The Shuttle reports, A FORMER parliamentary candidate from Kidderminster was locked up for bludgeoning the family cat to death with a walking stick in a fit of rage. Michael Dixon was sentenced to four months in prison with a lifetime ban on keeping animals, after he lost his temper and battered the pet, leaving her to die in a pool of blood, before calmly telling his family: "I've killed the cat." The horrific attack happened at the former LibDem candidate's home in Warbler Place on May 14 last year, after five-year-old Tipsy scratched his grandson.
As reported in tonight's Evening Telegraph, Thomson Street has finally re-opened after months of closure due to works by Scottish Water and Scotland Gas Networks. As the Tele reports, I have paid tribute to the patience of residents over months of disruption. Although there will be a 10 day further closure at the end of April to allow for road resurfacing works, it will mean that the current poor road surface, full of patches where the road has been dug up,will be properly renewed.
The second part of the lecture on classical liberalism.
This (below) is a spell-binding piece of audio. It's 8'28" of the Secret Service radio traffic from just before Ronald Reagan was shot outside the Washington DC Hilton in 1981. This recording has just been released via the National Journal, who explain the audio here and have a transcript here. It's a long time ago, it's only an audio, it contains strings of codenames, but, my gosh, it's a rivetting piece of history.
A fascinating lecture on the decline of classical liberalism. Hat tip to the UK Libertarian party's blog.
The Liberal Democrats' spring conference is upon us. I used to enjoy a party conference - ridiculous dreamers espousing ridiculous ideas made all the more ridiculous because they were good honest ideas that had no place in Government. Remember the 1p in the pound rise in income tax? Ditching the Lottery? Oh how we made them laugh. Well the spring conference has ditched all the fun. Out go the beards and jeans, in come the I-Suits, rolling up their tailor made sleeves to fight the good fight against backsliders, waverers and, above all, rebels. The party that used to celebrate ...
Welcome to another in my (sadly ever more frequent) series of posts exposing myths pedalled by Labour activists in the local press. Some of them could give Aesop a run for his money, fable-wise. This week Labour once again re-assert their long-held and very oft-stated belief that there was a deal between the Lib Dems and Tories on the ...
I happened to be surfing youtube recently and fell upon videos for David Alexander. David who you may ask? Well if you don't know him, he's the Welsh Tom Jones that we would've heard a lot more of had Tom Jones himself not beaten him to it. He was born in Blackwood in south Wales and made his name on the social club circuit and worked as an entertainer in Pontins. He was of the same age as Tom Jones and though he made his name in the 1970s, he never managed the same level of success as his more ...
When the twinning of Market Harborough with Meerkovo was announced with only a day's notice it was always likely to prove a bit of a damp squib. And that is how it turned out. As the Harborough Mail reported at the time: The Meeerkat Harborough road sign erected in town as part of a publicity stunt had to be taken down early after it emerged it had been put up without permission. ... The sign at the Kettering Road entrance to the town was changed to Meerkat Harborough at 9.30am and was meant to stay up all day. But it ...
Our public services face the severest cuts in living memory - to be replaced by a sound bite 'The Big Society'. The NHS is being effectively privatised, as the higher education sector was when the government decided to withdraw funding and allow universities to triple tuition fees. Welfare reforms will hit the most vulnerable, as has the VAT rise, which additionally has put a strain on small businesses and put the brakes on an economic recovery the first signs of which were showing when the coalition came to office. Police numbers are being reduced, serviceman have been told by email ...
Patrick Wintour has the story.
I've already blogged about the census but I wanted to address some of the comments people have been making now that the forms have been landing on their doorsteps. If it wasn't compulsory by would have binned it And by doing so, ... Continue reading →
Hello from Liberal Democrat Conference in Sheffield. Many of you will have been to party conference before. Many of you will have experienced the delights of the goody bag attendees receive. To help Liberal Democrat Voice bring you the true conference experience even if you can't make it here yourself, Will Howells – you may remember him from such blogs as this one – has made us a quick video checking out his junk. Enjoy.
Beddington Gardens temporary closure On 18 March Beddington Gardens will be closed to all vehicles for a few days to allow the new soakaway to be connected to the rainwater sewer. The junction with Woodcote Road will be reopened as soon as possible. The soakaway will be the third to be added in the area close to the railway bridge - the others are in Railway Approach - and it will help avoid the kinds of flash flooding that we have had in Wallington ever since the road was lowered to allow double-decker buses along the road many years ago. ...
So this is the Sheffield Rally. And you know what normally happens when a party holds a Sheffield rally? Well, traditionally, some ginger bloke gets on stage, makes an absolute prat of himself, and completely wrecks his party's election chances. ... Continue reading →
My column from today's Liberal Democrat News. This was going to be the last word on modern education - and Jamie Oliver's project in particular. Somehow it never happened and I had to fill up the column with other things. I can claim to have been one of the first to compare Top Gear to Last of the Summer Wine. In their Dreams According to Save the Children, over 72 million children are growing up today without an education. In Britain we have the opposite problem: many teenagers are obliged to attend school when they clearly have no wish to ...
Earlier today I was delighted to be able to officially open the new nature train in Selly Oak Park. Tracey Hewitt, who on top of her day job with the Council is the Neighbourhood Manager for Selly Oak St Marys, has done a great job in pulling together the trail and its many wood sculptures and information boards. In doing so, she worked closely with the Friends of Selly Oak Park and many
So this is the Sheffield Rally. And you know what normally happens when a party holds a Sheffield rally? Well, traditionally, some ginger bloke gets on stage, makes an absolute prat of himself, and completely wrecks his party's election chances. And I'm a great believer in tradition, so here goes... Ros has been an outstanding President. A baroness who is also a pavement politician, approachable, effective and one of us. Ros led us internally to an election result and aftermath that was beyond historic. And I am certain that we all want to show our appreciation. On a personal note ...
I've just been to the supermarket. Not, you understand, primarily to get urgent supplies for the human beings in the house (although I confess, I did pick up a loaf of bread), but to get cabbage and sprouts for the rabbits so their routine will be blissfully undisturbed first thing in the morning. Talk about spoiled! Anyway, I met one of Anna's school pals and her mother. We were chatting away and I said that this was really the last quiet weekend I'd have before the election kicked off. Anna's friend asked what election it was, and whether it had ...
It was only a few weeks ago that England's cricketers were being hailed as future World Champions coasting to an Ashes Series victory in Australia for the first time in more than 20 years. Now almost half way through the group stages of the Cricket World Cup their record seems very different. A tie with India and narrow wins against South Africa and the Netherlands have been over shadowed by defeats at the hands of the Irish and, today, by Bangladesh. They may still come good but they are not playing like world beaters. This is great for the neutrals ...
I've been watching the tweets all day about Liberal Democrat Conference and feeling slightly envious that I can't join all my friends up there in Sheffield. Its all rather weird watching them getting ready for the rallies and fringes and voting on policy that ... Continue reading →
[IMG: Yes To Fairer Votes logo] From the letters page in today's Daily Telegraph: SIR - The May 5 referendum on whether we should replace first-past-the-post with the alternative vote will be one of the defining political events of this parliament. Writing in a personal capacity, we believe that there are three powerful reasons to vote for it. First, AV would force politicians to work harder to achieve more than 50 per cent of the vote. The last election was decided by just 1.6 per cent of voters, in marginal constituencies, who were targeted with intense leafleting and visits by ...
Via YouTube: You can read more about Sarah Teather's proposals and the questions she's asking for feedback on over on Lib Dem Voice.
Well I've been monumentally busy this week with work and haven't had much chance to blog. I intend to make the most of a rare weekend off (no campaigning as colleagues are conference) to make amends for that and hopefully ... Continue reading →
You really have to laugh when the union Unison tries to make a political point and instead just makes the world laugh with a poster so hysterical that the original point is utterly lost.
I always take information from Thanet council with a pinch of salt, and comments from some of our councillors with a large economy pack. Its been noted that comments, made by those representing the council, over the hasty destruction of Margate Caves entrance, are not as authoritative as you have a right to expect. I suggest that you take time out, if you haven't already to read up on this, there are two excellent reports on this one from Luke Edwards of Thanet Waves and this from the Gazette written by Daisy Stemple, on page 3 of this weeks Gazette. ...
Fri 11th
17:50
It's not the unpopularity; its the 'fingers-in-the-ears-la-la-la-not-listening' that's getting to me...
For years we've been complaining that no one ever pays us enough attention, so I'm not going to grumble about the fact 10000 people are going to Sheffield this weekend to shout at the Lib Dem delegates. At least we're being talked about, discussed, debated - in short, we're firmly on the agenda. In many ways we've never had it so good. And I say that with no sense of irony. A few commentators have made similar points and as usual I enjoyed reading Julian Astle's point of view in the Telegraph. However there is one area where I do ...
Might be the last opportunity for the conservatives to get it rightThe Chairman of the Children and Young People Overview & Scrutiny Panel, Councillor Sally Davis has asked that a meeting of the Panel takes place on Monday 21st March 2011 at 5.30pm in the Council Chamber, Guildhall, Bath to discuss the Call-in of Decision E2233 'Determination of Statutory Notice to close Culverhay School'.
Bilge! Now there's a word that gets far too infrequent an airing. It happens to be the word Nick Clegg used to describe David Cameron's despatch box-defence of our voting system during this week's PMQs, revealed in a lengthy interview with the deputy prime minister in today's Independent. Other topics covered include NHS reform, Libya, Prince Andrew and why the Liberal Democrats must see this coalition government through for its full term. Nick's conference speech on Sunday needs to provide an uplift to party members after a bruising few weeks and months, and from this interview it looks like he ...
It's Friday. It's five o'clock. Here's a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week: 5 most-read stories on LDV this week Barnsley Central result: Labour win, Lib Dems sixth (197 comments) by The Voice LibLink: Dominic Carman - What it's like to be the most despised man in the town political correctness forgot (and come SIXTH in a by-election) (69 comments) by Nick Thornsby Nick Clegg: we're making the rich pay their fair share of tax (40 comments) by Mark Pack Linda Jack writes: Nick Clegg - demonstrating what he's for (18 comments) by Linda Jack Opinion: NHS ...
On Wednesday I was along at the ceremony to mark the handing over of keys to new tenants in Moray Apartments down in Milton. Dunedin Canmore Housing Association acquired 15 homes from a developer supported by an innovative rental guarantee scheme, involving the Scottish Government and the Council, which meant that these homes have come into use rented at a "mid market" rate to new tenants with no subsidy from the public purse. There is a need for 16600 additional affordable houses in Edinburgh over the next ten years. The term affordable is an umbrella term applied to social rented, ...
Portman Capital, an independent corporate advisory firm, has been asked to comment upon the technical issues raised by Mark Pack's column on Stephen Williams' proposal to privatise RBS and Lloyds by distributing the shares to the public. Portman Capital is not politically aligned and its comments are intended to explain the technical feasibility of the proposal rather than its political aspects. The proposal to distribute the shares to the UK people is innovative, and as the British people will participate without having to provide cash up front, it has fairness at its core. Over time, the scheme is likely to ...
I'm 30 in a few weeks, and there may well be a navel-gazing, lengthy, introspective and self-indulgent blog post to mark the occasion. In the meantime, because all of my friends turn 30 around now too, my wife and I have decided to merge our birthdays into one giant party, which will take place this weekend. Unfortunately she ...
Yesterday, Labour gained a seat from the Lib Dems in Burnley and held a seat in the London Borough of Southwark. Burnley BC, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse: Lab 521 (43.1; +11.8) BNP 288 (23.8; +5.5) LD Kate Mottershead 261 (21.6; -11.8) Con 81 (6.7; -10.2) Ind 58 (4.8; +4.8) Majority 233 Turnout 25% Lab gain from LD Percentage change is since May 2010 Southwark LBC, Brunswick Park: Lab 1981 (65.1; +13.3) LD Kate Heywood 630 (20.7; -2.0) Green 231 (7.6; -6.9) Con 129 (4.2; -6.7) Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 70 (2.3; +2.3) Majority 1351 Turnout 34.2% Lab hold Percentage change ...
On Wednesday evening, Breakthrough Breast Cancer held a pre-election hustings on Women's Health in a Recession at the Scottish Storytelling Theatre in Edinburgh. Six politicians gathered to discuss issues from cancer treatment and detection to increasing breastfeeding rates. The photo shows the panel, from left to right: Jackie Baillie (Labour), Ross Finnie (Liberal Democrat), Alison Johnstone (Greens), Audrey Birt, Director Breakthrough, Nicola Sturgeon (SNP), Nanette Milne (Conservative) and Margo MacDonald (Independent). Beforehand, we'd chatted over coffee outside. I was blethering with Ross Finnie. He'd spent the whole weekend at Conference darkly warning that if he made any pledges that cost ...
With news that Reading is now the worst place in the country for motorists, according to a new survey, it's time for some home truths. It's time to admit that the town's transport has been on the wrong track for some time. It's time for the town to have a fresh start – and that means it's time for the Council's Head of Transport, Pat Baxter, to go. Before going further I should say that Pat has personally achieved much – notably securing the transformation of Reading Station with additional local benefits such as Cow Lane Bridges, as well as ...
Really sad that this by-election came about – a Labour councillor being accused of a heinous crime. This was the first election where I was the agent. Fascinating experience. Heaps to learn. Some silly mistakes on the way which hopefully I wont make again and can help others avoid. We were very fortunate to have a leader in Anood Al-Samerai leading from the front and motivating so many people to help. We delivered lots of excellent leaflets and letters. Found many supporters on the doorsteps. Despite the current national angst about Lib Dems, latest national opinion poll puts us on ...
The tory run county council are planning to increase on-street parking charges across Surrey. The Lib Dem opposition on the county council have proposed a motion to scrap the increases and the motion will be debated on the 22nd of March. As Cllr Stephen Cooksey (who proposed the motion) says: "The plan put forward by Surrey County Council's Conservative Cabinet is an unnecessary blow to market towns and villages in Surrey during a time of economic difficulty. It will hit many of Surrey's small businesses hard, discouraging short visits to local shops and result in even more pressure on already ...
The Lib Dem leader needs to worry less about the public and more about his party at this week's conference. If you have never been to a party conference, I urge you to go at some point. It is completely different from any other animal. When there's a crucial debate about a policy issue with passion on all sides the conference hall positively fizzles with energy. The Lib Dems have always prided themselves on the quality of the debate and the Lib Dem Spring Conference in Sheffield will be no exception. This year's hot topic: health reforms. Paul Burstow the ...
The Brookfield Shiers Family Trust is a sum of money donated to be looked after by the Council and used to help good causes across the area of the old Cheadle & Gatley UDC (roughly covering present-day wards of Cheadle & Gatley, Cheadle Hulme North, Heald Green and Cheadle Hulme South). It's invested by the Council following guidance from the nine councillors of the Cheadle Area Committee. Last year we decided to award £5,000 of the money in grants. We had thirteen applications from organisations, adding up to a total of £15,000. The councillors then agreed on a method for ...
With the Liberal Democrat spring federal conference in Sheffield about to kick-off, here's a quick reminder of some of our advanced coverage, with tips on which debates to watch out for, the best of the fringes and a taster of some of the arguments: LibLink: Mark Pack - The Liberal Democrat Spring Conference agenda, whistlestop guide version Conference preview: the four best fringe meetings Conference preview: consulting on the future, inequality and digital policy Conference preview: two of the coalition's most controversial policies (see also Paul Burstow, Paul Hodgkin and Felix Greaves) Conference preview: Improving the diversity of our MPs ...
The Liberal Democrats have entered government at one of the most challenging times for the country. We did not choose the moment but we have shown ourselves up to be to the task. We have not shrunk from our responsibility to act in the national interest and we will not miss the opportunity we have to build a greener, fairer and more liberal Britain. Our Ministers are focusing on delivering our key manifesto priorities: A fair reformed political system A fair, sound, rebalanced economy Fair taxes and reformed public services Fair chances for all our children. Achievements Our first task ...
Fri 11th
12:11
Update on protesters refusing to meet Mike Moore and Danny Alexander at Scottish Liberal Democrat Co...
Earlier this week I wrote of my frustration that some protesters at our Conference in Perth had turned downt the chance of half an hour with two Cabinet ministers. Some people said in the comments that the Party had only invited the STUC and disabled people had not been invited. This I thought, to be honest, to be unlikely, but I did a bit of digging. So, I warmly invite you to head over to my Whistlestop Tour of Scottish Conference on Liberal Democrat Voice to find out what I discovered. It is at least good that Mike and Danny ...
The cross-party 'Fish for the Future' campaign group in the European Parliament that I have taken the lead in forming is now and up and running. We've agreed a set of objects and principles, appointed a bureau of representatives from ... Continue reading →
[IMG: Battle of Big Thinking poster] Ever year Engine hosts The Battle of Big Thinking, an event where people from different parts of the company battle it out in five minute presentations to come up with the most persuasive, provocative thought. This year I threw my hat in the ring and much to my pleasant surprise won! It was a great event, with many fantastic pitches which left us all buzzing with knowledge and ideas. It was also, (mostly) mercifully, bullet point free. My own idea was a different take on a familiar thought. Faster, faster, faster: that is the ...
We Liberal Democrats need no convincing of the urgent need to tackle climate change. Indeed, that's why there's a Liberal Democrat minister heading the Department of Energy and Climate Change - one of the most important contributions we bring to the coalition government. Not everyone in the UK, however, is yet so persuaded, and we also face problems in pressing the case abroad. Last summer, together with my French and German counterparts, I opened a debate in the EU over adopting a more ambitious emissions reduction target for 2020 (of 30 per cent, instead of the current 20 per cent), ...
I've just opened up my Council Tax bill for 2011/12. Convenient it arrived on door mats on a by-election day! The governments extra cash to local authorities to avoid any inflationary increase is welcome – obviously the Labour led Southwark Council doesn't explain that. It also disingenuously talks about the cuts and sacrifices – why Labour in Southwark think adding £27M to its reserves for a rainy day makes any sense now is beyond me. The Lib Dems left the council on a back office saving trajectory. So the national cuts really haven't needed to be that bad in Southwark ...
Ok, so I finally got around to sorting through the 1,843 photos that we took on our recent trip to Africa. It was such an epic adventure with so many amazing memories that it was really quite difficult to select the best shots. I decided on choosing the best 118 photos, to match the 118 days that we were away. (It's not actually one photo per day, just the ones that I think tell the best story of the trip). There is an embedded slideshow below or you can go to Flickr and view the set and slideshow.
Some years ago a basic attempt to reduce the damage night flights cause. This agreement ends October 2012 so the government will start consulting on this agreements replacement later this year. I'm a paid up member of the Heathrow Action Campaign Against Noise as noisy flights pervade south London these days to such a degree I find it distracting, means I sometimes kind speak to people in the street, parks and gardens of south London. So I fully support HACAN's proposals for no night flights between 11pm and 6am and a phased reduction of flights between 6am and 7am. People ...
I suspect there are many people like me who don't have much love for the closest chain cinema to many people in Fortune Green - the Vue in O2. However, we might be giving it a little more trade over the coming months as the splendid - but somewhat craggy Swiss Cottage Odeon is closing for a refit. They say they will close on 17th March and "will re-open this summer with new screens, seating and much more." Lets hope it doesn't lose any of its grandeur as part of the works. Odeon are keen to direct people to other ...
Today, Liberal Democrats meet for their spring conference. Many will come to Sheffield in a glum mood. The party's 'performance' in the Barnsley Central by-election has worried some, and consistently poor opinion poll ratings will also have caused concern from the leadership on down. But the question of how the party membership stands is an ...
I finished this several days ago, but have been on the road all week. It struck me that a lot of the stories in this collection were a bit longer, allowing Doyle to work through his ideas in a slightly more thorough way without resorting to the padding which fills up space in three of the four novels. This collection includes "The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans", which so memorably features an Underground train, and (in my edition) "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box", in which the said box, containing two gruesome objects packed in salt, is sent by post ...
Scottish Liberal Democrats gathered in Perth last weekend for their Spring Conference. I thought that LDV readers might appreciate edited highlights of a lively weekend. It was a bit strange to turn up to find a huge area around the Perth Concert Hall cordoned off, airport style security and Police everywhere. We're not used to this sort of thing. Leader Tavish Scott's keynote speech hammered home our USP in the forthcoming Scottish election campaign - only the Scottish Liberal Democrats will speak out against a political power grab. SNP, Tories and Labour advocate merging eight police forces to just one. ...
It's great to be able to say that the campaign organised by Cleckheaton Liberal Democrats to halt the closure of Cleckheaton Bus Station has at least for the time being being successful. Your Liberal Democrat team in Liversedge and Gomersal fully support the ongoing campaign, and are delighted with this success. Cllr Andrew Pinnock said, "Metro chiefs were very impressed at the strength of feeling ... I have now had a letter from Metro confirming that there is no current threat to Cleckheaton Bus Station" Over 1250 names were collected on a petition, which was handed in to Metro. This ...
A friend, from America, sent me this video; the content is quite horrific. It is frightening what is being proposed by the Michigan Governor. Unbelievable.
Leave all hope, for thoughtful ethical discussion, ye who watch BBC documentaries. The documentary 23 Weeks Babies: The Price of Life is no exception. Director Adam Wishart, who 'writes about science', as he tells us, spends six months in a hospital where intensive care is given to babies of 23 weeks. Economics is today's unquestioned paradigm, so it's all about how much it costs. The 'ethics' of
A group of eminent historians, including Dr. David Starkey, have written an open letter(£) to the Times calling for a No vote in the AV referendum. They say that the "long fight for suffrage established the principle of one man or woman, one vote. The principle that each person's vote is equal, regardless of wealth, gender, ...
The French government has declared that it is going to contest the decision in the courts, but they will have a hard time proving their case and an even harder one justifying it to the European public. By a majority ... Continue reading →
Ed Balls on banks: · 'Nothing should be done to put at risk a light-touch, risk-based regulatory regime' (Bloomberg Speech, 14 June 2006). · 'I believe we are right to avoid prescriptive, heavy-handed regulation in Britain' (Balls, ibid.). · 'In my first speech as City Minister at Bloomberg in London, I argued that London's success has been based on... light-touch principle-based regulation' (Speech to The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce and The British Chamber of Commerce, 13 September 2006). · 'It is important that the FSA continues to deliver a light-touch and risk-based regulatory approach' (14 June 2006). · ...
South Gloucestershire Council's Trading Standards officers and neighbourhood police are warning people in South Gloucestershire to be wary of door-to-door leaflets asking for unwanted clothing. There is currently a red and white flyer asking to collect clothes for a charity called 'Breaking the Waves'. The website on the flyer does not exist and the telephone number provided does not connect. The police have some concerns and are currently investigating. The only way to guarantee that donations benefit good causes is to deal only with charities you know are genuine, or take unwanted items direct to a charity shop. Neil Derrick, ...
Fri 11th
09:26
Simon Wright writes... Make the Green Investment Bank a real bank and transform the economy
£500 billion is a lot of money. But that's roughly how much the UK needs to invest in low carbon infrastructure over the next 10-20 years to have a chance of meeting our ambitious carbon reduction targets. Ernst and Young have estimated that the usual sources of capital can probably raise between £50-£80 billion. That leaves an enormous gap to fill. One of the government's top priorities is to put in place the mechanisms needed to unlock the massive investment needed. Given the need to tackle the deficit, the private sector will be needed to deliver this investment – but ...
I read with interest Frank Field's piece in the local paper about the new Asda store in Birkenhead. I agree with Frank and many other local residents that it has caused massive problems with parking (including a reduction in Blue Badge spaces). What he fails to mention was that a few days before the local ...
There are many arguments for and against changing our electoral system. One question worth considering is whether the introduction of the alternative vote system will increase liberty and lead to a more liberal society. Of course, how you define a more liberal society is a complex debate in itself. There are some who argue that AV will force politicians to compromise. That would make getting to a more liberal society, or making any change, even harder. Others would say it simply doesn't matter what system we have. I have also seen the argument made that AV could lead to a ...
Daily Mail perfected Bwahahahahahahahahaha (tags: funny)
When I last made a broad-brush comment about how many conference strategy motions pass without leaving much of a trace behind, Tony Greaves pointed out the major exception to that: the Community Politics strategy motion of 1970. When it comes to details mattering, the triple lock mechanism from the No Glass Ceilings strategy paper also turned out to be important, as we saw last year. The prime author of this year's strategy paper is one of the founding fathers of Community Politics and the author of the triple lock, Gordon Lishman. The related motion being debated on Sunday morning at ...
I am feeling slightly sorry for myself at the moment - I'm currently about 350 miles from where I want to be. Our family budget won't stand two weekends away on the trot, but I'd really love to be amongst the hordes of Liberal Democrats gathering in Sheffield for Spring Conference today. I think what's really good is that it's not just a question of turning up in Sheffield and hiding out in a Conference Centre. Nick's keen for people to see the city he represents in Parliament, so our ministers, and Party President Tim Farron are going to be ...
Another quick collection of interest: My views on the Liberal Democrats in government – A very good post by Duncan Stephen on his opinions of the party in Government. Too nuanced for a simple summary to suffice, but worth reading regardless of your views of the party and the government. The Lib Dems need to whistle their way through these dark days – Andrew Rawnsley provides some good advice in his Observer column. Solving the Lembit for Mayor problem in one easy stroke – Dan Falchikov suggests a much more plausible Lib Dem Mayoral candidate than Lembit. Though admittedly, 'more ...
Two significant events on 11 March 1967... i) births and deaths 11 March 1945: birth of Graeme Harper, director of three Old Who stories (including a large part of Warriors' Gate, for which he was not credited), ten New Who stories (counting Time Crash) and three Sarah Jane Adventures stories. 11 March 1952: birth of Douglas Adams, writer of The Pirate Planet (1978) and Shada (unbroadcast but would have been 1980), co-author of City of Death (1979) and script editor for Season 17 (1979-80); best known, of course, for other things. 11 March 1963: birth of Alex Kingston, who plays ...
@CllrDaisyBenson TY for #ff – esp as my tweet/blog activity is zero currently! in reply to CllrDaisyBenson # @itsmotherswork I assume I count as a "ib rather than a Lefty [IMG: :)] Thx for #ff in reply to itsmotherswork # @CllrDaisyBenson Lol, lots of life – just focused on paid work currently [IMG: :)] in reply to CllrDaisyBenson # Research shows fewer people giving more to charity than 30 years ago & poor still give more as prop of income than rich http://bit.ly/hjIip9 # @MarkReckons Not seen comparable figs for US tho imagine you're right. US also a low-tax small-state ...
Just before Christmas, I blogged the Liberal Democrats' achievements in Government. Since then, even more of the party's manifesto has been enacted. For example, the ID card database was publicly destroyed on 11th February 2011 and Project Merlin has ensured that the UK has the most transparent banking pay disclosure scheme in the world. Sarah Teather's SEN Green Paper has proposed key reforms to the way Special Education Needs are diagnosed and the support that children and parents receive. The National Curriculum is under review, with the aim of replacing the current system with a slimmed-down and more competitive version. ...
The Financial Times is an interesting paper. I started reading it when I found from copies lying around that in addition to all the business content, its commentary was far more centrist than you might expect. It verges on leaning left at times, and I gather there are those in the City who do indeed see its opinions as being raving Marxism for the weak minded. I've just recently discovered their cartoonist, Ingram Pinn. Here's a little selection. It's cheeky and quite possibly illegal to use copyright images from behind a paywall to get blog content, but it's neither for ...
Let no one suggest that Peter Hain is not persistent, even if his tenacity is not of this world. In this morning's Western Mail, the Shadow Secretary of State for Wales claims that there are private sector consortiums who would build the landmark Severn barrage and enable the generation of 6-7% of the UK's energy needs, if they knew they had the full support of the Government. However, his understanding of the project is clearly behind the times. He quotes the cost of the barrage as between £20bn and £30bn compared to the current estimate of £35bn, whilst he appears ...
As the Libyan despot Gadaffi murders his way across the wreckage of his country, it is beginning to look as though the rebellion stands on the brink of defeat. While Britain and France are trying to muster support for the interim government in Benghazi, continued air raids and merciless attacks with heavy weapons are slow prizing away their grip, even on the eastern half of Libya. It is an appalling situation. In the face of this obvious crime, President Obama seems content to pose as a neutral- seeking a no fly zone- when the time has long past where this ...
I've received a reminder from the Electoral registration people at the City Council of the deadline to register to vote in May: Local elections will take place on Thursday 5 May. There will also be a referendum on how we vote at parliamentary elections on the same day. You must be registered to vote by 14 April if you wish to vote at the local elections and the referendum. You are not automatically registered even if you pay council tax. You may be planning to be away on 5 May, given the extra Bank Holiday for the Royal Wedding. If ...
Would You Please F***ing Stop? Ursula Le guin on swearing. (tags: languages sf)
Beat Area:- CONSETT NORTH (I1A ) Reporting period:- 08/02/2011- 08/03/2011 Number of calls for area:- 168 Number of community related calls:- 24 Dwelling Burglaries:- 3 Street/Location:- There have been 3 reported burglaries for this period. 2 of the burglaries occurred on Medomsley Rd and the 3rd occurred in Stephen St Consett. All 3 burglaries occurred around the 18th of February and were all in a similar area of the town. Arrests have been made and persons have been charged in relation to Burglaries in the Consett area. Anti- social Behaviour and motorcycle incidents:- 9 Rowdy Nuisance:- There have been a ...
I was talking with a couple of people yesterday who had seen the Independent Party leaflet. You may have seen some of my comments already and I was not shy in telling them how bad I thought it was. How could they claim all the credit for anything when they are a minority partner in a coalition? One person thought the leaflet was quite good. They got a message over and voters would believe them. Should all parties claim all the credit (apart from the Tories who can't take any credit) for anything that goes on in our local coalition? ...
