If you need gifts for someone special for Mothering Sunday which is on 3 April this year, for Easter later on, or even just as a present for any other reason, you will be able to find some great gifts at the Craft and Gift Fair which is being held in the church hall at ...
It was nice to read the following words in the Independent on Sunday today: One of the few unambiguously positive contributions to the coalition was made by the Lib Dem spring conference yesterday, when it voted against the reorganisation of the health service being driven through by Andrew Lansley, the Conservative Health Secretary. Combined with the votes on Disability Living Allowance, Legal Aid and the banking system (amongst others), this all added up to a very productive conference.
It was nice to read the following words in the Independent on Sunday today: One of the few unambiguously positive contributions to the coalition was made by the Lib Dem spring conference yesterday, when it voted against the reorganisation of the health service being driven through by Andrew Lansley, the Conservative Health Secretary. Particularly when the amendment is introduced as follows: Amendment One Winchester & Chandlers Ford, Southport, Guildford, 133 conference representatives. A few other headlines: Lib Dem delegates bring their leaders to heel over coalition's NHS reforms Crushing defeat for Clegg as the Lib Dems reject health reforms Combined ...
This morning the Liberal Democrats overwhelmingly voted in favour of taking tougher action on banks an bonuses. In a highly topical debate delegates applauded proposals put forward by the Social Liberal Forum to, amongst other things: • break up banks ... Continue reading →
Hundreds of people marched (very carefully) through the Aylestone Meadows nature reserve in Leicester this afternoon as part of the campaign against Leicester City Council's plans to build sports facilities on it. The protest was the lead story on the BBC regional television news this eveneing and the BBC News website says: Leicester Friends of the Earth spokesman Malcolm Hunter said: "We are all for more sports facilities in Leicester, but there are other places where they could go. "To put this development on part of the Aylestone Meadows local nature reserve would make a mockery of Leicester's claims to ...
"I never want the European Union to be described again as a 'payer not a player' with regard to the Middle East." Goods words from Cathy Ashton, the EU's High Representative on Foreign Affairs, but do they amount to much? ... Continue reading →
including a Podcast of an important Q&A on the Internet, security and democracy.
One of the things I love about being a Liberal Democrat is that Party Members agree and develop our policies by voting on them at our Conferences. This is not the case in either the Conservative or Labour party. And to the continual surprise of attending national media Lib Dem Conference is not a stage-managed rally, like Labour or Conservative Party conferences, it is a democrat policy-making forum. The only difference about the Lib Dems now as Nick Clegg acknowledged is we have moved from policy-makers to law makers in government: "The Coalition Government is shifting power from state to ...
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, the leader of Broxtowe Borough Council. A special welcome to the new readers that we have this week. First may I apologise that this is a day later than usual, but I have been at the Liberal Democrat conference in Sheffield this weekend. More of that below. Before moving on to the main news may I just make a comment about the situation in Japan. What has happened has been utterly horrific, and it's hard to comprehend the level of devastation even when seeing ...
The other day I was playing a CD of tracks by modern singer-songwriters that had been given away free by a magazine. It was on in the background while I was doing something else, so I wasn't listening too closely. e But one of the songs caught my attention. Here was someone who has been listening to Paul Simon, I thought. Well he had, because the singer turned out to be Paul Simon's son. As Sophie Heawood wrote in The Times last year: Born in New York in 1972, Harper was named after his mother, Peggy Harper, who had married ...
Having just returned from Sheffield, it seems like a good idea to write up what I thought of various things. I will treat them in the order of the agenda, but will skip items on which I have no particular comment. The report of the Federal Conference Committee deserves a mention because there was an unusually strong movement to reject it. This largely centred around the shift to the near-exclusive use of online registration for Conference. There were concerns about the impact of this on those without computers. Although I feel that the arguments given by the committee chair were ...
Nick Clegg closed his party's spring conference today with a speech determinedly outlining his vision for a more liberal Britain. As well as outlining what he believed the party had achieved already as part of a coalition government, the speech marked a move towards looking at what could still be achieved by the Lib Dems in ...
Still awaiting any confirmation on this, but it looks like we may be seeing the welcome return of Dulcimer. It was a very distinctive and well run bar, which closed around the turn of the year. It would be good to see it back, much better than metal shutters!
Paula Keaveney reports back from the Liberal Democrats' Spring Conference, which was held in Sheffield this weekend. Someone else who went to Sheffield is John Healey, Labour's shadow health spokesman. Olly Grender, writing for the New Statesman website, hopes he learned from the experience: "John Healey came with a typical 'blood up the walls' statement already prepared. Instead he found a party that is business like, considered and professional. Perhaps he can go back to his colleagues and tell them there are other ways to oppose." This is a lesson that some of the protesters outside the conference need to ...
This weekend at Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Sheffield I spoke up in favour of increasing the diversity of Lib Dem MPs. You can listen to the Podcast of the debate here (my intervention is about 42 minutes in) I am deeply embarrassed by the fact there are no BME Lib Dem MPs and by the tiny number of Lib Dem women MPs. Simply wishing and hoping things will get better has not worked so we must change the way we do things. I contrasted my experience as a local councillor with my experience as a prospective parliamentary candidate at ...
I attended a very interesting debate at Liberal Democrat conference last night, hosted by LibDem Voice with Evan Harris as guest speaker. One discussion intrigued me though, and it could have long term implications for Manchester and the UK. There seemed to be a received wisdom that the future of internet usage was to increase capacity. Fibre optic cables cost about £4 per metre, but the view of the room was that was achievable and that governments would pay. I doubt that very much, if the choice is Surestart centres or Fibre optics, there better be only one winner. One ...
On Saturday, I asked Nick Clegg a question during the Q & A session at Spring Conference in Sheffield. My question to Nick was this: Can we have an elected second chamber, and, without sounding impatient, can we have it ... Continue reading →
On Friday morning I went to South Reading Community Centre on Northumberland Aveue in Whitley to discuss housing policy with tenants and our two local MPs, Alok Sharma and Rob Wilson. The meeting was organised by Reading Federation of Tenants and Residents Groups. I was really pleased to attend this meeting as I think it is important that Council tenants indeed all residents get the chance to quiz politicians about the reasons behind their policies and decisions all year round not just at election time. I am passionate about housing so I do not need an excuse to talk about ...
The Liberal Democrats' Spring Conference this year was on Nick Clegg's home territory of Sheffield, which was partly why there was such tight security – the so-called ring of steel — round the City Hall, to fend off protestors who accuse him of 'selling out' to the Conservatives. Actually, there were nowhere near the expected number of ...
At this weeks Environment Committee councillors will be asked to consider a recommendation from officers over Uttlesford's Core Strategy. Since the election of the coalition government the regional spatial strategy has been abolished. Uttlesford had been told it needed to find sites for 4000 new houses between 2012-27. The Localism Bill currently going through Parliament gives all councils the power to determine their own housing requirements. Officers are recommending that 2500 homes will be required on new sites between 2012-27. In addition to the new site requirement 2,521 homes already have planning permission but are not yet built. Some of ...
Although I didn't get to bed until 2am following the Glee Club at the Lib Dem Conference I did manage to attend the St Patrick's day parade (mainly because I packed everything away before going to bed).The parade was bigger and better than last year, but I will take a while to put up photos. I will also link to other photo sets, but not immediately.On this parade "A long way to Tipperary" was
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 212th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (6th March – 12th March, 2011), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down: 1. ...
(Continues from part one) So far we've examined how we form a scientific theory. What we need to know now is what makes a *good* theory – how do we choose between two theories which make the same predictions? The answer is a principle which has been known since the fourteenth century, but which is ...
Just for the record, I thought I'd post the motion on the NHS which conference actually passed (as amended and with lines rejected in a separate vote removed), since I'm not really sure where it is that one finds this information online. I'll be writing a proper post about this motion and several other things ...
After years of Labour councillors and MSP's whining about the Scottish Governments Council Tax freeze and how it neuters local democracy I was amazed to learn that they intend to do precisely the same to councils should they win the Holyrood elections. I expect we shall see a bit more in the way of convergence of commitments as people try to "out populist" each other or at least try not to be "out populisted" by the others!
Feathers flew and tempers frayed at the last Council meeting where Members adopted the budget for 2011-12. In a marathon session lasting some four hours, there were numerous challenges, prompting reference to the Constitution for points of order and a recorded vote taken on Councillor allowances. These are to be cut by 2%, in line with a cut in staff earnings over £21k, although a Lib Dem proposal for a cut in the generous Special Responsibility Allowances of 10% was not supported by the Tory majority. Council tax rates in the former South Beds Council area still remain marginally higher ...
England squeezed home to retain the Calcutta Cup. A spirited Scottish team kept in the chase right up until the end but were just edged out 22-16. This included a 10 minute period with one key player missing - very questionably sin binned. The try count was one a piece and England were kept to that thanks to a fantastic try saving tackle by Chris Paterson Scotland Full back on the day who scythed down Ben Foden just a few feet short of the try line. Next up for Scotland the wooden spoon decideragainst the Italians, conquerors of France yesterday, ...
Wondering about the merits of first past the post? This video uses the animal kingdom to help explain the problems with it in public elections:
A quick summary post to give you a full list of everything we produced during Spring Conference 2011 in Sheffield. Posts Preview roundup Tim Farron's speech at the conference rally What's in the bag – Will Howells unboxes his conference bag Rolling News – Saturday morning – Mark Pack gives a blow by blow account Disability Living Allowance and NHS motions – the aftermath Diversity motion passes 10 Comments on Saturday at Conference – with (at time of writing) 13 comments from readers Emergency motion: tougher action on banks and bonuses Party Strategy: rolling highlights And of course conference closes ...
Surgery Cllr. Monica Coleman & I manned our usual monthly surgery in the local Wallington Sainsburys in the foyer near the lifts. We had a couple of residents who came specifically to see us but it was the plans for the high street works which attracted the most interest from passing shoppers. We were able ...
I'm just back from two and a half days in Sheffield for Lib Dem Spring Conference. The Spring Conference is part of the policy making activities of the party. Its shorter than the more publicised autumn conference but it is just as important in terms of what the party does. I've come away from this one pretty pleased, albeit pretty tired, as I managed to make progress on some of the issues I am working on or campaigning on. Firstly the Coalition Government is going to create a Green Investment Bank. There are quite a few details to sort out ...
I used wordle.net to provide a different view of Nick Clegg's closing speech to the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference.
Twirlies can still use their passes before 9.30am after Central Bedfordshire Council reached a significant agreement with local bus companies. At a meeting in December, members of the Council's Executive decided to make savings on the cost of the Council's concessionary fare scheme by prohibiting free travel for elderly pass holders before 9.30am between Mondays and Fridays. This wasn't well received by users and after pressure from the Lib Dems and others, the Council went back to the drawing board. A cut of 4.5% in the sum paid to Beds bus service providers for the concessionary service was agreed, to ...
Pleased to see this over on the Muswell Hill Liberal Democrats website: The W7 bus stop on the steep Muswell Hill looks set to soon be moved to outside Boots on the Muswell Hill Broadway, after a three year campaign by local Liberal Democrats. The encouraging news was sent to Lynne Featherstone MP earlier this week following enquiries to the Council and TfL. [IMG: Lynne Featherstone and local councillors in Muswell Hill] The current southbound stop is part way down a very steep stretch of hill, making it tricky to get to even for someone without baggage when there's snow ...
I blogged recently about the news that a developer wants to build 18 houses on the old Bankfield House site. The application is now in and you can find it at this web address I know it looks very long but the link does work. The deadline for comments is 30 March but you can do this on-line using the page at this link. People who live very near the site (including some on Banks Road and Vesuvian Drive) should have had a letter but any resident can comment, whether they got a letter or not. Personally, although I ...
Ok, it wasn't just me. But I've wanted to write that headline for ages. This latest billet doux from the Party President went to everyone the Lib Dems have an e-mail address for, I presume. There, I feel less special now. Basically the tone was the same as he's been saying all weekend - get your arses onto the streets because we have some good things to say, but I'll leave it to him to do so in his own way. Dear Caron, Nick Clegg spoke at the close of our Spring Conference in Sheffield today, with a fantastic, liberal ...
Almost up to March's releases, so I shall note the Big Finish audios I've listened to in the last few weeks, in continuity order (almost exactly the reverse of the order that I listened to them in). The Destroyers, starring Jean Marsh as Sara Kingdom fighting the Daleks, was Terry Nation's attempt to market a Dalek show to the US. I thought it was basically pretty good, though sorry that the Sara Kingdom character wasn't as tough as she later became in The Daleks' Master Plan and also sorry that it ends on a cliff-hanger which presumably will never now ...
I'm very aware that by concentrating on the three big series of posts I'm doing at the moment (Cerebus, Beach Boys and How We Know What We Know) I might be putting off people who come to this blog for other things (Grant Morrison analysis, Lib Dem politics or whatever). So as well as trying ...
Posted by Chris: If Liberal Democrats win control of Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council at the elections in May they will abandon the Labour Council's controversial plans to erect an 80' "Vertical Pier" On Redcar seafront. Labour have simply not convinced people that building an 80' tower on the seafront and renting the space to a cafe and craft industries is sustainable. The attraction of climbing up it to see the view is pretty limited and the huge cost of paying back the debt and maintaining the facility does not justify going ahead with something no-one seems to want. A ...
Apologies for the lack of bloggery recently – I was sick, and then my wife got sick, and then my computer got sick. All three are now better, and I'm going to try to get back up to speed in the next couple of days. I'm going to try to do the next part of ...
Here is a full podcast of our fringe last night, "Who controls the internet?" Libel law reform campaigner and former MP Evan Harris, website pioneer Mary Reid, James Blessing of the Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) and Jim Killock of the digital rights champions Open Rights Group debate recent issues about free speech and the internet with chair Mark Pack.
This is one of the best chapters we have had for ages - I found myself marking almost every page with some point of interest. Gibbon describes the fatal interaction of the Byzantine and Persian empires in the early seventh century - close personal bonds between the respective emperors, which none the less deteriorate into dreadful combat and slaughter, with each empire's armies penetrating deep into the other's territory, to the point that both capitals were seriously threatened at different stages. We also have the Avars coming down the other side of the Black Sea to hit the Byzantines from ...
It has been a perfect Conference ahead of the May local elections.
Following overwhelming demand from our twitter colleagues, we are now publishing in full the debate we had yesterday on diversifying our elected representatives. You can find my written review of the debate here.
The Coalition Government is shifting power from state to people: Restoring civil liberties Protecting personal freedom and privacy Crushing the ID database We're ending the house arrest of Labour's Control Orders Guaranteeing freedom of the press Undertaking the biggest devolution ... Continue reading →
Date Saturday 2ND April Venue St Philips & St James church hall Time 11.00-15.00 We will have local suppliers tasting along with cooking demonstration from a member of the Try team. We will also have a cat walk show and a variety of displays from the departments that will be in store. Our chosen charity partner will also be in attendance. A great
After a few minutes amplifying and chopping stuff off the beginning and end, and then many more minutes uploading large files to the internet, we can now bring you the audio recording of Nick Clegg's conference speech. You can play it by scrolling down and clicking the "play in another window" link. And if you'd like to CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY, you will also find the published text here.
Debates about the organisation of the NHS, much like those about the Church of England, fascinate insiders and leave most people confused, albeit with strong instincts as to which side they're on. Most public NHS debates then are emotional spasms in response to beliefs about public and private provision. Saturday's Liberal Democrat Party conference rebellion against market aspects of the Government reform programme is in that vein. I find it hard to believe for example that most of those present had strong feelings on demanding "a much greater degree of co-terminously between local authorities and commissioning areas", or "celebrating "the ...
There is an excellent analysis and report by Mark Pack over on LibDemVoice from Nick Clegg's closing speech to the Liberal Democrat Conference in Sheffield this weekend. It was certainly one of the best speeches that Nick has given, but ... Continue reading →
That line from Nick Clegg in the middle of his closing speech at the Lib Dem conference in Sheffield today on the AV referendum may just have been a stroke of genius by whoever wrote it. We have seen that often a tag line can sweep a person to power, think 'Yes we can' and ...
In international law, odious debt is a legal theory which holds that the national debt incurred by a regime for purposes that do not serve the best interests of the nation, such as wars of aggression, should not be enforceable ... Continue reading →
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, wearing a Yes To Fairer Votes badge, closed the party's Sheffield conference with a return to his theme of Alarm Clock Britain: We're on the side of the people I call Alarm Clock Britain. On the side of everyone who wants to get up and get on. People who, unlike the wealthy, have no choice but to work hard to make ends meet. People who are proud to support themselves but are only ever one pay cheque from their overdraft. People who believe in self-reliance but who don't want to live in a dog-eat-dog world. ...
Local elections are being held on 5th May. I am inviting all Stockwood candidates to a locally held old-style hustings, a meeting for voters to grill & question the candidates & to even heckle should they wish! This type of open to all hustings has fallen out of favour in recent years, hopefully this will get it going again. I hope all candidates will agree to attend at a date & venue to be arranged. Pete Goodwin standing for the Greens has already agreed & is assisting with a venue. We also need an Independent chair, acceptable to everyone, assuming ...
By the magic of technology, I am able to post some extracts from Nick Clegg's speech to Liberal Democrat Conference in Sheffield this morning. I'll do a greater analysis later, but for me the thing that I get from it is that we are doing as we always have done. Opponents say we've sold out, but in reality, what we are contributing to the Government is a series of ideas which put our long held liberalism into action. Over to Nick...... The banner at this conference says: In government, on your side. Some people have asked me: whose side, exactly? ...
Comic Relief has always captured my comedic imagination more than Chilrdren in Need ever has. Maybe it's because its being held every other year adds to the excitment of its coming each time a delicious new installment of this now legendary telethon is offered to us. Since the Comic Relief charity was launched on Christmas Day 1985, it has raised over £650m for good causes around the world. Along the way, it has made us laugh...and laugh loudly... The first Red Nose Day was held in February 1988 and the second was in 1989. Since then, they have fallen one ...
Fascinated, via Slugger, to find this photograph taken in Belfast in 1927. As pointed out by Mark McGregor in comments here, it's the corner of the Malone Road and Lennoxvale - the stone pillar and big red brick house behind are still there, and there is still a post box on the same site, though alas not the same one.
Welcome to Sheffield . I know we have a full agenda and so many things to be doing here at conference, but I'd like to urge you all to take the opportunity over the weekend to go out and explore. I ... Continue reading →
It's a tough time to be a LibDem at the moment. Many in the popular press and on social media forums views as 'sell outs' and 'power hungry'. Granted many of these comments are from Labour tribalists who are still ... Continue reading →
A very short annual in this series - only 63 pages, of which only 41 are fiction (and the factual stuff is desperately earnest, including a sympathetic piece on UFOs and another on the Dogon tribe's knowledge of Sirius B). But I can forgive its brevity and the dubious artwork (Romana is mostly brunette, except in the comic strip where she is as shown here), because the stories are actually rather good - for once, we have humour, characterisation, even an in-joke about The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy being a better show than A Midsummer Night's Dream; and the ...
Daily Star, Dhaka, March 13, 2011 Prof Yunus a political victim: Lord Avebury Lord Avebury, vice-chair of the UK Parliamentary Human Rights Group, has said the removal of Grameen Bank founder Prof Muhammad Yunus by the government from his post raises serious concerns about the creeping politicisation of development work and civil society in Bangladesh. In a joint statement in London issued on March 11 supported by some British MPs and academics, Lord Avebury and some British MPs and academics said the microcredit approach to poverty reduction pioneered by Prof Yunus was an important innovation in the fight against poverty. ...
I have been in touch with the Acting Director of National Express Dundee regarding a number of West End bus issues, including : * I have received complaints that the 2 service's replacement service (the 4/4A) no longer serves Perth Road (the 4S school service still serves Perth Road). I have received the following response : "Services 2 and 4 have been the subject of many complaints from users since they were last changed. These complaints have, in the main, been about poor timekeeping and buses failing to turn up. There have also been complaints about overcrowding due to the ...
[IMG: [personal profile] ] zoeimogen: morning! You look a bit worse for wear. [IMG: [personal profile] ] tajasel: I drank half a small bottle of Courvoisier and told my local agent I want to be a PPC last night. [IMG: [personal profile] ] zoeimogen: haha! Oh dear!
Claire Young and Paul Hulbert with the volunteers of the Wapley Bushes Conservation Group Wapley Bushes Conservation Group have called their latest planting day "a resounding success" as more than 40 trees were planted, forming a new Community Orchard on Wapley Common and nearby. The trees on the Common are all local types of apple, plus a few plums of a rare local variety. "It's good to do something so traditional yet so future-looking", said Dodington Parish Cllr Paul Hulbert, who organised the event. "We're very grateful to expert Graham White - known locally as Mr Fruit - who guided ...
Freedom is a sacred gift. When it's threatened we should fight to maintain its existence and where it does not exists, we should fight to liberate it. But what is our moral responsibility, if any, when faced with the consequences ... Continue reading →
With the budget due to take place in 10 days time, speculation is already rife as to what the Chancellor will do with an unexpected surplus of £3.7 billion. As a candidate in this May's election I obviously have an interest in anything that might counter the negative attacks on the coalition and unerline some of the good work we have done. This morning's Independent on Sunday highlights some of the considerations that might be in the Chancellor's mind. They say that the Chancellor may use the surplus in the Treasury coffers to alleviate financial pressure on motorists, while also ...
Note: If you're catching up with this post after it was published, read it from the bottom up. Final result – both amendment and motion passed overwhelmingly. The overall tenor of the debate was more good natured than might have been expected – people did not take the opportunity to express any unhappiness in strident tones, and the party being in coalition with the Tories until 2015 was accepted and expected, explicitly or implicitly, by all speakers. Tuition fees and NHS got mentions, but brief ones. Norman Lamb's comments about the health debate (see below), however, were unexpected and welcome. ...
I'm trying to get to grips with technology to make my Gyronny Herald blog more easy to update. WordPress has been great, but I'm told that Posterous is even better. So, I'm giving it a go. Filed under: Blogging
This is ridiculously late to be blogging about a speech that happened 8 days ago, but I thought I'd better put it up for the record. It's the first time I've seen Nick in person for a good couple of years and it was good to see him in buoyant form. I'd felt he'd lost a bit of his mojo just before Christmas, not surprisingly, but he radiated a mixture of serenity, positivity and belief and confidence in what he's led the Liberal Democrats to do at the heart of Government which was infectious and inspiring. I've said for a ...
The banner at this conference says: In government, on your side. Some people have asked me: whose side, exactly? My answer is simple. We're on the side of the people I call Alarm Clock Britain. The side of everyone who wants to get up and get on. People who, unlike the wealthy, have no choice but to work hard to make ends meet. People who are proud to support themselves but are only ever one pay cheque from their overdraft. People who believe in self-reliance but who don't want to live in a dog-eat-dog world. Who want everyone who can ...
Sunday morning's emergency motion debate was on banking, moved by sometime Lib Dem Voice contributor Prateek Buch. The motion called for "banks supported by the taxpayer to be broken up into smaller, safer entities" alongside criticising banker remuneration and the Merlin project which is called "weak" and "insufficient". Investment and retail banking should also be separated according to the motion. The motion also called for Liberal Democrats to "ensure that the recommendations of the Vickers Commission are carried out in full". As the commission has yet to report, that is a rather risky proposition – but with the general mood ...
Welcome to Sheffield . I know we have a full agenda and so many things to be doing here at conference, but I'd like to urge you all to take the opportunity over the weekend to go out and explore. I am hugely proud of what Paul and his team have achieved here in this great Northern city. They have turned around local schools. They have insulated 13,000 homes free of charge, and they are making Sheffield the first city in the country to generate enough renewable energy to become self-sufficient in 10 year's time. Cities like Sheffield will be ...
People and an emergent democracy are dying in Libya thanks to Bush and Blairs decision to go into Iraq. The west and Nato is simply to scared to setup a no fly zone even with support from the region simply because of the Iraq war. There many only be a few weeks left in which to act. Perhaps if we never went into Iraq the Iraqi people would of also rebelled along with many of their neighbours. What a shame for the Libyans, in their hour of need no one comes knocking.
A party news release brings the news: Liberal Democrat Party President, Tim Farron has been appointed as Chair of the Liberal Democrat Yes to Fairer Votes campaign. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg said: "I am delighted that Tim will be spearheading our campaign for a Yes to Fairer Votes. "This referendum is an historic chance to give voters more say and is something so many British people have fought so long for. "Tim will lead an excellent campaign and I look forward to working with him." Commenting further, Tim Farron said: [IMG: Tim Farron] "This ...
I spent quite a lot of time last night thinking about my book and my writing career and what it all means to me. Too Close For Comfort has sold remarkably well and is on the Bestsellers list at many of the outlets it's sold through. However, I've now decided to give the book away for free (paperbacks at cost price) for a number of reasons. Firstly, authors don't make a lot of money anyway. I get something around the 30p mark for each copy sold, which is fairly normal for the publishing industry. My commercial writing and ghostwriting pays ...
Apparently, according to protesters in Sheffield, when they are heading into Liberal Democrat conference. Alex White, the star of last week's Scottish Conference, is attending her first federal Conference. She's 14 years old. She's had to endure what she called "vile abuse" as she's gone back and forth from the Sheffield City Hall. She said people were screaming and swearing at her. It's fine to make your point, protesters, but there are limits. I've heard from other friends there that people are being spat at and called names. Most of these people attending Conference aren't government ministers. They're nurses, teachers, ...
Conservative Party member and Telegraph journalist Ed West reports, My local constituency, Hornsey and Wood Green, certainly is closed to new members - it was recently wound up altogether, and I've heard that other party organisations in north London are in trouble (admittedly not Tory heartlands). All I get for my party membership are bulk emails from "David Cameron", "William Hague" and "Baroness Warsi", all of which now go straight in the junk filter with emails from Nigerian fraudsters.
Last Monday was seen a display by the Conservative which was designed to keep debate and enquiry about the budgets for the next few years to a minimum. The evening started with a clear indication of how the unelected officers of the council are running the show. The inept administration merely dances to whatever tune they are played. In a show of self indulgent propaganda, a TV and Radio interview was played to the council. It only had officer in it – maybe the administration doesn't have anyone with enough charisma to appear on TV? - who was letting everyone ...
Gyronny Herald contributor Andrew McFarland has asked on his blog, Faith and Pride a pertinent question: How many Christian churches would allow two men or two women to get married? read the rest at Faith & Pride Filed under: Blogging, christian, Faith and Pride
broadcast anniversaries 13 March 1965: broadcast of "Invasion", fifth episode of the story we now call The Web Planet (not to be confused with The Invasion, the 1969 Second Doctor story). The Doctor controls a Zarbi with his ring, escapes with Vicki and joins forces with Barbara and the Menoptra. 13 March 1971: broadcast of first episode of The Claws of Axos. Furge thangering muck witchellers rock throbblin' this time o' day... Ur bin oughta gone put thickery blarmdasted zones about, gordangun, diddenum? Havver froggin' law onnum, shouldnum? Eh? Eh? Arn I? 13 March 2009: broadcast of From Raxacoricofallapatorius With ...
Sheffield's finest band get all political (and rather marvellously rip off Simple Minds at the same time).
I'll make this my last blog entry on the Independent Party leaflet. They write that 'Only The MBIs (Morecambe Bay Independents - that's the party not the individuals who are independent) Say "No" To Ugly Tower Blocks On Morecambe Promenade'. This is quite a statement. How do they know? Have they asked the other parties? Have they asked the independent councillors? Are they going off a vote in council when the flats went up many years ago? I don't think so because this was a time when there were no MBIs to have any opinion. I know one lady who ...
There is great excitement tonight at reports that Aaron Porter may seek the Labour nomination for the Leicester South by-election. Maybe this is just an attempt by his far-left opponents in the National Union of Students to discredit him. After all, it usually takes a good two years for former NUS hacks to re-emerge as Labour MPs. If the reports are true, I suspect that having him as Labour candidate would turn out to be one of those ideas that seems very clever at the time and very silly ever afterwards. And whether or not it would be good for ...
