's refusal to sign up to another freeze on settlement building has frozen not the settlements, but the latest round of US-sponsored direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). I support the peace talks and I would be more than happy if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu signed Israel up to another settlement freeze. Israeli Opposition Leader Tsipi Livni is right to say that Israel "can't rally the world by constantly saying no. We need to say 'Yes' from time to time too". But here are a few observations. One is that there ...
Today's UK Championship snooker final between Mark Williams and John Higgins has felt like the turning back of the snooker clock a good decade and its been a pleasure to watch. Williams leads 6-2 going into the evening session tonight and is on-course to record his 3rd UK Championship win having lifted the trophy back in 1999 & 2002. John Higgins has also lifted the title twice, back in 1998 & 2000 - the two of them winning snooker's second most prestigious title for 4 years out of 5 at the turn of the millennium. After the controversy of the ...
When you look at Labour's performance in opposition over tuition fees, you realise just how good the Lib Dem's were on the opposition benches. If we had got our hands on a dispatch box in opposition (which would presumably have required an opposition coalition) we would have been murderously effective on issues like this. Why, because we have always taken policy seriously. Always offered detailed alternatives, and always sought to balance the books. The reason being is that we have always been passionate about our beliefs and that we believed (perhaps wrongly) we could only win power by articulating alternative ...
Welcome to my weekly round-up of two blogging highlights from the past week: the post that I found most interesting or enjoyable to write and the post from someone else that I found most interesting or entertaining. A post from me...Marked registers lost, votes counted up wrongly - but Returning Officer judged to have met performance standards There are many great things about our democracy, but then there's the massive variation in quality of Returning Officers: My original headline was going to be "One-third of (Acting) Returning Officers assess their own performance wrongly", but the more closely I look at ...
They may not have named Bridgend twice the but the town has taken a unique record off New York. According to Wales On-Line this unique part of my electoral region has just smashed the World Record for the most elves in one place. Apparently, 800 gathered in the town centre yesterday, smashing the previous world record for an elf get-together by a massive 184 elves and taking the crown from New York. A 100-metre section of Adare Street was cordoned off for the gathering. Nearly 800 red and green hats were handed out to the festive revellers and the centre ...
Such has been the popularity of my Corrie blog posts this past week (smashing a number of my blog records along the way), I thought I'd conclude what has been a dramatic and historic week on the Cobbles by putting my 10 Killer Corrie Quotes into one blog post in descending order, based on their popularity in terms of page profile views on this blog. So here goes pop pickers... In at Number 10... "Mike Baldwin might be a smooth lecherous Cockney. But there's aren't many of the boss class left like him. Dedicated to grinding the faces of the ...
Friends of the Park, in conjunction with Leisureworks, will be holding a Christmas Fayre based in the Park Lodge (Heritage Centre) of Blackhill and Consett Park on Saturday December 18th, running from 11.00 a.m. till 6.00. There will be Art and Craft stalls, Santa's grotto (from around 4.00 p.m.), Carols by Consett Brass (from around 5.00 p.m.), tea and coffee throughout the day and much, much more. Admission is free, but some activities may incur charges. Timings are approximate.
There are many reasons being given in many places across the internet and print media why the British voter should not be voting Yes in the Referendum on the Voting System for the members of the House of Commons. However, one of them today caught my eye. On the Telegraph website, Daniel Hannan, has stated ...
A BBC Quick Read book, which has the Tenth Doctor and Martha rescuing King Edward VII from kidnapping by the Judoon, who themselves are ensnared in someone else's evil plan. Does what it says on the tin, in standard Terrance Dicks mode, with random added Arthur Conan Doyle for extra colour.
Appreciating that I've already been very quiet for a while I should probably state that whilst I'm in Afghanistan I've been blogging at http://kabulmustela.wordpress.com in an effort to keep my military stuff apart from my more generalised ranting about how we have the tyranny of the majority imposed on us in the UK Feel ...
I know, I know, it's hard to imagine Conservative Home posting anything but paragraph after paragraph of idiocy and anger. But lo! Like the old "thousand monkeys" old wives tale, they've actually done a whole blog post that seems sensible! If you don't believe me, you can read it here: Seven Steps To A Liberal Democrat Recovery If you feel benevolent and particularly generous, this writer always appreciates things bought for him from his wishlist
The last week has seen an absolute frothing media frenzy on the tuition fees issue. WILL THE LIB DEMS SPLIT?!!!1 OMG THEY SPLIT!!!eleventy! IS THIS THE END OF THE LIB DEMS????!!!! Got news for you, bozos. We're Liberals. We accept the idea that reasonable people can (and in some cases should) disagree with each other. The process of debate is one that we actively enjoy in this party; and forged in the fires of Conference, our MPs are bloody well practised at enjoying a good debate. That being said, the vote has happened, the votes fell as they fell, and ...
British pop music in the early 1960s was dominated by a few impresarios. The early excitement of rock and roll had been tamed and the forces of commerce were firmly in charge again. In short the situation was much like the one British pop finds itself in today. So it is a surprise to find such a sultry British single from 1960. Fury's version, which was a minor hit, is a cover of the original (far sunnier) US version by Jimmy Jones. It became more widely known after being used on a Toyota television commercial in the 1990s.
I was going to write something about the Liberal Democrats today - in light of the Tuition Fee vote, but honestly can't be arsed, I will save that for another day. This morning I went to see the latest Chronicles of Narnian film - The Dawn Treader, and yesterday saw the latest Stig Larsson - The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest, so will write about them instead.
Lord Ashcroft has done the Lib Dems a favour! He has conducted a large opinion poll on the Liberal Democrats' electoral prospects. 3,000 people were surveyed in total and eight focus groups were held in LibDem seats and his findings hold some very interesting issues for the Lib Dems. Lord Ashcroft himself outlines what he ...
Even if every country does what it says it will do, world temperatures will rise by 4 degrees centigrade over the next century. That's the best-guess scientific prediction. A temperature rise of this magnitude would force hundreds of millions of people to move or risk death, so it's extreme in itself. (Where do these people move to without giving rise to enormous political unrest?). But it also gives rise to the prospect of run-away climate change, leading, for example, to the release of methane from frozen tundra that will accelerate the process of global warming. All this sounds fanciful when ...
Further to my item yesterday about the disgraceful graffiti vandalism of a resident's van and other damage in the early hours of Saturday morning, I had a very useful discussion with our local Police Inspector this morning about these incidents. I am reassured that Tayside Police is putting in considerable resource to apprehend those responsible. Residents are rightly sick and tired of this sort of destructive and pointless behaviour. I had an update from the Head of Waste Management this morning about the bin collection situation in the West End, as follows : " ... there are still pockets of ...
Because of Charles Kennedy's indolence as leader, Richard Grayson had a large say in the running of the party for many years. Which makes him a slightly unconvincing representative of the party's grassroots in today's front-page Observer report by Anushka Asthana and Allegra Stratton. Richard Grayson has an article of his own on the Guardian website in which he complains: all we hear from Nick Clegg is lots about John Stuart Mill. Rarely, if ever, is there talk of the Liberals cited by Ed Miliband, nor the originators of social liberalism such as LT Hobhouse or TH Green. A philosophy ...
I don't normally write about national politics on this blog, but tuition fees is a major issue and I've been disappointed by the amount of misinformation flying about. This is an attempt to set the record straight. You may read this and end up with the view that the Lib Dem leadership made the wrong call - I've no objection to that! But please do take a look at the facts on the new plans before making your mind up. Having lost the election, the Lib Dems decided to go into coalition, as you know. With 23% of the vote ...
Lord Ashcroft, the former Conservative Party Treasurer responsible for funding target seat campaigns, many against Liberal Democrats, is not an entirely popular figure in this parish. Indeed the media spin on his latest report... "Lib Dems 'to lose half their support at the next General Election'" - Telegraph "The LibDems may cease to be" - Iain Dale ... is unlikely to increase the number of air mail Christmas Cards winging their way to Belize. However the research he has commissioned is important and there are much useful analysis within it that Liberal Democrats should not ignore. I note particularly the ...
So, a promotion for Angela Constance MSP and another woman into the Scottish Government cabinet. Angela Constance is MSP for Livingston, which at the election in May is to become Almond Valley, with an SNP notional majority of just 242. I am sorry, but this appointment as Keith Brown's to Transport Minister prove that Alex Salmond is just playing politics with these appointments rather than thinking of governing Scotland and it's people. Both appointments are nothing more than a sham.
Following the shock resignation last night of Stewart Stevenson MSP as Scotland's Transport Minister, it appears that his replacement is to be Keith Brown MSP. I am a little concerned that this is political rather than playing to his skills. He is currently Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning and according to his biography has no transport experience. Keith Brown is MSP for Ochil, which is to change to Clackmannanshire and Dunblane at the election and which the SNP will be entering the election with a notional majority of just 354. So, is this the SNP once again playing politics ...
Sun 12th
12:35
Dr. Evan Harris writes in the Guardian, and interviews Nick Clegg, regarding tuition fees
There is little doubt that it has been a difficult week for Liberal Democrats; our Parliamentary party faced the choice between backing a rise in university tuition fees that the majority of Lib Dem voters and members do not support, and causing a potentially damaging split within the Coalition. The decision to raise fees has been protested – vociferously, at times violently – and the Lib Dems' role in this policy has been subject to much Parliamentary and media scrutiny, without much of a real debate over the merits or otherwise of the proposed policy itself. Here, we bring you ...
The dust is settling a little, the accusations about behaviour during demonstrations are bouncing round the media and conversations up and down the land, and one thing strikes me above all else: The focus of the public "debate" has been entirely on the rise in tuition fees. Yet this package is about so much more than that. There's been some discussion of the rights and wrongs of shifting the
The story is that the Lib Dems, ever so close to students, signed a pledge not to raise tuition fees and reneged on it once in power. The broken promise is causing revolt on the streets and threatens the extinction of the party at the next election. As a narrative, the story is coherent, touches every emotional chord from hope to betrayal, and from trust to suspicion. It is a classic story, it
For the past week I have watched as the media, Labour influenced (and financially supported) student groups and others with vested interests have taken lumps out of the Liberal Democrats in what has been one of our most politically challenging ... Continue reading →
The last few Emperors of the West stagger on, with Ricimer, a Germanic general in the Roman army, effectively ruling what is left from behind the scenes, more or less ignored by Byzantium, alternatively invaded and propped up by Genseric from the African Vandal kingdom, with a brief spurt of activity under Majorian. After Ricimer's death, the Gothic leader Odoacer simply abolishes the position of Emperor in Italy; it is not even clear what year this happened in.
There's a lot of blogging on the Lib Dems at the moment. Some are writing an epitaph and some are writing of metamorphasis after the sacrifice of Clegg. The phoenix was an interesting choice for the Liberal Democrats to choose in 1983. Most understand the bird to represent rising from the ashes, and so the merging of the Social Democrats and the Liberal Party could be seen as a rejuvenation of
Iain Dale considers the demise of the Lib Dems and the potential of an electoral pact at the next election.
I have recently finished reading a book - all 360 odd pages of it regarding a south london housing estate anonymously named 'providence'. It was a legend of a book and I was completely absorbed by the interviews. what I can say is this. this is palced back in the 80s yet the characters are just as placeable today. when i was a city councillor I certainly met enquiries about housing and social need. yet i was coming from a view as an elected representative. this book came from the view of an observer. as a social scientist and researcher. ...
From BBC News: The poorest pupils in England will get an extra £430 spent on them next year under the government's pupil premium scheme, it has been revealed. Schools will receive the money for every pupil whose parents have an annual income of less than £16,000. Head teachers will be encouraged to spend it on reducing class sizes or more one-to-one tuition.Sadly, this news will not receive a fraction of the attention that the increase in tuition fees has. and that is as true of the Lib Dem blogosphere as anywhere else.
Today is the second day this year that the clergy ought to be wearing pink at Mass. That is the vestments are meant to be rose coloured. This is what happens during Lent on Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent, and today, Gaudete Sunday - the third Sunday of Advent. Third Sunday of Advent ...
- Cambridge history student from a rich family didn't know what the Cenotaph is. As if that was no enough, The Observer highlights an even greater irony about the story of Charlie Gilmour's exploits: Last week's protest against tuition fees were for the most part peaceful. Sadly, they were also a vehicle for a few to indulge in senseless violence. In the middle of the spectrum, far from dignified, but a danger mostly to himself was the hapless Charlie Gilmour, who made headlines by scaling the Cenotaph on Whitehall. The exploit received lavish attention largely because Charlie is the stepson ...
Please take some time out of your day today to download this single in aid of the Aberlour Child Care Trust. Christmas is about helping people and the fantastic people at Aberlour will make good use of the money it raises. Have a look here at some of the things they do right across Scotland.
Sun 12th
08:06
Whoniversaries 12 December: Sarah Sutton, Dalek Invasion of Earth #4, Walking to Babylon
births and deaths 12 December 1961: birth of Sarah Sutton, who played Nyssa, companion to the Fourth and fifth Doctors, in 1981-83. ii) broadcast anniversaries 12 December 1964: broadcast of "The End of Tomorrow", fourth episode of the story we now know as The Dalek Invasion of Earth. Barbara and Jenny break out of London in the truck; Susan likes the idea of a fresh start; Ian is menaced by the Slyther. iii) date specified in Who-linked fiction 12 December 1901: John Lafayette is transported to ancient Babylon, in Kate Orman's novel Walking to Babylon (1998) - yet another December ...
The Guardian has a fascinating article about the on-line backlash against those who are seeking to close down the Wikileaks site. They say that the response to the WikiLeaks' cable release had been savage, particularly in the US: Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, said those who passed the secrets to Assange should be executed. Sarah Palin demanded Assange be hunted in the same way an al-Qaida operative would be pursued. The US attorney general Eric Holder ordered his officials to begin a criminal investigation into Assange with the intention of putting him on trial in the US. The Wiklileaks ...
Those that have followed the link in the previous post will have also noted the following text on the NUS webpage (previously linked and currently linked).Progressive graduate contributionNUS' Blueprint proposes that students contribute to the costs of their degree once they have graduated. Under this system those who benefit most from university by earning more will contribute more. In other
We can reasonably assume the left-leaning Guardian newspaper would prefer a Lab-Lib to Con-Lib government, and that the number of Liberal Democrats who would agree with that proposition has increased after the tuition fees vote. This headline today though is a little naughty. "Liberal Democrat grassroots hit back over tuition fees Richard Grayson, former director of policy, says Liberal Democrats should move closer to Ed Miliband and Labour" The conflation of one pundit's views as representative of the entire party 'grassroots', is somewhat misleading. But also compare and contrast with Richard Grayson's views in the Guardian in May. Prior to ...
On my personal blog Gyronny Herald I have posted a response to comments made on A Pint of Unionist Lite.
A Pint of Unionist Lite has commented about a post of mine* about the reaction of Anna Lo MLA to the story from Fermanagh about Social Democratic and Labour Party Councillor John O'Kane's comments on creating a centre ground grouping, I would like to confirm that I made my statements full in the knowledge that ...
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, the leader of Broxtowe Borough Council. The Weather It seems very hard to believe now that just four days ago the temperature was minus 12 and we were having massive difficulties providing services. The two main issues we had to address were gritting the roads and collecting the rubbish. I think we've done well with the gritting. We are restricted by the County Council on where we can grit but we have pushed beyond those limits wherever possible. I know that many people would ...
Neil Armstrong Talks About The First Moon Walk : Krulwich Wonders... : NPR Neil Armstrong responds to NPR piece about the first moon walk. (tags: space)
