A meeting for contacts in the North East tonight in Newcastle was buzzing with ideas for getting over the "YES to FAIRER VOTES" message, contacting people, and setting up events. Lots of ideas and ready to go. We popped in on the phone canvassing team, I was surprised how relaxed they looked ! but they were getting good responses on the phone. No comment on the empty pizza box, but it all looked good fun. Now if you are likely to be going up and helping and you haven't a satnav, this is the view from outside the building, so ...
As they so often do, the Conservatives are letting me down by not being Conservative enough. Because, reports the Shropshire Star, Tory run Shropshire Council is proposing to close a number of village schools. Never mind the Big Society: aren't Tories meant to have romantic feelings about things like village schools? My picture shows one of the threatened schools - Stiperstones Primary School, with the unmistakable hills behind. The campaign against the closures is already underway.
I'm a few days behind with my planned posts, as I've been suffering from insomnia that has made coherent thought a rare blessing. With luck I'll get back on track tomorrow, but for now, some links. The No To Fair Votes campaign announced a series of debates last month - and have not as yet ...
Sutton Economic Support Task Force This is a meeting with our business and voluntary sector partners set up to monitor and seek to address the impacts of the recession. It is chaired by the leader of the council Sean Brennan. The group received feedback from Saboohi Famili of Scola on the Training Employment Pack she is developing and ...
This morning, I attended the funeral of Jessie Gault, a much respected long standing resident of Abbotsford Street and committee member of Blackness Area Residents' Association. Jessie was a really lovely lady and will be sadly missed. This afternoon, I met with John Logue, Area Procurator Fiscal for Tayside, and Chief Superintendent Gavin Robertson from Tayside Police about vandalism issues. It was a very productive meeting and it is good to hear about the effective co-operation between the police and the procurator fiscal's office on crimes of concern to local residents.
Long before I became a Lead Member and my days spent as Vice-Chair of the Council's Corporate Community & External Affairs Scrutiny Panel and Chair of Housing, Health and Community Care Scrutiny Panel, I have taken a keen interest in improving the services residents receive from the local Council. In my opinion, one of the most important roles councillors have is to challenge officers to improve service delivery and to champion good customer service. So I was very pleased that better services for residents is right at the heart of the Coalition Agreement the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Groups running ...
09/02/11 Diamond Jubilee Warning Schools and other organisations are warned to beware of bogus calls from publishing companies falsely claiming to represent St. James' Palace, Warwickshire County Council's Trading Standards Service has announced. Trading Standards Officers have received complaints that Warwickshire schools have been cold called by an as yet unknown company selling advertising space in a leaflet for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The bogus callers are falsely claiming to be phoning from St. James Palace and are offering advertising space at the cost of £3,400. Warwickshire Trading Standards Service can confirm that these approaches are in no ...
Wed 9th
21:18
Tavish Scott : Liberal Democrats improving the Scottish Budget for students and colleges
Dear Fraser Today's Scottish Budget is a major boost for students and colleges. It has delighted the National Union of Students who have said: "The Scottish Liberal Democrats have worked very hard for students on this issue" and "This is great news". It will help tackle a crisis faced in Scotland's colleges from 1st April this year. They can't afford to wait for a new government. They need action now. As news reports in the last few days have highlighted, there are potential course closures at Elmwood, James Watt, North Highland, Dumfries & Galloway and Carnegie College and many more. ...
Harborough Museum reopened in September 2009 after a major refurbishment to allow it to display the nationally important Hallaton Treasure. But the Conservative-run Harborough District Council is now proposing to scrap the museum's £102,500 budget for assistant staff, which threatens to lead to its closure. In response, Market Harborough Historical Society, which helped set up the museum in 1983, has launched a petition to save it. I am pleased to say that the local Liberal Democrats have come out strongly in support of the continuing existence of the Harborough Museum. The Lib Dem group on Harborough District says the council ...
Cambridge Leisure Many of us enjoy a drink, a trip to the cinema, or a meal out - and the facilities at Cambridge Leisure have provided much more to do 'on the doorstep' However, it is a sad fact that where there are additional licensed premises, there tends to be more noise and disorder - undesirable for anyone walking through the area, even more so for those living close by. Cambridge Leisure on Clifton Road is legally a 'cumulative impact area', meaning new drinks licences will only be granted if it can be proved there will not be a harmful ...
Cambridge Leisure Many of us enjoy a drink, a trip to the cinema, or a meal out - and the facilities at Cambridge Leisure have provided much more to do 'on the doorstep' However, it is a sad fact that where there are additional licensed premises, there tends to be more noise and disorder - undesirable for anyone walking through the area, even more so for those living close by. Cambridge Leisure on Clifton Road is legally a 'cumulative impact area', meaning new drinks licences will only be granted if it can be proved there will not be a harmful ...
Matthew Oakeshott has stood down this evening as a Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman in the House of Lords. This follows his robust comments on George Osborne's deal on lending and bonuses with the banks. The Daily Mail quotes Matthew as saying: 'If this is robust action on bank bonuses, my name's Bob Diamond and I'm going to claim my £9 million bonus next week."And: "I think what the country will be asking, and Liberal Democrats will be asking is 'will Bob Diamond get a bonus of £9m next week, yes or no, is it acceptable for Government, yes or no?' ...
Attended last nights Landlords meeting ,at which the case, for the councils License scheme was in my opinion demolished bit by bit by speaker Mike Stimpson, in a clear and articulate manner and despite the sterling efforts of Cllr Chris Wells supported by a couple of TDC officers to defend the policy, I doubt any of the audience were persuaded. The main criticisms focused on, Thanet councils case, evidence and or argument for the scheme being err tilted in favour of their desire to introduce it, secondly similar schemes have or are running elsewhere and if anything proven, that far ...
I've not long returned from a Ceredigion County Council planning meeting. In it, the application for a new Sainsbury's supermarket in Cardigan was discussed in some length. I'm not a member of the Planning Committee so I have no vote on such matters but as a local member, I was allowed to attend and give my thoughts on the applications. The Bath-House Saga This application goes back some time in history as it is based on the controversial Bath-House site of town which has been earmarked for a mixed-use development of retail, healthcare and housing. It has been a contentious ...
Wed 9th
17:57
Scottish Liberal Democrats win support for students - and praise from NUS - in Swinney's Budget
The Scottish Liberal Democrats have reinforced their commitment to students and young people again by gaining meaningful concessions from Finance Secretary John Swinney in the lead up to today's vote on the Scottish Budget for next year. Measures put into the Budget because of the Liberal Democrats include:Additional funding for FE bursaries of £15 million, spread across 2010-2011-12 to provide additional student support for current student numbers;Additional funding of £8 million in 2011-12 that would support an additional 1,200 college places and associated student support;1,500 additional Modern Apprenticeships, including 500 places for the renewables sector, at a cost of £2 ...
Though I've come to Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May crime series rather late (see my review Seventy-Seven Clocks: James Bond crossed with Sherlock Holmes and Edgar Allan Poe), I've become a big fan of it - particular for the quirky London colour that features in the books. So it's great to see the series now has a website of its own: The Peculiar Crimes Unit.
Last month I queried a Humberside fire authority press release which implied smoking was the largest cause of accidental fires. I ended the post by writing In addition, and unfortunately, the release seems to downplay the main causes of accidental fires to highlight the dangers of smoking. This is, at the very least, unfortunate and could lead to these more prevalent risks being ignored by the politicians on the authority and (much more importantly) by the public. In light of these concerns it would be wrong of me not to publish the following release in full. Regards Carl Humberside Fire ...
Reform. What's that all about? Well, a quick google gives this as a dictionary definition. re·form (r-fôrm)v. re·formed, re·form·ing, re·formsv.tr. 1. To improve by alteration, correction of error, or removal of defects; put into a better form or condition. 2.a. To abolish abuse or malpractice in: reform the government.b. To put an end to (a wrong). See Synonyms at correct. 3. To cause (a person) to give up harmful or immoral practices; persuade to adopt a better way of life. v.intr. To change for the better. n. 1. A change for the better; an improvement. 2. Correction of evils, abuses, ...
An examination of the recent judgment in the Court of Protection in Newcastle preventing a disabled man from having sex.
The following Press release was issued by Durham County Council early this afternoon, shortly after my last entry: Durham County Council is stepping forward to put together a package designed to deliver a high quality, purpose built modern learning environment for the young people of Consett. The council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People's Services, Cllr Claire Vasey, says the authority has been working flat out to find a solution to the complex issues surrounding the plans for Consett Academy. The initial proposal, awarded £31.7m under the former Government's Building Schools for the Future programme, had its allocation reviewed ...
The news that there is a new 'app' for the iPhone that allows users to make confession with a virtual priest over the internet, comes as no great surprise. Indeed, I am amazed that it has taken this long. There will, I suppose, be those who condemn the idea of 'instant confession', and will see this as another step towards the breakdown of the Catholic Church. I'm on the opposite side of that particular argument. If the app is faithful to doctrine, and encourages individuals to ponder over the morality of their actions, it can only be a force for ...
Our area could benefit from jobs and investment as E.on was granted permission to construct a 230MW wind farm off the coast of Humberside. The Humber Gateway wind farm will generate enough electricity to power up to around 150,000 homes. The announcement came as Energy Minister Charles Hendry co-chaired the Offshore Wind Developers Forum in London, where wind farm developers discussed how the Government's proposals for reforming the electricity market can help remove barriers to investment. Chris Huhne, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said: "A new wind farm off the Humberside coast will be a further jobs ...
via ukpollingreport.co.uk In this post, Anthony Wells of YouGov shows that support for the alternative vote (AV) is now running neck and neck with the current, first past the post (FPTP) system in YouGov polling. This follows a period of four months in which FPTP was in the lead. Wells shows how Lib Dem voters have firmed up in their support for AV and Conservative voters' opposition has softened. One group he doesn't comment on is Labour supporters whom, I believe, will be critical in determining the result of the AV referendum. They still prefer FPTP, by a 44% to ...
There have been a couple of interesting articles in recent weeks about the rise of online education, especially now that iPad and tablet devices are becoming more popular. I've always thought that in relation to music education these tools can be great extentions to classroom based teaching and other learning materials like DVDs and books. ...
As readers know I have been trying to find out exactly what was in the letter Government sent to Durham University setting out the capital funding for the Consett Academy but neither County Council, Government nor Durham University has been willing to supply it - until today when I have just received a confirmation from Durham University that I will be provided with sight of it. Better late than never. Today the media have been having something of the same experience when trying to follow up last night's announcement that Durham University has withdrawn as lead sponsor for the Academy. ...
I have just returned from a 3 week holiday in New Zealand. This is a brief posting simply to explain my absence and the lack of postings for a few weeks. When I have recovered from jet-lag, unpacked etc and read my 230 emails and a mountain of council papers, I shall give my impressions of New Zealand and include a couple of photos. A lot has happened while I have been away and it will take a few days for me get get up to speed.
The future of Prestwich's recycling centre ("Prestwich tip") at the bottom of Clifton Road is hanging in the balance after the Labour-controlled Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority revealed plans for its closure. We believe the Clifton Road facility is a vital part of allowing people in Prestwich, Whitefield and other areas to recycle waste in a ...
Following on from yesterday's news that the Chancellor of the Excchequer is to increase the levy on bank profits to £2.5bn this year, raising an extra £800m, and will be making it permanent, there is more welcome news today. A long-awaited agreement with the largest UK banks on lending, bonuses and transparency has been announced by the government. As a result of this agreement the UK's biggest high street banks have agreed to lend more to businesses this year than last, increasing lending to SMEs by 15%. They will ensure that pay and bonuses will be lower this year than ...
Both seem to have the problem of not appreciating how certain types of publicity undermine such serious political purposes as they may have.
Wed 9th
13:40
David Cameron implies that 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty' is not enough in terror cases. Eeek.
'Innocent until proven Guilty'. It is an old adage and one that I stand by fiercely as do most liberals. It is a core element of who we are. If I was being posh I'd say, 'Ei incumbit probatio, qui dicit, non qui negat; cum per rerum naturam factum negantis probatio nulla sit' which as ...
I have a lot of time for Jonathon Porritt, not least because he has the best voice in the environmental campaigning business. Never underestimate the importance of a good voice in this podcast-driven age. But I worry that in his most recent blog post he's failed to confront the reasons why many top-rank environmental NGOs ...
This blog has been silent for a couple of weeks or so. Such all too common gaps in postings are mainly the result of busy meeting schedules leaving little time and that issues I might have wanted to post about no longer being news by the time I do have an opportunity to post. Another problem is that often my instant reaction to an issue will differ from what I think after further reflection. But again by the time I have made up my mind the rest of the world has moved on. So perhaps I should draw inspiration fromt ...
As another ex Labour MP, Eric Illsley awaits a spell at Her Majesty's Pleasure, he has finally resigned his Commons seat, triggering a by-election which will take place on March 3rd. He's had almost an extra month's wages - he could have resigned when he pleaded guilty on 11th January, but failed to do so. After he's already pocketed £14000 he wasn't entitled to, it is a major impertinence that he's taken an extra £3000 in salary. How on earth Labour allowed him to stand in the General Election is beyond me. It's a bit rubbish of the Party, who ...
[IMG: Image by Chris Kasurak - under a Creative Commons Attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license] I have twice been subject to some very inept blackmail over a posts I had made on twitter. The first time was after I called a particularly nasty company "twunts" over a dispute I'd had with them. I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't a particularly mature reaction – but I'm not sure it warranted taking a screenshot of the tweet, threatening to show it to the CEO of the company I worked for, then continually calling the company to complain about me. I ...
More than 4 years after it was first submitted, Wokingham Borough Council have announced they have enough paperwork to allow them to consider a major planning application by Bovis and Persimmon for 433 houses, a primary school and a new road linking Lower Earley Way and King Street Lane in Winnersh. The delay was caused by the need for detailed analysis of how to deal with flooding issues, given that a large part of the site floods due to the River Loddon. The plans include a road from King Street Lane by the motorway bridge up to Lower Earley Way, ...
Last night I had the very good fortune to be award by the local Government Information Unit Online Councillor of the Year award 2011. [IMG: img00119-20110209-0757.jpg] Sadly this isn't for my fabulous blogging or mind blowing tweets. Its recognition for all the efforts I put into serving residents of East Dulwich online via the East Dulwich Forum. Effectively its like an online surgery but held publicly. Where a problem or issue is private people either start by contacting me privately or we move into private mode. Since I started actively working in this way 18 months ago via the forum ...
Recommended reading for Liberal Democrat councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days: Some of the better news stories of the week included that reported in the Independent as George Osborne in £800m tax raid on banks and in The Telegraph as Vince Cable promises 100,000 more apprenticeships Less good news from those unelected Labour peers as reported by The Independent: Labour peers accused of sabotaging voting reform Lib Dem Voice reports on the piece by David Laws in The Times (regrettably subscription-only online, which is why we never feature Times articles in this column) calling for Tax cuts ...
I thought readers of this blog with an eye for Scottish Literature might find this interesting. I sadly won't make this but it does sound fascinating. We Scots rightly make a lot of fuss about Robert Burns - he was a genius - but we don't make enough fuss about others such as James Hogg the Ettrick Shepard, Robert Fergusson the Edinburgh Poet buried in Brunsfield and of course Aberdeen Grammars most famous former pupil George Gordon a.k.a Lord Byron. This last one particularly rankles. Lady Caroline Lamb with whom he had a notorious liaison described him as "Mad, Bad ...
As anyone who has followed proceedings in the House of Lords, with regard to the Bill that could bring about a referendum for a fairer voting system for Westminster elections, the Labour peers have dragged their heels. There are still 92 positions for hereditary peers in the House of Lords. This was the number that was decided upon in 1999 would exist until all hereditary positions were removed. However, when one of that number dies, there is a by-election in the upper chamber... Read the full story at Fairer Votes Belfast
To hear Labour weep tears for the Ethnic Minorities Forum and RCRE was quite something. I can bet they've never had a crowd of neighbourhood kids gathered outside their houses screaming "Jungle Bunnies Go Home" or got in a fight because their younger sister has come home in tears because she's been called a "Wog"? I have. Let me tell you it's not very nice. Really it isn't. Take my word for it. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. My Mum, Aunties and Uncles I might be a white pinko but my great grandmother was Tamil-Singhalese. My mother is brown-skinned, ...
From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Despite garnering far more support in an online poll than the thicket of other suggestions, residents shouldn't expect Fort Wayne's new government center to be named after the city's longest tenured mayor. Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy said naming 200 E. Berry St. the Harry Baals Government Center was "probably not" going to happen. "We love Fort Wayne, too," she said. "We're not going to make any decisions that look bad." Goodness knows what will happen if and when we ever to get to the centre-naming stage with our own dear Ed.
Well it was 50 years ago today,In Matthew Street they first time to play,In leather jackets and their Cuban heels,Four local lads who'd induce squeals,So may I intorduce to you,The act you've known for all these years,John, Paul, George and Pete* - The Beatles! * Yes on 9th February 1961 Pete Best was still the man hitting the skins when the Beatles took to the stage for the first of their 292 appearances at the Cavern Club up until 3 August 1963. Richard Starkey better known as Ringo Starr wasn't to join the band until the following year. Hat tip ...
I found the programme The Chinese Are Coming broadcast on BBC 2 last night fascinating. The documentary looks at the operations of Chinese businesses in Africa and considering the state of Africa's industrial and agricultural development, I welcome the Chinese into Africa. I'm genuinely glad they're there. They're behaving like the excellent capitalists they are: spurring competition, specialising and trading, giving African locals jobs and building up vital infrastructure. True, they're not my hegemon of choice largely for the reasons mentioned in the show. They're not keen advocates of human rights, good pay and conditions for workers. But the agricultural ...
Details of this planning application can be found by following this link: The case office is Kate Challenger – please email comments and objections to her at kate.challenger, and don't forget to copy us in.
Attracting people to join a political party is a difficult task. Memberships are in decline and it seems every more difficult to attract new people to invigorate politics. But maybe there are things which we can do to increase membership by focusing our attention on potential members. So who are these potential members and what ...
Councillors who campaigned for a discount travel card for young people have criticised Tory-run South Gloucestershire Council for its handling of the new scheme. At a recent meeting of the Council's select committee responsible for transport, Lib Dem councillors said the scheme needed to be promoted better, both to bus drivers and young people. Cllr Mike Thomas said, "People have complained to me that drivers do not recognise the cards, which is completely unacceptable. It's about time we made this clear to providers." Cllr Claire Young said, "A young person visiting the Council's website to find out more is likely ...
....for Lib Dem policies reported to be in the Freedom bill to be announced later this week. Susan *shakes head, sighs, throws hands in the air and wonders whether the Daily Mail ever took time to read our policies*
This morning's Daily Telegraph highlights the problems that the Police are having dealing with demonstrations in the face of a modern communications revolution. It is not just Eastern Europe and the Middle East where Twitter and the internet is driving protests. The paper quotes the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, who argue that a new generation of demonstrators who can organise and change plans instantly using modern technology mean officers can be quickly outmanoeuvred: Large numbers of protesters could be organised in hours, changing their focus in minutes through the use of Twitter and mobile phones in a "faster moving and ...
what an eye opener? i have just finished reading the middwich cuckoos (john wyndham). at the end was a curious chapter. in short a village had a day of which everyone slept through the act of a random impregnation of every woman of child bearing age. what was given birth was half boys half girls. each boy knew what the other was doing. same for the girls. they had terrific willpower over othrs and were very intelligent. they ended up in a special school as the village couldnt cope with them. in the end, there came a point when it ...
The Man Who Was Thursday has had a few mentions in the press recently, what with all the stories of the undercover police officers operating within the Green and anarchist movements. And while many of their stories are bizarre, it's unlikely that any of them would have had an experience quite as bizarre and surreal as that undergone by Syme/Thursday in this book. It's an interesting read and – like After London – fascinating as an early example of an idea that would gain great traction throughout the twentieth century. In the way it blends the surface nature of a ...
All, The Shipston/Stour Community Forum is coming up on the 1st March – here's the advert from the County Council: Have you heard about Community Forums? Community Forums are public meetings led by the County Council and Stratford-on-Avon District Council to engage the public in council business. Warwickshire Police promote 'Safer Neighbourhoods' through the Community Forums. Additionally the Safer Neighbourhood Teams hold a surgery prior to the forum during which time tea/coffee is available. Your Community Forum's next meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 1st March 2011 at Pillerton Priors Village Hall, Kineton Road, Pillerton Priors CV35 0PH ...
i) births and deaths 9 February 1918: birth of Morris Barry, who directed The Moonbase (1967), The Tomb of the Cybermen (1967), and The Dominators (1968) and played Tollund in The Creature from the Pit (1979). 9 February 1936: birth of Clive Swift, who played Jobel in Revelation of the Daleks (1985) and Baydon Copper in Voyage of the Damned (2007). ii) broadcast anniversaries 9 February 1974: broadcast of fifth episode of Invasion of the Dinosaurs. Sarah escapes from the mock spaceship but is recaptured by Finch. The Doctor is menaced by a tyrannosaurus (I've been counting and that's three ...
Cecil Rhodes, the colonist of central Africa, is said to have claimed that: "To be born British is to have won first prize in the lottery of life." The French take a similar view, and believe that to be French is the greatest privilege civilisation can bestow. Hence immigrants to France have the good fortune to be able to embrace its culture and the most beautiful and logical language in the world and enter into that privileged state. This view has a certain logic Historically Britain has taken a more liberal stance. In the Guardian of 28th November 2007 Timothy ...
Earlier this evening, I went to see Brighton Rock. I should point out that I have neither seen the 1947 version of the film, featuring Richard Attenborough, nor read the novel. Sam Riley is Pinkie Brown, a runner in a Brighton gang who witnesses the gang's leader (and his mentor) being murdered by a member of a rival gang. He takes the subsequent reprisals too far and murders the man responsible. Matters are complicated by the presence of Rose (Andrea Riseborough), who has the potential to be a devasting witness should she ever tell the police what she knows, and ...
Cameron's toxic take on multiculturalism | openDemocracy The difference between Cameron and Baroness Warsi on the Muslim question is striking. She knows what she is talking about. He doesn't. (tags: ukpolitics islam) International Crisis Group : Armenia and Azerbaijan: "Escalating front-line clashes, a spiralling arms race, vitriolic rhetoric and a virtual breakdown in peace talks increase the chance Armenia and Azerbaijan will go back to war over Nagorno-Karabakh, with devastating regional consequences." -> in my own view this is the conflict whose renewed outbreak is easiest to predict for the next couple of years; I hope the international community will ...
There's an interesting article on patriotism at http://www.skeptic.ca/meaning_of_patriotism.htm It begins with several definitions of Patriotism, all of which make it sound like a good and natural thing. For instance, "true patriotism is the impulse to defend one's land, country or way of life against unjust governmental oppression". It continues with numerous quotes from famous people such as Ben Jonson and Leo Tolstoy, all of which seem to paint patriotism one of the worst things imaginable. For instance there is Jonson's "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel." If Patriotism is so good, how can so may famous people say ...
