Introduction I am a social liberal. I believe that the best form of government and structure for a society is one which follows a social liberal democratic model. In this essay I shall attempt to describe precisely how I believe the United Kingdom could be transformed into such a society. But this is not truly an essay, it is a vision, and, like all visions, parts of it will be plausible, parts will be naive and parts of it will be naught but unworkable dreams. I therefore ask you, dear reader (yes, my bum really is that stuffed with tweed) ...
The next meeting of the Yardley Constituency Committee takes place at 6.30pm this Thursday, 27th January, in South Yardley Library. The main items on the agenda are: A verbal update on the Tesco Development at The Swan in Yardley A presentation from the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which is consulting about its application to become an NHS Foundation Trust A report on the Birmingham Core Strategy A verbal report from Amey, who are currently consulting on their draft plans for highways maintenance works.
I've been rediscovering the joys of war-gaming recently. No, I haven't been digging out the Dungeons and Dragons twenty sided dice or dusting off the old Diplomacy set. There hasn't been time in my life to fritter away hours negotiating and breaking make-believe pan-European alliances or slaying imaginary orcs since I was a nerdy teenager on a snowday. What I have been doing though is working with some Lib Dem council groups prepare for the council budget setting process. In tough economic times the battle around local government budgets looks set to be particularly bloody this year. Money is painfully ...
There's a proposal to improve the cycle route to the school from Newsam Road. The idea is to take out the steps which lead from the footpath/cycleway down to Aspen Rd and convert them into a slope, and then to add some safety features at Elton Lane and at the entrance to the school. The plans are on Stockton Lib Dems website if you'd like to look. We need comments by Thursday Feb 3rd please.
The outgoing chief of the CBI, Sir Richard Lambert, has had a pop at the Coalition. I doubt the Daleks or the Ogrons looked up from their world domination plans. One person who did comment on it was Ed Balls, the new hope of the Official Opposition. I'm not sure I can raise a proper sentence. Sir Richard Lambert appears to be upbraiding the Government of some other country, the one where society actually is considered before big business. "Politics appears to have trumped economics" apparently, according to the eminent Sir Richard, presumably knighted for making Britain a better place ...
Crikey had it not been for an email apology received last Thursday, I would have read through the Gazette on Friday, got to the letters page and thought "Crikey that's similar to wot I wrote" , however alerted by the missive, "sincere apologies for an error made in today's Isle of Thanet Gazette (Friday January 21)." "some kind of mix up" "compiling our letters page" "incorrect author's name was printed." "correction in next Friday's paper" I was almost disappointed to realise that my name was not attributed to some letter thanking the local hospital, complaining about dog mess, or claiming ...
Today Cornwall Council's parking panel made a decision which could help to kill Launceston's town centre. I have blogged frequently in the past about the proposals that the panel had come up with. Set the impossible task of coming up with a scheme which raised revenue by 6% and equalised charges across Cornwall, the panel had made a proposal which would see average hourly rates in Launceston rise by 42% and would increase the season ticket price over the next two years to £600 from the current £195. Then the Cabinet reported that they had discovered 'new information'. This new ...
All, It was announced last week that Warwickshire Police were, after all, considering the closure of Shipston Police Station. This is the quote from the plans released by Warwickshire Police: • Shipston o Front office services are available at Shipston Police Station, which is currently open Tuesday and Wednesday, 8am – 3.30pm. Work is ongoing to achieve a partnership-based location from which the front office can be provided in the future. o At present our Safer Neighbourhood Team operates out of Shipston Police Station. Work is ongoing to identify and then relocate to a new Safer Neighbourhood Office within the ...
Living on Words Alone completes his suggested reshuffle: There would of course be one vacancy left and given the need for the parliamentary party to put the splits of the tuition fee debacle behind I would bolster the Whips Office (replacing Norman Lamb) with the inestimable Lord Bonkers - the party's last remaining link to the Liberal landslide government of 1906, Bonkers is the epitome of loyalty to the party over the years, can recite the Areopagitica backwards and comes with unpaid support from Meadowcroft. I'd reckon he'd clampdown on the slightest sniff of rebellions as quickly as you can ...
Thanks to fellow Gatley governor Jamie - between us we cleared a good deal of the rubbish in the passageway behind the Co-op (from Oakwood Avenue to Elm Road) and split it between our various wheelie bins. It's not perfect, but a lot better. There's a good deal of litter still on the Co-op property - in their bin enclosure and their parking spaces. A lot of people seem to have asked them to clear it up in the last few days but it's still there - so come on Co-op - we know you're normally very good at keeping ...
I've not really become terribly connected to the 'Yes to Fairer Votes' campaign, although I'll be voting yes on 5 May. But my attention has been drawn to the latest outpouring from the Director of the 'No2AV' campaign, Mark Wallace. Mark has form, of course. As the voice of the Taxpayers' Alliance, he was prone to selectivity when it came to which of the facts he emphasised, but he did establish a reputation for knowing his subject. It would seem, however, that he isn't quite so in command of electoral systems, as evidenced by a particularly shoddy posting on his ...
I'm sure when Sinn Fein set out to reshape the way the UK was governed, this wasn't what they had in mind: A Sinn Fein spokesman told Newsnight that Adams "wrote to the Speaker's office on Friday and informed him of his resignation. It's a non-issue from our perspective. He submitted his resignation and that's it. He's stepped down from that position. He certainly didn't apply for the Stewardship of the Manor of Northstead." It seems Mr Adams has found some way of resigning from Parliament without going through these ancient procedures. Is it just me who thinks Adams has ...
The Leicester Mercury's report on Meerkat Harborough quotes Bernard Bresbode from the town's civic society: "It is an interesting idea. A community donation would also certainly be welcome." He said a Russian connection may not be a million miles from the truth, as in Tudor times Harborough-born merchant Anthony Jenkinson travelled there and set up trading links. Mr Besbrode said: "It could well be that a form of twinning could have been established then between Harborough and a Russian village."Anthony Jenkinson was born here in 1529 and made four trips to Muscovy and beyond. You can read extracts from The ...
First up tonight - a signal boost for Mark Thompson, who tears to shreds the argument made by anti Fair Votes bloggers that Auf Wiedersehen Pet proves that AV is unfair. At long last, the Elephant writes his long awaited review of the Doctor Who Christmas Special. I think it's amazing that both he and I missed out the best line of the whole episode. Clair shows that it's fine to be just a good enough parent. Sarah shows that it's worthwhile standing your ground in the face of a jobsworth. Mark Pack gets to the bottom of a feline ...
Tomorrow night is another meeting of the Council's Internal Scrutiny Committee. You may have read in the papers the controversial report on Children's Centre fees which came to our last meeting and was rejected due to the poor quality of the information in it. We asked for it to come back, and that's exactly what's ...
What sheer stupidity. Absolute, ridiculous nonsense. Sky Sports presenters Andy Gray and Richard Keys should be relieved today to still have a job. They have been forced to apologise and have been removed from Sky Sports' commentary tonight of the Bolton Vs Chelsea Premiership match after their sexist comments about lineswoman Sian Massey. What century do they live in? Here is the 'off-record' comments that has landed them in hot water. Sian Massey is a professional and will not have been put in charge of manning one of the flanks of a top-flight football match if she didn't know the ...
The Executive Cllr Drage presented the regular update on the Revenue Budget as at the end of November highlighting in particular the projected overspend on Looked after Children's placements. Demand for this expensive service had been high this year. The report detailed what work was being done to manage down the costs of some of ...
What it could look like We have all seen the film of the Downing Street rat. Yet, reports the BBC, the authorities are refusing to embrace the obvious solution, follow Winston Churchill and get a cat. On reflection, we Liberal Democrats should have insisted that this measure was included in the Coalition agreement. You will remember Humphrey, who held the position of Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office under John Major. He was shot by the incoming New Labour administration at the personal insistence of Cherie Blair. Later Alastair Darling had a cat called Sybil at 11 Downing Street.
In their report, Cities Outlook 2011 the Centre for Cities has identified Reading as one of five cities to watch. OK, so technically Reading isn't a city...yet. But the conclusions of this report are interesting. It concludes: "Five cities to watch: Milton Keynes, Reading, Aberdeen, Leeds and Bristol. These places will be better-insulated from the economic impact of the spending squeeze, and have high potential to create private sector jobs. They have lower vulnerability to public sector job losses and spending cuts, and given the right powers and freedoms could make an even bigger contribution to the national economic recovery."The ...
On Saturday night I went along to see Chorlton Players' panto. It was packed out, and I hear that it was sold out for all 4 performances, which is a credit to whoever is in charge of advertising and selling ... Continue reading →
Ridgegrove Estate in Launceston could be one of the first areas in Cornwall to benefit from investment in solar panels. The scheme, which could provide hot water as well as much cheaper electricity bills, is being considered by Cornwall Council. The former government set up a scheme to encourage local authorities to invest in solar power and created a 'feed-in' tariff which means that any excess energy that is produced and fed into the national grid will mean a payment of around 41p per unit. At the end of last year I met with Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris ...
[IMG: BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 28: Secretary o...] Image by Getty Images via @daylifeAfter all the hoo-ha over Labour's Shadow re-shuffle, VN thought we would check in on mover Yvette Cooper making her debut as Shadow Home Secretary in Home Office Questions. After her key role in the last Government, Cooper is obviously an accomplished dispatch box performer, and is probably now more in the debate than she would have been as Shadow Foreign Secretary. Cooper asked her first question on policing, which meant the Minister Nick Herbert, not Home Secretary Theresa May, answered. A bit of a mistake, and ...
Skimming over the Wikipedia entries regarding the Iraq War Trilogy (Inquiries Hutton, Butler and Chilcot), it occurs to me that the political lexicon might benefit from some new terminology. Nothing new, just shorthand for a well known phenomenon: Terms of Deference n. 1. An unwritten companion to the formal Terms of Reference of an inquiry or investigation, the Terms of Deference establish the boundary within which the truth is permitted to be found. 2. The invisible hands of the inquiry place that perform self-regulation without direction or coercion, balancing the supply of excuses with the demand for alibis in order ...
Core strategy - this is the planning document for Bath and North East Somerset, although the threat of extra houses around Odd Down has reduced, please write in.Just a reminder that the deadline for 'representations' on the draft core strategy is 3rd February 2011. Here is the link to the core strategy page on the council website: http://www.bathnes.gov.uk/environmentandplanning/planning/
Every few months, Thanet residents are treated to an audience with local Kent county councillors, tomorrow night is that opportunity. Now these are important people, they must be because a while back they voted themselves a fat increase in allowances, more than £1000 a month, and are busy because every few months they have to attend a council meeting in Maidstone. What can you expect, at the meeting, well in truth not a lot, that is of significance, however there will be, upbeat info on small grants given out to local organisations, but don't expect any great insights into such ...
Sainsbury's has a web site for the Odd Down store www.sainsburys-odddown.co.uk
Thirty Six Days of Me: Your Definition of Love, in Great Detail For Friere, dialogue cannot exist in the absense of profound love for people – without genuine regard for, interest in and commitment to the social, cultural and economic improvement of the human condition, especially the disadvantaged or marginalized. Love is the basis for the other important elements of dialogue building: creating and sharing of knowledge, public education and empowerment. - Stan Carborne, 2003, The Dialogic Museum, Muse 31(1) 36-39, paraphrasing Paolo Friere, 1999; Pedagogy of the Oppressed Love is appreciation of a being and the wish that they ...
I would be very surprised if you could find one Liberal Democrat who thought the Tory plan for a tax break for married couples was a good idea - or even an adequate one, to be honest. Last week when Nick Clegg launched the Government's flexible parental leave strategy, he did so quoting the recent Demos report, Home Front, which looks at all sorts of family and parenting issues. What he didn't make an issue of, and in my view should do at some point in the future, is the fact that the Demos report totally trashes the Tory tax ...
Students, like all residents in Reading deserve to be effectively represented by their elected representatives on the Council, and for their voices to be heard. So today I met with Steph Johnson, Vice President (Welfare) of Reading University Students Union to discuss both ward and Borough matters. It was great to meet a fellow English Graduate and Londoner (!) and we chatted about our shared love of Zadie Smith novels among other things. I was very impressed with Steph's enthusisasm and determination to stick up for local students on important issues such as housing and crime. Over the past few ...
This clip from Auf Wiedersehen Pet has being doing the rounds sparked by a post from Mark Wallace where he claims that it shows how AV is not a good system. The clip shows the lads trying to decide what colour paint they should use to paint the hut. Because they can't agree on a colour Barry suggests they use a preferential voting system whereby everyone gets 2 choices, their first is weighted with two points and the second is weighted with one point. They then total them up to decide which colour wins. The result is yellow which was ...
At the December 15th full meeting of Bury Councils 51 councillors a motion was submitted calling for the Council to "re-state" their committment to the Boroughs 6 Local Area Partnerships - the local township committees comprising Councillors, community reps, Police, NHS, Housing etc etc. The motion had been submitted because the Strategic Area Partnership known as Team Bury - comprising Council and its partners - had decided it didn't see Area Partnerships as effective or efficient. The proposal was passed *unanimously - Conservatives, Lib Dem and Labour councillors all restated their committment to maintain and improve the Area Partnerships. (*Nb ...
Followers of football will know that Richard Keys and Andy Gray have been at the forefront of reinventing the way we watch the sport. They lead both Sky's normal weekend coverage, and the revolutionary, US inspired, Monday Night Football. They are rightly regarded as top football pundits. However, their broadcasting may have been ahead of its time, but in the last 24 hours they have proved that their opinions really aren't. If you have missed it, the off-air exchange between Keys and Gray after female lineswoman Sian Massey (rightly) allowed Liverpool's goal went like this: RK: "Somebody better get down ...
[IMG: 6th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment in the Great War] A plug for Gatley resident and war historian John Hartley, who's book "6th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment in the Great War" is available for just £20 from Pen and Sword books (and hopefully from all good bookshops too). The 6th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment, was a pre-war Territorial unit. Many of its members held "white collar" positions employed by the City's legal, financial and stockbroking practices or worked for the major commercial organisations trading and manufacturing cotton goods. It went overseas in September 1914, taking with it many new recruits ...
This morning, along with a number of councillor colleagues, I had the pleasure of attending a briefing at Dundee Carers Centre in West Marketgait, on the services it provides to the many people in Dundee who are carers - and how vital these services are. As the Carers Centre points out, "A carer is someone who provides unpaid care and support to a partner, child, family member or friend who could not manage without their help. This could be due to age, disability, physical or mental illness or addiction. Anyone can be a carer - we work with carers aged ...
If Richard Keys and Andy Gray, the Sky Sports commentators who made some appallingly sexist comments when they thought they were off air had slated a referee on the basis of their race, they would have been out of a job before the match had finished. Why, then,are they still employed by Rupert Murdoch's empire? Referees and sports officials take all sorts of flack, much of it justified, but to suggest that someone is incapable of acting as a linesman because she is a woman is ridiculous. Have a listen to what they actually said, which is posted on You ...
Last Friday night, Dunfermline Liberal Democrats held their Annual Dinner in the Council Chamber at the Dunfermline City Chambers. That's an auspicious room for the local party: it's where Willie Rennie and Jim Tolson were selected as candidates, and where we celebrated when Jim was elected in 2007. Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore was the guest speaker: The Dinner was the first opportunity for the newly revamped kitchens to show what they could. They produced an excellent meal of Carrot and Coriander Soup, Chicken Balmoral (chicken stuffed with haggis in a whisky sauce), and Mixed Berry Pavlova. The ...
I officially moved to London a year ago today (yay!) but although I've passed over it many a time, I still haven't visited the Greenwich Meridian, despite living just down the road from the place which gave its name to the line. As of March 8th, the Greenwich Observatory plan to charge visitors £10 entry to the museum1, and since you can't visit the Meridian without entering the gated confines of the Observatory grounds, if you want to go straddle the longitudinal centre of the earth, you have to cough up as well. There are several geocaches nearby, so I'm ...
Strategy in politics is a very difficult science - in many ways, you have to foresee the unforeseeable and even then deal with what had been unforeseen once it arises. In the election last year, for example, no-one predicted 'Clegg-mania' and the Lib Dem poll rating of 33% - hence the lack of a strategy to exploit this sudden surge. On the other hand, Liberal Democrats did have a strategy prepared in the event of a hung parliament (as did the Conservative party but not, astonishingly, the Labour party). So it was with a heavy heart that I saw the ...
With True Wales going their own sweet way in organising a so-called grassroots campaign without any public subsidy, it is more important than ever that those seeking to win this referendum on Assembly powers remain united and on-message. Unfortunately, that has not stopped some key campaigners making claims for a 'yes' vote that will not stand up to scrutiny. Former Plaid Cymru candidate and ex-national chair, John Dixon highlights one particular instance on his blog where he believes that Peter Hain may have got a bit carried away. He says that although the conversion of Peter Hain from prophet of ...
I used to go to college. There was no EMA's in those days. Starting with a paper round, then as a cleaner before working in a town centre restaurant, I like most others worked part time around my college commitments to escape the financial restrictions my parents would have imposed. It was a healthy thing to do. On completing my full time education I had plenty of experience and references
The Fairfield's Art centre faces losing funding from both County and Borough Councils. I accept, as do those running the centre, that money is tight and many organisations will face restricted funding. However Fairfield's Art centre has been singled out. Whilst the Anvil received over a million pounds in grants, the Art Centre gets just £40k. If all Arts organisations were getting a 10% cut,
A consultation will take place in the next few weeks on the alternative plans to replace the unpopular (and slightly pointless) traffic calming build out on London Road. It was over a year ago that my fellow Eastrop Councillor, Stuart Parker, started the campaign to get it reviewed. With the help of our County councillor, Ron Hussey, highways officers accepted the control was not reducing
I wonder if there's an ongoing notoriety competition between various of the right-wing professional trolls (or 'prolls'). Measured on some scale that calculates the balance Twitter outrage amongst the liberati, the number of outraged blog posts and PCC complaints generated, and – for the really accomplished – the number of huffy comment pieces generated in rival newspapers. (While I'm not sure of the exact mechanics of the calculation, it's clearly measured on the Moir Scale. Most outrages only normally register in milli-Moirs, of course, though all dream of reaching the heights of a full Moir) Obviously, though, someone somewhere has ...
Landlord Chris Jefferies who was arrested for questioning on the murder of Joanne Yeates has the right to be a bit miffed at the detail to which the papers explored his life. Surely it is not right for newspapers to speculate so much about an unconvinced man's life history. I noticed the papers have not specualted so heavly about Vincent Tabak who is in court today charged with Joanne's murder. Just have a look at these stories; http://m.mirror.co.uk/article?a=m4:22816644 - The Nutty - The Strange Mr Jefferies, need I say more? - This article includes speculation that he is ...
Our opponents don't like it, but we are taking the tough decisions and choices that are needed and are serving, in the national interest.
Mon 24th
11:25
Posts of the week: generating social capital and admitting parts of public services are second rate
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...Using council websites to help local residents generate social capital Take a look at the list of planning applications on your local council website, and what will you find? Chances are, you will find them all listed, including detailed background information. You probably will also find out how people can submit their views and when planning committee meetings are held. ...
Christmas Day... Ish: If I had a TARDIS, I should use it to keep sending Daddy Richard back in time until he got my diary posted on the RIGHT DAY! I enjoyed the Christmas Special enormously, particularly the towering performances from Michael Gambon and Matt Smith. It was, for once, about Christmas, which was novel; it celebrated the Dickens to which it owed its heritage without betraying the series continuity; and it was, in a lot of ways, very Doctor Who: hilarious though I found it, the Cyberking was infinitely less Doctor Who than alien fish that swim in air. ...
I have an article on affordable housing on the Wales Home site here.
Mon 24th
10:45
Health Reforms and the Lib Dems: We need to argue for a bigger role of patients' voices
Reform of the NHS is always on top of the agenda for government. This government has come up against a lot of resistance and criticism of the plans and many believe it to be a high risk strategy. With the Lib Dems in government they will be seen as putting these reforms in place and ...
My apologies, I described the building in Portland Street where Gladstone held his first meeting in Southport as the Music Hall, apparently it was the Royal Music Hall.
My Monday morning malaise was lightened by reading an unlikely interview in Total Politics magazine. That publication, by the way, is Cosmo for political junkies. I have just managed to renew my sub for considerably less than last year, so this might be a good time to sign up if you haven't already. Anyway, every month they ask some non politico what they would do if they were PM with often hilarious results. This issue it was the turn of F1 commentator supreme, Martin Brundle. Well it was just as funny as you'd expect. It's not up online yet, but ...
Just a quick catch up on some constituency visits over the last week: - met with Catch 22 who have a project running in Haringey where they have taken on Intensive Intervention with 50 young people who need a huge amount of support to help them stay out of trouble. I met two of the young people – who really are benefiting from the support they are getting as well as the organisation key people nationally and the lead for the local project. - met with the Tavistock who are working in partnership with Haringey on mental health support services. ...
A false rumour has been circulating that Stockport Council have stopped the breast screening service from using Massie Street car park in Cheadle. This is not true. The Council is very happy to host screening services. The latest information I have is that Stockport Health Trust approached the Council asking about the possibility of having a much larger screening unit. The Council suggested that the planning people needed to be contacted, and have not heard any more since. Hopefully the Trust will find a suitable way to provide a mobile screening service to our area, either on the current scale ...
I admit that I have been guilty of the odd 'secret society' joke about English Candidates Committee in the past. But there is a serious point to be made, I believe. In a Party where our internal democracy is so important, how does democracy work if accountability and access to those who represent us is limited? I was reminded of this point by Roy Benford, a member of the Regional Executive in the East of England, on Saturday. He is of the view that English Council is pretty useless in terms of function and accountability, and wants to be able ...
We have won! The Yate Station shelter has been repaired! OK, it has taken from September until this week - but First Great Western have listened, thanks to Lib Dem Cllr and train user Chris Willmore. Instead of replacing it, yet again, with glass or plastic that gets broken, we told them to spend to save, and put in the metal mesh with small holes that Lib Dem Yate Town Council has been using successfully on bus stops for years. They have listened. This is far harder to vandalise (and no, that is NOT a challenge) and people can still ...
Having spent as much time on trains as we have in recent years, Ros and I have developed a keen interest in compensation payments and how they are made. At present, compensation comes in the form of paper vouchers but, if like me, you buy your tickets using the internet, they aren't much use. The previous government hadn't had much to say on the subject. Would a new administration be any better? Judge for yourself... 21 December 2010 Railways: Compensation Question Asked by Baroness Scott of Needham Market To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have plans to ensure that ...
I like a challenge. And challenges for me don't come much bigger than dancing... whether committing the act myself — as an arhythmic member of the English white, male, middle-classes I do my best to evade getting jiggy wiv it on the dance-floor — or feigning enjoyment in the dance acts committed by others. So I faced my challenge head-on this week, and spent an evening watching the Danish Dance Theatre perform three pieces of contemporary dance, a fusion of modern and traditional. I'd love to say that, in a Damascean flash, suddenly my eyes were opened, that the beautiful ...
The BBC is reporting that the influential research group the Centre for Cities has labelled Hull as one of the top 5 performing cities in the country for coming out of recession. The report is quoted as saying Hull saw a fall of 1.2% in the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in the past year. That was more than twice the UK average. The report also notes that Hull is starting to reverse decades of population decline Hull and Belfast are the most notable examples of this. Both cities have exited the bottom ten cities for population growth after ...
britishrailways.tv Another of those nostalgic videos that combine railway film from the 1960s with hits of the same era. Here steam, diesel and electric locomotive power are accompanied by Radio Luxembourg and Radio Caroline. Of particular interest to me is the footage of Leicester Central and London Road stations and of the platforms on the north to west curve at Ambergate. You even get a glimpse of Hemel Hempstead station in the 1960s. Somehow the trains have aged far more quickly than the music.
It's interesting how the resignation of Andy Coulson reveals the insular attitude of the media and political classes. Andrew Marr had Amanda Platell, Peter Hitchens and Clare Short as guests on his couch yesterday. Tabloid employees and New Labour cabinet ministers make for perhaps the worst collection of people to talk fairly about spin doctors. Actually, Clare Short wasn't really one of the on-message Labourite drones. However, Platell, Hitchens and Marr are all tabloid columnists. It would have been nice to see some recognition that they are industry colleagues to Coulson, not independent commentators. Three points stood out to me. ...
I know I'm coming a bit late to this one as the story first came out last week, but I couldn't let it lie. Scotland on Sunday reported on 16th January that the industrious Scottish Liberal Democrats research team in the Scottish Parliament had unearthed the fact that 1400 teachers across Scotland were off sick with stress. Particularly shocking to me was that my own Council, West Lothian, had 118 teachers off, almost 8.5% of the total. That's quite a lot for a comparatively small Council. My daughter's school is fantastic. All the teachers put in huge amounts of effort ...
The latest e-cops email bulletin contains a reminder about the Police monthly surgery at Arbury Court this week: The 26th January will be the last Wednesday of the month which means its the Arbury Court Surgery. it will be held between 11:00-13:00. In attendance will be 2/3 PCSO's. Feel free to attend, whether it be to discuss any issues or whether it be simply to say hello. It also has a reminder about the North Area Committee on wednesday that includes a slot on police priorities. For more details on e-cops, check the e-cops pages on the Cambridgeshire police website. ...
Mon 24th
05:27
Whoniversaries 24 January: Spearhead from Space #4, Brain of Morbius #4, Warriors' Gate #4
broadcast anniversaries 24 January 1970: broadcast of fourth episode of Spearhead from Space. The Doctor and Liz defeat and expel the Nestene Consciousness, and the Doctor accepts the Brigadier's proposal that he become UNIT's Scientific Adviser. 24 January 1976: broadcast of fourth episode of The Brain of Morbius. Morbius arises; the Doctor defeats him in a mind-bending contest; and the Sisterhood force him over a cliff, but restore the Doctor's life. 24 January 1981: broadcast of fourth episode of Warrior's Gate, last appearance of Romana II and of K9 Mark II on TV. Rorvik blows up his own ship, inadvertently ...
Caron Lindsay has kindly nominated me to play fantasy cabinet and suggest how the coalition cabinet might be reshuffled. But before naming names I thought it might be interesting to look at the make up of the current government. According to the No 10 website there are 23 'full' cabinet ministers, plus five who are 'in attendance', plus the Attorney General who also attends on an ad hoc basis. Outside of the cabinet there are a further 97 ministers at various levels (including the six who attend the cabinet). There are 18 ministries, plus the cabinet office (who service David ...
You can almost hear the pupils chanting. What do we want? EMA. When do we want it? Now. The point is that you don't particularly get an unbiased viewpoint about the benefits of EMA if you ask those who are in receipt of EMA. Would you rather have £30 per week or not? The answer is a no-brainer. I gave a brief summary of my thoughts on Wednesday and I added to them on Thursday of last week. Over the weekend I received an email that said I had not considered some of the most critical issues. One point that ...
