My 'Focus' election leaflet is now being published and will be distributed next week: FOCUS leaflet – front FOCUS leaflet – back
I should probably calm down and review this properly, but this does seem a grotesque abuse of expert authority. The idea that a professor would dismiss efforts to improve the education of children by shoddy analysis is deeply offensive to me. There is a graph (included below) in the government's social mobility paper Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers, which shows that poorer children who perform well at a young age will tend to see their relative performance fall as they grow up. Many would conclude this tells us something about the importance of good education institutions and learning environments. Professor Read's ...
I'm genuinely astounded by those who are intending to actively vote against AV on the basis that they would prefer PR. A recent conversation on Facebook;[Person]"Obviously I was planning on either abstaining or voting no as I don't think either system on the table represents a particularly convincing democracy. I don't like the idea of voting for a least worst option!"[Me]"I'm intrigued - you'd
For the last few days the media have been full of David Cameron's comments on immigration and other people's responses, including Vince Cable's. Sadly, neither the Cameron comments nor the Cable responses have been fully reported by most of the media. As usual the debate gets lost in sound bites. There's a real need for debate on the issue. We had a good, open debate at our party conference
I'm genuinely astounded by those who are intending to actively vote against AV on the basis that they would prefer PR. A recent conversation on Facebook;[Person]"Obviously I was planning on either abstaining or voting no as I don't think either system on the table represents a particularly convincing democracy. I don't like the idea of voting for a least worst option!"[Me]"I'm intrigued - you'd
I'm genuinely astounded by those who are intending to actively vote against AV on the basis that they would prefer PR. A recent conversation on Facebook;[Person]"Obviously I was planning on either abstaining or voting no as I don't think either system on the table represents a particularly convincing democracy. I don't like the idea of voting for a least worst option!"[Me]"I'm intrigued - you'd
Those who wish to defend a non-preferential voting system must explain why they are unwilling to give other moderate parties a second preference to combat extremists such as the BNP. It is self-evident that those who love First Past the Post must, in effect, have a 100% preference for one party, and an equal 0% preference for all other parties. If so, they shouldn't claim they want to keep the BNP out, as it's clearly not the case.
[IMG: Happy birthday Elizabeth II] [IMG: Creative Commons License] photo credit: Ariaski Oh dear. I am just about surviving this onslaught of 24 hour bilgewater about an event on 29th April. But I don't know why, when they start interviewing the people who look after the horses which will pull the carriages, then I just flip. A few weeks ago it was Nicky Campbell on Five Live and his question: "How do they choose the horses?" to a royal equine personage. I caught a glimpse of BBC News 24 BBC News Channel (as it has apparently been called for two ...
This week's offering is the lovely Claire Grogan and Altered Images. Claire Grogan was also the surprise co-star of the 1981 Bill Forsyth directed, Cumbernauld shot cult coming of age film Gregory's Girl.
I'm genuinely astounded by those who are intending to actively vote against AV on the basis that they would prefer PR. A recent conversation on Facebook;[Person]"Obviously I was planning on either abstaining or voting no as I don't think either system on the table represents a particularly convincing democracy. I don't like the idea of voting for a least worst option!"[Me]"I'm intrigued - you'd
This sums up my stance on the Royal Wedding. Thanks to @thedollsays
Date: 14 April 2011 Dear Colleague Crime is down for another year which is an exceptional story and one which we should celebrate. Total crime reported in Bath and North east Somerset fell by 1.9% last year which means there were 203 less victims of crime in our area. This is really good news especially when you add it to what is now about a decade of falling crime in B&NES, yes B&NES, not everywhere. I am always conscious when quoting numbers about the old phrase 'if you torture statistics long enough they'll say anything' and so I tend to ...
This Wikipedia Article on Speed Limits states: "This article is about road speed limits. For speed of light, see special relativity."I am concerned that someone may consider there to be an enforceable limit on the speed of light.
Elinor O'Neill, who recently wrote a guest post on bipolar disorder for this blog, spent 2010 engaged in a novel exercise to raise awareness of mental health issues. She wore a different dress every day of the year. All of the dresses she wore were donations, clothes from her own collection of frocks or loans from friends, family and kind strangers from as far away as the USA. Now Elinor, who covered the project on her blog Lost in Notation, is auctioning off the dresses donated to the project to raise money for the national mental health charity Mind. The ...
The fact that election campaigners in Northern Ireland are going door to door canvassing in something to be applauded. Indeed it is something that all to recently would have led to some candidates setting foot in certain parts of the area they were seeking to represent.The fact that twice in the past 24 hours on two separate incidents SDLP canvass teams have been attacked is a shame to those who carried out such attacks. Not Delores Kelly's windscreen but an example Last night a petrol bomb aimed at the car of election volunteers and today when a brick was thrown ...
Following a lot of work by the Police last weekend, the problem with anti-social behaviour in Gatley village centre seems to have been less in the last few days. Police action included identifying several of the people involved and visited them and their families, plus increased patrols. Pam and I would like to thank the Police for all their work, and the residents who have had to put up with these problems for keeping us and the police informed and doing a lot to identify the trouble-makers. These problems are rarely completely solved – they more often come and go. ...
The Bath Recreation Ground Trust has launched a public consultation on changes to the uses of the Recreation Ground and how space at the Recreation Ground could be utilised in the future. Approval for these changes would then be obtained from the Charity Commission. The consultation will run for 8 weeks. It is very important that residents make their voice heard and respond to the consultation questionnaire. Go to http://consult.recreationgroundtrust.org.uk and complete the online questionnaire. Also encourage your family, friends, work colleagues etc. to respond to the questionnaire.
I've stopped the school yard analogy. It would be ludicrous to try to explain teachers handing the fighting boys grenades to acheive an end to the war. And equally, it is ludicrous that NATO, including Britain, is handing out such weapons, vehicles and body armour. Wasn't there an issue with British Troops not having body armour? Oh yes, throughout Iraq, and Afghanistan and, it seems, now too.But
The campaign to get the supermarkets and John West to adopt sustainable fishing practices is going well. Morrisons have now changed their policy. Press release fom Greenpeace Dear friends, Brilliant news! Morrisons have announced a new policy on tinned tuna, committing to stop sourcing fish caught with destructive methods. This means that now all major UK supermarkets are moving to 100% sustainably sourced tuna in their own brand tins. However, John West is the one last dark cloud hovering over our supermarket shelves, stubbornly holding on to catastrophic methods. If you haven't already, please email John West now to tell ...
"I have no doubt that the government's social mobility strategy is needed and that the intentions behind it are honourable. But the misuse of statistics (and probably where no misuse is required) does nothing to further the cause of reform." Just One More Ten Pence Piece... introduces us to the concept of reversion to the mean. The Liberal Democrats are paying the price for basing their last election campaign on the idea that Nick Clegg was the man of the moment, argues Solution Focused Politics. Uprising Live explains how the left got it wrong by opposing intervention in Libya. A ...
Nominations have closed for the Leicester South by-election on 5 May and there are just five candidates: Jon Ashworth (Labour)Zuffar Haq (Liberal Democrat)Howling Laud Hope (Monster Raving Loony)Jane Hunt (Conservative)Abhijit Pandya (UKIP)My prediction - "this is no Barnsley Central: we are not going to finish sixth" - is looking safer by the day.
I am very pleased to report that Mike Pitt will be standing again in the Cambridge City Council elections on May 5! Mike has served local residents in King's Hedges as a councillor for the last four years before which he was a local activist. During his time on the Council he has worked hard for the ward. Some of the many projects he has been involved in include; The refurbishment of the forecourt in front of Campkin Road shops, The campaign to save Milton Road trees (pictured), Getting new dog waste bins installed, Improving the path from Ramsden Square ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrats will expose an example of the waste and inefficiency of Labour and Plaid Cymru in government on each day of the Welsh general election campaign It was revealed last month that the cost of running empty office space across the Labour-Plaid government estate cost over £1,200 a day. The total amount of vacant space within the Assembly Government's administrative estate stands at 1,817 square metres. The total annual running costs - including rent, rates, service charges, utilities, cleaning and maintenance - was £449,927 "as at March 31st 2011". That's up from £344,173 the previous year, when ...
Much of the debate between advocates of #Yes2AV and #No2AV is not exactly edifying, particularly some of the tactics employed by the latter group. The quality of some of the debate is pretty feeble. Yesterday's Question Time was a classic example of an occasion where the topic was raised but the discussion generated more heat ...
One thing that goes in Barack Obama's favour as he heads into the 2012 US presidential election race is that Americans have usually granted a second term to an incumbent seeking re-election, with the notable exception of Jimmy Carter in 1980. Bill Barnard, International Treasurer of Democrats Abroad (and immediate past Chairman of the organisation's UK ...
There are always disagreements between parties about the use of bar charts on leaflets. I don't tend to use them very much on my leaflets, foir a variety of reasons, but I follow the debates about their use elsewhere with interest. Last week I was given a copy of a Labour leaflet in Leggatts ward, ...
I've just had my birthday and one of the kind presents I received was wrapped up in paper that is an early map of the London rail network - or London Electric Railways as it is described. The interesting bit - beyond the fact that it's pre-Harry Beck (so it's prob about 1908 or so...) are in the station names. Looking at the station names in Blue to the right - nothing very different there. But the Metropolitan Railway (the dominant line in red) has a number of interesting features: Marlboro Road - no longer a station, although Marlborough Place ...
I am taking a day off the campaign trail tomorrow to join 30,000 other Manchester City fans, and about 5,000 Manchester United fans travelling from Manchester to Wembley to watch the FA Cup Semi Final (the other 25,000 United fans will be travelling up from their homes in Surrey). But there's no net loss to the Lib Dem ...
Commenting on the launch of the Conservative manifesto launch, Wyn Williams, Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate for Montgomeryshire said: "The Conservatives have released a manifesto that will take Wales backwards. "They claim to be concerned about the weak economy but want to slash budgets for economic development and training at the very time when these areas need to be prioritised. "They also claim to be concerned about school funding, after Labour and Plaid Cymru have allowed the funding gap to spiral to over £600 per pupil per year. However, their budget plans would increase it to an eye-watering £881."
This morning I walked around Kensey Valley Meadow with the council officer responsible for addresses and street signs. This was in response to a complaint from the emergency services about how they often find it difficult to locate a precise address on the development. The problem is that (with the exception of the small Kensey Court) every one of the 195 or so properties has the street address Kensey Valley Meadow. And although the numbering is consecutive for the most part, there are many times when it is not and it can be quite difficult to find a particular house ...
Fri 15th
17:42
The Independent View: Rifts on immigration demonstrate real challenges for the Government
David Cameron's speech on immigration has unleashed a wave of criticism and debate, both inside and outside the coalition government. Although some of the fallout tells us more about the political dilemmas facing coalition partners who must now fight an election campaign against each other than it does about immigration, today's discussions have neatly illustrated some of the challenges facing the Government on this issue. The first is how to best engage in the public debate. David Cameron is right to say that "the role of politicians is to cut through the extremes of this debate & approach the subject ...
I really try to like the online magazine Spiked. They are liberals that challenge the paternalism of the bulk of those who think of themselves as liberal. They try to make common cause with the attitude ordinary people, outside the ruling and media elites. But then I read things like this: Nuclear energy: clean, reliable and powerful. Physicist Wade Allison expertly demolishes fears about radiation. If only he was equally as sceptical about the fear-fuelled climate-change panic. It links to a book review by deputy editor Rob Lyons. Spiked is trying to resist the scare stories around nuclear power and, ...
The British National Party has featured surprisingly prominently in the AV campaign so far, since their introduction into the debate by the NO campaign. The BNP are, of course, firmly positioned in the NO camp, not least because they know that they wouldn't have a hope of winning a Parliamentary election under the system – as their deputy chairman Simon Darby acknowledged to Channel 4′s FactCheck team yesterday. This comes on the back of a report by the IPPR think tank which analysed the claim of the NO campaign that under AV, second preferences of BNP voters would be decisive ...
I have just come in from a few hours campaigning in my own lovely Church Ward and two others. My little feet are aching and my old back likewise but I've had a great day! I was pondering during the ... Continue reading →
I'm sad to hear today of the passing of two animals who gave a lot of pleasure to Anna when she was tiny. First of all, we went to the Almond Valley Heritage Centre for the first time in a couple of months and discovered that Jenny, the donkey, who was nearly 30 years old, had died in March. Then, some news that I'd half expected after seeing some fairly gloomy news updates over the last few months, that Mercedes, the polar bear who used to be at Edinburgh Zoo, had been put down this morning. We moved back up ...
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 Norman Lamb writes... The NHS: safe in our hands (27 comments) by Norman Lamb MP Opinion: Why Labour members should defect to the Liberal Democrats (58 comments) by George Kendall LibLink: Chris Davies - Be angry, be proud - and campaign hard (40 comments) by Nick Thornsby Steve Webb writes: working for pensioners, now and in the future (20 comments) by Steve Webb MP Let Clegg be Clegg (just not toooo much) (12 comments) by Stephen Tall ...
One of the common things you hear from people on the doorstep as to why they won't vote is that they don't want people tracking them down through the electoral roll. However people can register anonymously. If for example you fear domestic violence or are in an occupation where your name and address needs to ...
A date for your diaries: – this year's Acocks Green Carnival will be on Saturday July 2nd. As ususal there will be a procession, this year the theme is "Superheroes", which will start from Archbishop Ilsley School, Victoria Road and finish at Acocks Green Recreation Ground (at the corner of Fox Hollies Road and Westley Road) where the Carnival will be based. For further information or offers to help, please contact The Acocks Green Carnival Committee, c/o Fox Hollies Forum, Greenwood Avenue, B27 7RA
Under 3 weeks left until polling day! Last week saw the first election broadcasts for the Yes and No campaigns in the AV referendum. The King's Hedges Focus team favour "Yes" and so here is a link to the Yes video. On May 5 please vote for a small change that will make a big difference: Yes to Fairer Votes.
There's been some interesting discussion on Lib Dem Voice about the Labour party's culpability for the recession and youth unemployment. There's also a call for Labour supporters to defect to the Lib Dems. But in my view neither goes far enough. The Labour Party's very existence is responsible for driving millions of voters into the arms of the Conservative party. You only have to look at the 100 years before the first world war when the Labour party didn't exist in any meaningful form and socialism was considered some whacky foreign cult. Result - the Conservatives out of power for ...
Weather permitting, the A4174 ring road between Emersons Way and the Shortwood Roundabout and between Siston Roundabout and the Deanery Road Roundabout will be resurfaced between 18th and 21st April. The work will be done during the night (8pm-6am) and there will be lane closures with convoy vehicles controlling traffic. South Glos promise they will make every effort to keep the disruption to a minimum but it's best to avoid the area during the works if you can - please check the local media for more information.
With just three weeks to go until the Scottish, Welsh and local elections as well as a little thing we like to call the most important referendum of our lives so far, this really is the final push to the finish line. Let's not pretend that our national poll ratings are going to give us a boost on the ground because they are not. Normally at this time of year we are preparing to buck national trends and create our own local success stories. Back in 1989, when the Lib Dems were on a poll rating of 0%, we'd just ...
Sadie Smith has an interesting post on the Total Politics blog today where she highlights how even if there is a "Yes" vote in the AV referendum that Conservative MPs would still have the chance to thwart a change to the voting system. She explains how because AV can only be implemented if the new boundary changes are voted through that were that legislation to be voted down, AV would not come in: Imagine that AV has been backed by a narrow majority in the referendum, on a very low turnout. For many Tories, especially David Cameron, that's a nightmare ...
Stockwood's present councillor, Tory Jay Jethwa, standing for re-election on May 5th has responded to my request, supported by Pete Goodwin, Green, to hold a Stockwood local elections hustings and given her reasons why she wouldn't take part, in an article printed in the Bristol Evening Post today. link here I must say that I don't fully understand what refusing to a hustings, an open public meeting and debate, has to do with holding surgeries or canvassing. After all at a hustings you debate with all candidates and the public who are looking for answers on policy issues. Maybe ...
Two years ago I did one of my simpliest yet most emmotional blogposts ever. All it was was the lyrics of one show song adopted on terraces and a list of 96 neames with the ages they were on a sunny afternoon in Sheffield 22 years ago. It is a regularly visited blogpost ever since especially about the 15th April. This year to mark my love for Liverpool FC I'm found some poems on YouTube about the 96 and that afternoon in Sheffield. ***warning*** have a tissue to hand I did when I first played these and every time since. ...
Nigel Yorke a local Labour candidate for Hebden Royd has started a new blog. I think blogging is a great way to engage the electorate and welcome him to the blogosphere. I was a bit disappointed though to see one of his first posts was party snipe. Although to be fair it is an election! My own blog will no doubt be doing similar, so pot and kettles and all that. I'm sure this party bickering puts people off local politics though, so i'm going to try and refrain from it where possible. It's a challenge for all politicians to ...
In the last few weeks I have been blocked on Twitter by someone very much to the right of politics and someone very much to the left. Does this mean I'm to far in the centre? Sometimes I get a bit fed up of politics. I know that people in all parties at the end of the day generally want to help others and believe that they know the best system. In most cases the best way to improving our lot could fall between the different views and involve good ideas from people in all parties. But so often in ...
I grew up in Bournemouth, a bucolic place beside the sea where very little disturbs the peace. For over a century, Bournemouth's politics at parliamentary level have been as sedate. In every election since Queen Victoria was on the throne, the same party has won. A candidate dons a blue rosette, shows up and becomes the MP. Whilst the Liberal Democrats have valiantly tried their best in recent elections, the two Bournemouth constituencies are like many places across the country where General elections do not really matter, where elections are a foregone conclusion, places where real power lies in the ...
I mentioned the Needham Market Community First Responders in yesterday morning's posting, without providing much of a clue as to what they actually do. Perhaps I should correct such an oversight... In rural areas such as Mid Suffolk, it may well take some time for an ambulance to reach you if you have a heart attack. Given that best practice is to administer treatment within eight minutes, that tends to reduce survival rates for victims in the villages. And so, the concept of Community First Responders was developed. Volunteers, trained in the use of defibrillators, are linked to the Ambulance ...
Chris has received the following note from Herts Highways: For your information, we have this week dealt with a difficult skip, building compound and scaffold licence for the conversion of the Bell Pub in Chequer Street. As I am sure you will appreciate this is an extremely difficult location in the heart of the city which needs major refurbishment works and there is no rear access. In summary, what has been agreed with our Network team is as follows: 1) Scaffold to the highway facing elevation of the site will be erected so as to allow pedestrians to pass underneath. ...
Dundee City Council proposes to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating carriageway resurfacing works. The Order is expected to be in force for 15 days from 25 April 2011. Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months. The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in Thomson Street for its entire length. Pedestrian thoroughfare is maintained and vehicular access to premises will be maintained where possible. An alternative route will be available via Perth Road/Windsor Street/Magdalen Yard Road. Please forward any ...
Roads newly repaired by Herts Highways are now subsidising because of the collapse of a trench belonging to a utility company. The dip in the road by the junction with Alma Road has been getting noticeably worse over the past few weeks. Chris White is urging the county council to recover, if possible, the costs of any remedial works from the company responsible for the collapse.
'Will you be supporting the Liberal Democrat Candidate?' I asked. 'No.' 'Any particular reason?' I continued, hoping to get a clue as to his particular allegiance. 'You sold out. I despise the Conservatives.' 'What choice did we have? We had to have a Government.' 'Why?' he retorted. 'Belgium doesn't and they do all right.' Belgium? Is this the best Labour can come up with? I could have given him a tedious lecture about a country which has no fewer than seven parliaments (not including the European Parliament) and the nuances between the parliament of Wallonia and the parliament dealing with ...
"Well I'm voting for Clegg!" That was the response from Anita Dunn (the Obama strategist Cameron had drafted in) after an outstanding and eerily accurate rehearsal performance from Jeremy Hunt as the Liberal Democrat Leader in the lead up to the televised debates. The real Nick Clegg did indeed steal the show - a year ...
Cory Doctorow is one of those writers I've heard a lot about, but have never got around to reading (apart from 'Unwirer', his collaboration with Charles Stross) so it was interesting to finally get the chance to sit down Down and Out in The Magic Kingdom and see what it was that people are talking about. And for once, the talk seems to be justified as it's a very interesting read. Trying to depict the culture of a post-scarcity human civilization is something that many writers have attempted, but this is a refreshingly different approach. It's not a story of ...
Here's a question for you. How have Labour got away with pretending that the crisis of a "lost generation" of young people has nothing to do with them? Listening to Ed Miliband pontificate about the plight of the young in Britain, you could be forgiven for thinking that the Government in which he served had nothing to do with the current crisis of devalued qualifications, lack of jobs, high house prices, crippling debts and a rising cost of living. Those young people who are thinking of joining Labour because they're angry at the current situation should consider a few facts. ...
During my recent campaigning, it has been obvious to me that as a growing town Gainsborough still needs more services. One of these services is a local chemist and pharmacy in the uphill area of Gainsborough. Therefore I'm lending my weight to ... Continue reading →
County council press release An undercover operation by Hertfordshire Trading Standards and Hertfordshire Constabulary has revealed some of the pitfalls of buying second-hand cars. Four second-hand vehicles – a Nissan Micra, Ford Galaxy, Honda Accord and Renault Scenic – were purchased from garages by covert trading standards officers, posing as consumers, from Watford, Welwyn Garden City and Hemel Hempstead. They were tested by a police vehicle examiner. The Ford Galaxy was deemed to be unroadworthy as it had a loose and insecure battery and there was excessive wear in one of the steering joints. One of the rear seats was ...
Liberal Democrat Vince Cable attacks David Cameron's 'very unwise' immigration talk | Metro.co.uk GO VINCE!!!! (tags: libdemmery) A Life in the Day: Tom Baker - Times Online <3 Tom Baker (tags: funny doctorwho) The bugger, bugged aka Hugh Grant: Defender of Democracy All that research from the police and other agencies into the phone hacking scandal, and who gets the best scoop? Hugh Grant. (tags: media) Signal Boost: Trans equality and the transgender action plan | Lynne Featherstone Help shape the government's policy on trans equality. (tags: government) Science-Fiction Films Through the (Rather Critical) Eyes of a Child - Filmcritic.com ...
Lib Dem Voice have launched a new Facebook app to make it easy for you to let your friends on Facebook and Twitter know what campaigning you've been doing. This is a great way of building up a buzz around our campaigning – and the more someone sees their friends have been campaigning, the more likely they are to join in. You get a list of actions – select one and publish it to your newsfeed. Some actions are of the simple "I have done" variety whilst others have the option to add a quantity, such as the number of ...
If you missed the (very short) TV braodcast about Fairer Votes the other evening, it's well worth watching. And the bit with the duck is priceless...
RT @ConHome This day in 92: John Major wins gen elect victory for Cons http://bit.ly/g63dSE < 19 yrs since Tories won election #hurrah # @HeadingtonNews Did u know the MedSci division of the Univ/Ox wd rank as 6th largest UK uni on its own? (Size/budget). in reply to HeadingtonNews # Hmm, I appear to have just bought myself a new laptop. How did that happen? # @HeadingtonNews Don't know where Brookes would come. In budget terms much lower (cos far less research income). Not sure re stud no.s tho in reply to HeadingtonNews # @charlotteahenry Thx for RT [IMG: :)] ...
I feel like we've been calling for improvements around security at Heaton Park Metrolink Station for a VERY long time – but its finally happening! Bury Council has now been asked for planning permission for the improvements, which I understand will improve passenger safety issues, as well as provide improved bicycle storage and and other improvements. If you want to find out more the Planning Applicaiton number is 53904 (click on this link). The main plans are below – any comments please get in touch. Heaton Park Metrolink Station Improvements Tim
[IMG: Remote control being pointed at a TV] I should be a TV-sceptic. I barely watch TV myself (DVDs and iPlayer being my preferred form of entertainment). I spend too much time online. I have too many internet enabled devices (work portable, personal portable, work Blackberry, personal Blackberry, desktop PC, iPad - power charger manufacturers must love me). And yet... When I get the occasional phone call from the BBC saying, "Would you be free to come on the News Channel...", it still gives me a kick that an email inviting me to pen a guest blog post doesn't. And ...
It is a matter of public record that banking crises usually reveal criminality as well as incompetence. "when the tide goes out, you can usually see who lost their swimming costume" as the old joke has it. In the course of the credit crunch, it was not just Bernard Madoff- a name straight from Dickens central casting- who was the criminal. What the crisis revealed was systemic criminality. These latest allegations against Goldman Sachs are not receiving front page coverage, but they should, because what is alleged is that the "Vampire Squid" is not so much a legitimate business as ...
(One of a series of regular posts on the run up to the AV referendum on May 5th. As the post makes clear, I'm in favour of voting Yes. For those whom it concerns, I believe the question is either a choice between FPTP and AV - or between standing still and electoral reform - and not what I think is the best voting system.) Perhaps the best argument in favour of dumping First Past The Post is George W. Bush. Ralph Nader split Al Gore's vote, allowing Dubya to squeeze in, and therefore making the Iraq war possible and ...
On April 15th 1989, 94 Liverpool fans were crushed to death at a football match. 2 more were to die of their wounds. 79 of the fatalities were aged 30 or younger. Two sisters, three pairs of brothers and a father and son were among the dead. RIP to the 96You'll Never Walk Alone
The 1945 general election has taught us many things and it has much to teach us about leadership and the reason why the perception of Nick Clegg has plummeted, why he inadvertently contributed to this before the General Election and what future Lib Dem leaders should do instead. Many people believe that those who become ...
In February we carried the news that Liberal Democrat peer Lord (Chris) Rennard is chairing the Commission on the Big Society, set up by Acevo, the umbrella body for chief executives. Now he's been interviewed by Civil Society about this work: Q: I want to talk to you about your role not just chairing the Commission, but also as a Lib-Dem peer. We've heard a lot from the Prime Minister and the Conservative part of the coalition about the Big Society, we're beginning to hear more from Labour, but we haven't heard a huge amount from the Lib-Dem side of ...
it is a really busy day so here is the Welsh Liberal Democrat Party Election Broadcast to keep you occupied until later. It was shot in Swansea by the way.
Too busy last night to write about this splendid news. Parliament's treasury committee is going to look again at the question of abolishing cheques, following huge public concern! Well what a surprise. It didn't seem to occur to the Payments Council that thousands of ordinary people send cheques to family members at Christmas and birthday time, nor that thousands if not millions of cheques are
Fri 15th
08:38
Cabinet meeting - 14th April 2011 - Election Special Edition - Part 7 - Budget, Governance Statement...
Cllr Holbrook said he welcome the announcement regarding the Enterprise Zone and referred to Wirral Waters. The amendment was agreed. Item 4 – the Annual Governance Statement was agreed. Item 5 was the Contracts Review. Ian Coleman said that Wirral Council were to engage PricewaterhouseCoopers to look at the fifty largest contracts. The credits would ...
Fri 15th
08:22Cabinet meeting - 14th April 2011 - Election Special Edition - Part 6 - Support for Wirral Council's...
Cllr Green said the cherry on the cake had been improvement of half a million pounds to improve shopping services. Cllr Lewis said a package of measures was still in place. Ian Coleman (Director of Finance) replied. Bill Norman (Borough Solicitor) said it was still there. The Chief Executive Designate said it was still there. ...
Fri 15th
08:06Cabinet meeting - 14th April 2011 - Election Special Edition - Part 5 - Support for Wirral Council's...
Cllr Green said a series of lessons had been learnt, the key lesson being regarding how and why regarding the opportunity to get involved. Allsop's letter had asked the Cabinet not to go forward. He was not minded to do so as they needed to move forward. The controversy was around the criteria and issues ...
britishrailways.tv
In what might appear, on the face of it, to be an astonishingly cynical piece of politics, Suffolk County Council has announced that, following feedback from Suffolk residents, the planned closure of six of the county's Household Waste Recycling Centres in May 2011 will be delayed. The centres will now remain open until 31 July 2011 - during which time the council will be working with the district and borough councils as its partners, and Suffolk communities to develop long-term solutions to the closures. It also happens to push the closures off until after next month's District council elections. Following ...
Stephen Gilbert, Lib Dem MP for Newquay and St Austell, has spoken about his difficulties in getting a foot on the housing ladder in his own constituency. Despite earning over £65k, Stephen is renting a flat until he can build up the higher deposit now needed — usually £25k or more — to secure a first home. The Cornish Guardian reports: "This is the double whammy first-time buyers have been affected by," said the 35-year-old Liberal Democrat. "If I can't afford a deposit on £65,738, what about the thousands on lower incomes?" Mr Gilbert said: "I think the Government needs ...
The saga of repairing the real time bus information on shelters across the city is now thankfully nearing its end. The City Council's Sustainable Transport Team Leader advised me earlier this week: "You recently asked for an update on the repair work to the bus shelters. I think the work will be completed by mid May. We have around 65 shelters (out of 319) to complete and the contractors were aiming to fix 16 shelters per week." It will be good to see all the real time information displays across the city back in action.
Always a good idea to proof read your manifesto ... The SNP launched theirs yesterday. Their chapter on "independence" starts - "No one cares..." For once, I find myself agreeing with them!
Fri 15th
07:31Cabinet meeting - 14th April 2011 - Election Special Edition - Part 4 - Support for Wirral Council's...
Kevin Adderley introduced the report referring to the special Area Forums concerned to decide and score the proposals. He said for the Hoylake and West Kirby area that the top five successful projects had been chosen, but that Wirral Council would work with those unsuccessful applications to try and find alternative funding. He said there ...
Cllr Elderton said he was asking about the other end of the age spectrum. He said his experience of Arrowe Park Hospital was rare and brief. It had been excellent regarding recent surgery he had had. In the media there had been reports regarding respect and consideration for older people with the suggestion that some ...
We appear to be entering a new and welcome phase in the workings of the coalition. Nick Clegg has let it be known that he had "noted rather than approved " David Cameron's speech on immigration. Vince Cable has been even more outspoken, saying that the speech was "very unwise" and "risked inflaming extremism." Cable has stressed the positive contribution (error corrected thanks to first comment below) that immigrants have made and are making to Britain. Clearly the days of blanket approval for whatever the coalition does are over. It is also encouraging that Clegg and Cable have chosen to ...
Meeting next Tuesday, 19 April "NO to TESCO" Campaign continues - Public Meeting (Chelmsford Liberal Democrats) chelmsford-libdems.org.uk Local feeling continues to run high against the prospect of a Tesco Express on the site of the Marsham Arms on Waterhouse Lane in Chelmsford.
Why? Electoral reform if not more important is just as important than the economy because the make-up of parliament is what shapes the debates and the decisions made in our name. I know I'm in the minority in the country who think that electoral reform is important. Most people are more worried about the economy,
I was on Look North tonight I heard, the broadcast from when I was in Newcastle last week. I hope it got some of the right message over - talk about cuts, the TV know how to do that! I have excelled my own technical lack of skills and found it on i player. that led me to a link to the Politics Show. I've listened to the debate with Newcastle politicians, and experienced though I am in listening to other parties, I was quite flabbergasted at what the Labour chap was saying. The best reason for having a Labour ...
I was speaking with a voter yesterday and she thought the Liberal Democrats may not do well. My answer went along the lines that we were the only party working the ward, the Labour Party weren't fighting the election and the Independents were split. I think we will do well. The previous day I was putting out leaflets near to a proposed link road and a gentleman introduced himself to me. He was an objector to the proposed road and he asked my opinion. My first thoughts were that this is not an election for the county council which decides ...
Friday: "Kinda" is an acknowledged classic of Doctor Who, a story from Mr Dr Peter's first year, when everything was NEW and EXPERIMENTAL (or "wildly inconsistent" if you prefer). Notoriously, it was voted worst in Doctor Who Magazine's annual poll, but was rehabilitated by a reappraisal from Mr Paul Cornell: yes, he's the chap who wrote "Human Nature" so clearly he knows STUFF. There are several really awesome performances and some really astounding (and in a GOOD way) visuals. So why do I still end up thinking it's a wee bit rubbish? And no, it's NOT the big pink mind-snake! ...
