The Taxpayers Alliance recently published two recent reports highlighting controversial spending of taxpayers money by local authorities and public bodies across the UK - including by Labour when they ran the Council in Reading (up until last May). I don't tend to follow the TPA that closely but these two recent reports caught my eye. The first is in relation to car allowances for staff which were recently reduced by the Coalition administration to 25 pence per mile, saving the taxpayer £95,000 and helping the Council to safeguard vital services to residents. The Reading Evening Post revealed in 2009 how ...
Campaigning in the mid April sunshine has been a joy. The sun has been out and has been just warm enough and out in my suburban ward the cherry blossoms are out in abundance so the place a riot of pink. I could get all poetic about it but I do recognise my limitations! I have still managed to get out to my usual schedule of local meetings and events. On Monday I visited the Corstorphine Dementia Project looking at the work they do to assist carers and people living with dementia. This is a day service which is now ...
The Daily Mail has picked up Adrian Sanders' article in the new Liberator: In an article for the Liberator Magazine, he said the way the party had taken to the coalition had shattered trust. 'We now face the brutal realisation that we have fractured our core vote, lost a generation of young voters, and alienated thousands of tactical voters in seats where it makes the difference between electoral success or failure.' The MP went on: 'We managed to split almost four ways on tuition fees and, to come, we have the challenge of unity over an NHS policy that should ...
While being a fan of Adam Smith and having written a chapter for the Orange Book, Vince Cable is seen as a champion for the 'Left' of the Liberal Democrats. This could mean that the 'Left' of the party is not left-wing in the traditional sense and is comfortable with Cable's commitment to free markets. But what the activist base seems to like most of all is his desire to regulate the banking sector. Does this make Vince a 'social' liberal in the economic sense? By 'social' liberal I do not mean someone who wants people to be free in ...
Look, as much as I was a fan of Sarah Jane (Elizabeth Sladen), people are dying by the actions of others and we're not really paying attention. Today a photographer called Tim Hetherington and a guy called Chris Hondros who took the photo above, which I used on yesterdays post, died from a rocket propelled grenade fired at close quarters, whilst bravely reporting the human suffering and vast civilian casualties in Misrata. It was their mission. These guys were not 'celeb' journalists but gutsy and dedicated purveyors of truth which puts to shame the low grade hacks that undermine democracy ...
Earlier this week, a neighbour pulled out of her red recycling bin a Labour leaflet which has a go at the Coalition Administration for introducing new charges for day care in Reading. This was not an easy decision but like most things it was one we had to take after Labour failed to manage the budget responsibly when they ran the Council. Following a detailed public consultation we agreed to phase in the introduction of charges to enable people affected time to adapt to the change. The approach I led constitutes responsible policy-making - in contrast to blatant electioneering, on ...
The death of the Liverpool-born photo-journalist Tim Hetherington (who worked for Vanity Fair inter alia) in a mortar attack in the beseiged city of Misurata, Libya, underlines the perils and bravery of those who go out to report on wars and conflict situations. Though few ever deliberately put themselves in the line of fire, inevitably there are casualties. ...
It is time to catch up with the campaign to save Stiperstones Primary School in Shropshire. In recent days campaigners have staged a demonstration at County Hall in Shrewsbury and threatened the council with legal action over the way it has conducted its consultation process. Why is the council so determined to close village schools in remote parts of the county? In an earlier post I suggested it was the ruling Conservative group's macho determination not to raise the Council Tax. But it turns out that every council in the land seems equally determined to do this. Why Labour councils ...
Commenting on Barbara Strauch's new book The Secret Life of the Grown-Up Brain in the Guardian the other day, Madeleine Bunting wrote: Middle age is a modern phenomenon - a hundred years ago, life expectancy was 47.As a letter to the paper pointed out, this is nonsense. Dr Robert Pearce wrote: Madeleine Bunting (Magic of the midlife mind, 11 April) is incorrect to say middle age is a modern phenomenon because life expectancy was much lower in the past. Life expectancy figures from the past are skewed downwards due to high infant mortality. If 10 children die at age five ...
I've decided to try to make a proper start on TMA02 for SD226 this evening, partly because I can't face reading any more academic papers in preparation for the DD307 project and partly because it all looks straightforward enough. I know I can't complete the final question on the experiment as yet as not all of the tutor group c-Fos cell count data has been returned, but questions 1 (short answers) and 2 (a 1,000 word essay) seemed eminently do-able. So I'm going to take youngest daughter for music group practice in a minute and go and sit in the ...
In their manifesto, the Welsh Liberal Democrats outline policies to · Bring empty homes back into use with a Wales-wide Empty Homes Programme that will assist councils and housing associations to make use of empty homes. · Bring more private money into housing by working with housing associations to restart the Welsh Housing Investment Trust. · Protect any new social rented housing from being sold under the Right-to-Buy scheme for a minimum of 25 years in areas where this is needed. · Strengthen the ability of councils to enforce their minimum level of affordable housing in new developments. Peter Black, ...
Last Month 5 FPN's were issued to people failing to pick up their dogs mess.
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 January by the Wales Audit Office that major road and rail projects in Wales have cost substantially more and took longer than expected to build. The Wales Audit Office report into 18 major projects found the total cost rose from an estimated £366m to £592m, with final projects costing an average 61% higher.
MP Julian Huppert will be manning the phones at the Cambridge YES to Fairer Votes Campaign's headquarters on Wednesday (April 20) as voters prepare to take part in the AV referendum. Julian has volunteered for a two hour stint at Sheraton House on Cambridge's Castle Hill Business Park. Campaign volunteers will also be out in the city centre on April 30 when they set up a stall outside the Guildhall to give residents more information about the referendum and why they should vote YES to electoral reform. Julian said: "Voting Yes in the AV referendum will mean an end to ...
The link is to the case reported today which has kept something so secret that there is a Contra Mundum order.I do not think this will have any effect in the USA which is a big part of the world.An issue relating to this case that is important to me is that it had only one side represented.
We all know that Elisabeth Sladen best known as the Doctor's companion Sarah Jane Smith passed away as a result of cancer yesterday. It came as a shock to us all and Whovians across the world were shocked at the second stalwart of the Jon Pertwee years, after Nick Courtney (who played Brigadier Sir Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart KBE), passing away in such quick succession. What was worse about Elisabeth's passing was that she was now loved by a second generation through the Sarah Jane Adventures a lot of little ones were either told last night or this morning that one ...
I have spent a fascinating day today with two colleagues, Graeme Creer of Weightmans LLP and John Austin the chair of ADSO and John Austin judging the Democratic Services Award as part of the MJ Awards which will be announced ... Continue reading →
A Liberal Democrat motion deprecating the 6% (8.4% when water rates are taken into account) rise in rents for NPT Homes Ltd was voted down by Neath Port Talbot council at its meeting today. Contrasting the rise to be paid by our former tenants with the lower increases in Swansea and Carmarthenshire, and the Welsh Assembly Government's guideline of 4.95% for 2011/2012, Councillors Frank Little and Keith Davies attempted to raise the question of promises of lower increases made by supporters of stock transfer during the campaign, but were ruled out of order by the chair. Labour members voted solidly ...
Commenting on the visit to Wales of Ed Miliband, Peter Black, Welsh Liberal Democrats candidate for South Wales West, said: "Ed Miliband could have come to Wales and defended his party's record in Government in Wales. He could have explained how they spent so much money on economic development but left Wales the poorest part of the UK. He could have proclaimed Labour's 'achievement' of ensuring that Welsh patients wait longer than those in England. He could have explained how Labour spends £600 less on each child's education or how proud he is that Welsh schools have slipped behind England ...
So after a hard day's envelope writing last night, we headed back to my sister's where my niece Laura was cooking her risotto - which, I have to say, is one of the most delicious, punchy, garlicky, creamy, pretty things I've ever eaten. In the olden days families used to gather round the piano for a sing song, or the ladies of the house would play the instrument in genteel and cultured fashion while everyone listened or danced. The modern day equivalent is singing along to songs on You Tube. Songs from musicals and Disney to be exact. "How do ...
Tis the day for tickets for events in London it would seem, as the IPPR have been in touch about a few spaces left for tomorrow's speech on electoral reform from Nick Clegg: The Shape of the New Politics Keynote speech by Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats Thursday 21 April 2011, (9.45am for) 10 - 11am ippr offices, 14 Buckingham St, 4th Floor, London, WC2N 6DF Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg MP, will give a keynote speech at ippr outlining the case for the Alternative ...
Great news for the future of Camelford Leisure Centre and Bude Sea Pool as Cornwall Council's Cabinet has agreed that both will be kept within Cornwall's Leisure Service for the time-being. The future of both facilities - much loved in their local communities - had been in doubt after last year's 'Emergency Budget' decided to stop funding them. Local groups have been set up to try to secure their future but they face a race against time as tide-over money from the Council is set to run out soon. The reason for the renewed optimism is the setting up of ...
Just a couple of weeks after Nick Clegg's positive moves on ending unpaid internships, it seems like his MPs are for once listening to him. Stephen Williams and Mike Hancock are now advertising for volunteers instead: Aside from the issue of working for Mike Hancock, clearly these roles are exactly the same as what would ...
I have deliberately paused before commenting on the interim report of the Vickers Commission on UK banking reform. I wanted to read more about it; it didn't help that the post office delivered my Economist several days late. Unfortunately I still have not had time to read the report itself; let me come clean on that. Most of the commentary seems to be that the banks have largely got away with it, and are heaving a sign of relief. My answer is "not necessarily". It may be clever politics not to go for the more totemic ideas, like a full ...
Some good news for the Irish cricket team... I blogged two weeks ago about the fact that the next Cricket World Cup was due to be made up of just the 10 member nations with no qualifying competition. This would lead to the ludicrous prospect of the team ranked 10th in the world, who have beaten at least one team ranked above them at each of the last 2 world cups, not even being considered for a 10 team competition, where as the team ranked 11th gets in automatically. It seams the ICC has come to it's senses and is ...
[IMG: Copyright BBC] I'm pretty sure we're all aware by now, but Elisabeth Sladen, actor of the famous Doctor Who companion/assistant Sarah Jane Smith, died yesterday of cancer. She was 63. I was part of the "lost generation" who grew up without new Doctor Who episodes, but even still, I remember watching old Third and Fourth Doctor episodes on what was then called UK Gold. Jon Pertwee, Katy Manning, Nicholas Courtney, Tom Baker, and Lis Sladen were all pervasive on the television. Even for people my age, even for kids who only know the current show, most people would agree ...
I'm looking for your endorsements and nominations for electing me as Liberal Youth's next Finance Officer. Please send me an email at chris@chrisjenkinson.org with the following information: your full name, your party membership number, your mobile phone number, and optionally a message of endorsement which I can publish. If you hold a position within the party please include that as well. I'm very grateful for your support – I promise to work hard and be an effective Finance Officer if elected and make next year a fantastic year for Liberal Youth and the Liberal Democrats!
TweetWith permission, I'm reposting this list of Ten Reasons not to have an In/Out Eu referendum from the The Old Politics Blog Found here I may not agree with every word, but I do agree with the majority: I'm a bit late to this party, but a flurry of discussion took place a couple of months ago, and it seems to me like the debate is still rumbling on. I can certainly see the tactical arguments for Labour committing to a referendum on the EU; it neutralises one of our weakest issues, it divides the Conservative Party, and it implies ...
In a recent post, I suggested that liberals need an elevator pitch. A Twitter conversation with Sam Bowman reinforced my view, as did the comments at the end of the post. Below is my elevator pitch. I do not claim it to be the definitive answer. It would be great to have other liberals, whether classical, libertarian or even social, to suggest what they see as essential in explaining what liberalism is all about. For anyone who decides to post a pitch under this post, please keep it to around 100 words. My elevator pitch: Liberals believe that people should ...
It has come as little surprise to me, given my prediction in December last year, that so many universities have chosen to charge the highest allowed fees of £9,000 a year under the government's bugger's muddle of an Higher Education funding system. So for another little prediction - either the system will not see its way to implementation in the current form, or, if it does, it will have to be reviewed within a couple of years. In other words, it's not even going to be as stable as Dearing. But, assuming it does come into effect, and assuming it, ...
I'm happy to admit that my knowledge of the Vietnam War is extremely limited but from what I have read basically the American's (along with their allies) propped up the anti-communist forces in South Vietnam to stop the spread of Communism. They were unsuccessful. Our involvement in Libya was first of all to ensure that ...
I've just realised that I've forgotten to link to our local election manifesto for Colchester this year. So, if you want to read it, you can by clicking here (though it is a pdf file, so you'll need Adobe Reader to read it)
Regular readers will know that as a Liverpool fan of some 36 years there is one newspaper that I don't even mention let alone link to on this blog. Although its namesake has been very welcome in our sky the last few days and long may it remain visible. Well two heros of the Kop have put the reason that Liverpool fans and players boycott that publication before personal gain when they were invited to host RTÉ's Premier Soccer Sunday. So it is hats off to Ronnie Whelan and Ray Houghton two of the players from the team on that ...
Unsure about when your rubbish will be collected over the forthcoming public holidays? Then follow this link: Easter collections If you are not sure which collection is due next, contact the district council on 01727 819285 or visit www.stalbans.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling
The new Chair of the Cornwall Local Enterprise Partnership - Chris Pomfret - will cost less than half the amount paid to his short-lived predecessor Sir John Banham. Cornwall Council's Cabinet was today told that Mr Pomfret will receive compensation of £20,000 per year for undertaking the role. The cost of Sir John Banham's time for the six months or so that he was working on the project was more than £46,000. Sir John "decided not to seek the full time role" after what appeared to outsiders to be a massive difference of views with the Council. He was appointed ...
Last night I attended a meeting of the East Guildford Residents Association. It was a chance for local people to meet their candidates and, I'm pleased to say, we got a decent turnout from Christchurch (the ward in which I'm standing). Sadly, the same cannot be said for the other parties. We had candidates from both the Conservatives and the Lib Dems but UKIP, Labour, the Peace Party and the Greens didn't bother to turn up. Apparently they didn't even reply to their emailed invitation. The meeting itself went fairly well. The candidates were grouped together based on which ward ...
TweetLabour can offer Britain the progressive future they want. But I am also confident that Labour can again be the standard bearer for the progressive majority at the heart of British society. So writes Ed Miliband shortly before the Oldham East and Saddleworth by-election. The problem is that since the Liberal Democrats joined in coalition with a conservative Conservative party, the term progressive has been overused and become a meaningless buzzword. However, behind the buzz there is a very real meaning to it and the public generally define this as 'reforming', 'modernising' and 'enterprising' according to PoliticsHome. Whilst I'm sure ...
Tuesday: Ms Elisabeth Sladen, better known as Dr Woo's best friend Sarah Jane Smith, was one of the most ALIVE people we've ever known, a living testament to her most famous character's credo that you don't have to be a Time Lord up in Space to have ADVENTURES; that they can happen right here on Earth, if you just live your life looking for them. In the way she remained open to wonder and new things, Sarah Jane never grew up. She certainly never grew OLD. So how can she have died? I can only echo Tom Baker: impossible, impossible. ...
[IMG: IPCC Model for Climate Change] In other words, even if the IPCC's most catastrophic predictions are right, this unilateral measure is only harming British business and will have no relevant positive effect on the environment. The answer is an open debate and a UN-level agreement on climate change which must include China and the USA, as those two countries account for over 40% of emissions. We cannot afford to keep writing unilateral laws to 'show the right signs', we need to move to an evidence and effect-based policy on environmental and AGW legislature based on three key principles: The ...
Launceston is bidding to become the venue for one of the Government's new 'Enterprise zones'. The zones - set up to encourage new businesses to start up in areas which have suffered in the downturn - have been announced by the Government. The first 11 venues were announced in the budget last month and a further 10 are being sought. To qualify as an enterprise zone, an area has to be nominated by a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and fulfil a number of strict criteria. Cornwall now has an LEP and has confirmed that it will seek to nominate an ...
The big row scheduled for today's Cornwall Council Cabinet meeting didn't happen as the hugely controversial proposal to abolish some panels - including the Parking Policy Panel - was shelved as Cabinet Member Graeme Hicks did an impression of Andrew Lansley and suggested a pause for reflection. This was in response to the responses by ordinary members of the Council who were (almost) universally disapproving of the move which was seen by many as a direct attack on Cllr Andrew Wallis, Chair of the Parking Panel, who has had a number of run ins with the council leadership over the ...
Today, the new YouGov poll on the AV referendum shows that the "no" camp has opened up a 16% lead amongst those most likely to vote. Yesterday, the latest Guardian - ICM poll also gave the "antis" a 16% lead. In February, the supporters of change were narrowly (2%) ahead. When you look at the detailed figures, the reasons aren't difficult to discern. First, opposition to change from Conservative and Labour voters has hardened. Let's start with ICM*. In February, Tory supporters wanted to keep first past the post by a 44% margin. That margin has now swelled, to 54%. ...
Behind all the topline issues, Lib Dem ministers are quietly making real changes that benefit citizens. I say 'quietly', because sadly the press just won't pick up stories that are non-controversial. Ed Davey, with his hat on as Minister for Consumer Affairs, has just launched a project called "mydata". This is one strand in his Consumer Empowerment Strategy called "Better Choices: Better Deals" which you can read in full here. In the introduction to the paper he says: Many of the changes set out in Better Choices: Better Deals would have been impossible a decade ago.The internet, smart phones and ...
One of the arguments the No side make is that AV will let BNP voters have a greater say. MYTH – Will AV help to shut the doors on extremists like the BNP? REALITY - No. Extremists like the BNP, the National Front, and the British Union of Fascists have never had an MP elected under our current system. But while we hope that AV still wouldn't lead to extremist parties winning seats, it would certainly give them more influence. AV undermines the fundamental principle of One Person, One Vote, and rewards people who vote for fringe candidates by making ...
Wed 20th
12:55
Nick Clegg's speech in Sheffield on the difference that Liberal Democrat councils are making
On Saturday, Nick Clegg delivered a speech to local party activists in Sheffield on the difference that Liberal Democrat councils across Britain are making. It's a good speech which expands on many of the examples that we started to hear at conference in Sheffield last month about how Liberal Democrat councils are using innovative techniques to keep service and job losses to a minimum in these difficult financial times. Here's the speech in full: The Liberal Democrats have a long, proud and successful history in local government. We run some of the nation's biggest cities and some of the most ...
Vince Cable was up talking to the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce the other night. Afterwards, he talks about his memories of the Tories in power in the 80s, and how the Liberal Democrats are there to stop them doing the same thing again. This is what he said: "I remember the negative side of Thatcherism - the Poll Tax, mass unemployment and the claims that there was no such thing as society. I was a councillor in Glasgow in the 1970s and valued the progressive tradition of Scottish politics. That's why I'm glad the Tories aren't in power by themselves ...
I quite like Vince Cable – honestly, I really do. He prophetically warned against the boom in housing and the debt within the banking system, even when Balls and Brown laughed at any criticism of their economic model. But still. ... Continue reading →
...May I recommend this TERRIFIC article from Charlotte at Virtually Naked Blog about Blairite rumblings in the labour party? It's rather excellent.
After much debate, I re-nominate this blog "Political Parry".The URL will not change, but I am working on an independent web page and will refer you all as soon as it is up and ready for use :)
Radion 4′s Any Questions? is being recorded this Friday at the Brick Lane Music Hall in Silvertwon, London. Tickets for this show are normally in short supply, but thanks to it being a bank holiday weekend a few are still available. So if you are interested in going to see the show contact the Brick Lane Music hall for tickets – 020 7511 6655 and admin@bricklanemusichall.co.uk - admin.hat.bricklanemusichall.co.uk.spam.com (this is spam bot hidden email address, replace .hat. with @ and remove .spam.com for the real one). The show is live at 8pm on Friday 22nd April, arrive at 6.45 to ...
It is amazing that a single sheet of paper pushed through a few letterboxes can make such a difference. Here we are with all the wonders of the internet, not to mention televisions, radios, texts and newspapers that contain pages ... Continue reading →
According to the Independent, Nick Clegg has set an example to MPs still profiting from the old rules on expenses. He sold his Sheffield home for £325,000 and gave the £38,750 profit to the taxpayer, although he did not need to. Mr Clegg lives in London but rents a home in Sheffield. A rule allowing MPs claim for mortgage payments on second homes has been scrapped. I wonder how many MPs from other parties will follow suit. Nick Clegg came to the Vale yesterday and spoke to candidates and friends in a pub in Abingdon. He's a good speaker, even ...
According to silver-tongued Lib Dem Cabinet minister Chris Huhne, the Conservatives were in power for about two-thirds of the 20th century under first-past-the-post, even though they won more than 50 per cent of the votes on only two occasions. He noted that they did not want to see that dominance threatened in the 21st century. He also pointed out that, despite the Prime Minister's denial of Conservative involvement, 'all the moving parts' of the 'No' campaign are linked to the Conservative Party. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...
Housing Centre Launch I attended the launch of the Enhanced Housing Options service. This is a new service that can be accessed via the internet and allows anyone to explore their housing options within Sutton and obtain a personal action plan. By offering this means of access to people looking for housing solutions who might ...
There is fear in the air. The United States, once the undisputed leader of the Free World now faces a level of debt so severe that it risks losing its AAA credit rating. China- a cruel tyranny- is imprisoning artists, yet there is little protest from the West, because the US owes the Chinese at least $ 1 trillion. The political deadlock in Washington produces futile arguments about where the President was born, rather than how to address the decline. The Arab regimes, controlling the majority of the global oil supply, now face disruption as their population demand the rights ...
It's lovely weather outside, which is a shame given that lots of people will have lots of days off over the next two weeks (by which time it will be raining again). One less nice effect of the sunshine is that it seems to attract people who like vandalising things, as local people discovered last night ...
[IMG: Yes2AV] In the wake of two shattering polls for the Yes to Fairer Votes campaign, showing that the No2AV campaign has suddenly jumped into a stonking lead of around 16 points, most people I know who are in favour of electoral reform are already licking their wounds and beginning the navel-gazing process. I think this is premature. There are still two weeks to go before the referendum date itself, and although people are already sending off their postal votes, two weeks is an awfully long time in politics - and particularly when it comes to elections. Polls do not ...
A short and simple film which powerfully makes the point that your choice of words matters - and that the real power of words lies in telling simple stories rather than making factual statements: Cross-posted from the MHP Communications blog.
The link is to this judgment on Bailii.There are two interesting arguments in this judgment - which relates to an interim gag.Paragraph 10.In my judgment the appellant was reasonably entitled to expect that his colleagues would treat as confidential the information they had acquired whether from their own observation of the behaviour of the appellant and X or from tittle-tattle and gossip which
I had great fun yesterday. I spent it writing envelopes with lovely people in the Dingwall HQ of Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch candidate Alan MacRae. Alan is amazing - hailing from Skye, he lived in Edinburgh (where he had a fabulous restaurant, First Coast, and has returned to live in the north. He's put so much energy into his campaign for the past two years and I know what it would mean so much to him to represent his home area in Holyrood. He has the emphatic backing of former MSP John Farquhar Munro to succeed him. John Farquhar put ...
The idea behind the Red Tape Challenge website is a good one, however, you have to question the logic of a website that is now openly asking whether or not the Equalities Act should be scraped altogether. Understandably the comments ... Continue reading →
Controversial Conservative peer Michael Ashcroft has done campaigners in all parties a service with the frankness of his book on the 2010 general election, Minority Verdict. Though a short book, it contains some details of how the Conservative Party went about targeting swing voters in swing seats for last year's contest. Aside from the subject's inherent interest, this particularly caught my eye because part of what he recounts is the Conservative equivalent of what I was doing when working for the Liberal Democrats for much of the last Parliament. The Conservatives took Mosaic data and then ran a detailed and ...
One thing that you learn fighting elections is that the oldest tricks in the book are, well, the oldest tricks in the book. This is the first time that I've been called upon to defend a seat, and therefore been on the receiving end of some of this. Our rivals in a two member ward are two Tories and two Labour. As you do, I ask supporters if they mind letting me have the rival literature so that I can see if what my opponents are saying about me is fair. My favourite (if that's the word) ploy is the ...
For all those people who think the government's current deficit reduction is incorrect maybe they should look over to the US. There, indecisiveness is taking hold as a budget fails to go through congress. As such ratings agency Standard & Poor's (S&P) have downgraded the outlook for the US debt from "stable" to "negative". This means S&P estimate that there is a 1 in 3 chance that in the next 2 years they will downgrade the country's credit rating. "More than two years after the beginning of the recent crisis, U.S. policymakers have still not agreed on how to reverse ...
Losing a long-standing councillor is always a shock to residents but Rosie Sharpley's departure as a councillor was known months in advance by the Lib Dem party. Philip Goldenberg and Amanda Coulson were both selected as candidates well before Rosie's ... Continue reading →
Are voters turned off by negative campaign ads and mudslinging? Some say they are yet it doesn't stop political candidates or parties from using them. Do we know the evidence about whether negative ads work or do we use them hoping they will work, or because we all know a good negative ad which did ...
35) Tom Rubython, Shunt: The Story of James Hunt (London: Myrtle, 2010, ISBN 9780956565600). Does what it says on the tin, in exhaustive detail and with some repetition (Rubython used his own press to publish this, and it shows in the lack of critical editing). For a book of 701 pages plus appendices, however, it's a remarkably quick and entertaining read, and I certainly learnt a lot about Formula 1 and the characters who in the 1970s and 1980s made it the mass entertainment spectacle that it is today. I am possibly most amused, though, by the comment Hunt made ...
As many of my regular readers will know, I work for RNID the UK's largest charities tackling hearing loss and deafness. We regularly hold live Twitter Q&A's with leading public figures and our CEO Jackie Ballard where we take questions ... Continue reading →
Yate's new Youth Cafe and Venue, the Armadillo, has been handed over by the builders - on time and on budget. It's being fitted out at the moment - the disco rig and the cinema gear all have to go in yet. There's a chance to have a look round on Saturday (23rd April) from 11 am to 4 pm - people of all ages are welcome. You will be able to meet some of the team, and hear about the plans for the full opening in a few weeks time and future events - the first big gig will ...
Shocked to hear of her death.... For so many , she was "Our" Doctor Who Girl. This Mitch Benn song has a little extra poignancy now: And I don't think pain and loss do define us as much as happiness and love:
I did not renew my membership of the National Trust when they ignored an all-member vote to ban fox-hunting on their land, however today they are back in favour with a decision to vaccinate badgers in a bovine tuberculosis "hotspot" on one of their estates in Devon, as part of a four-year scheme: The scheme, which is to cost the trust £80,000 a year, will take place on the 6,400-acre Killerton estate in Exeter. It aims to see if vaccination can be a viable alternative to culling badgers, which spread TB to cattle. The work, which starts in May, will ...
Like most sane people – I adore the awfulness of Eurovision. Yes I know that it has lost a bit of zest since Terry Wogan decided it had gotten too political even for him but it still is well worth an evening (or more if you watch the semi's) of entertainment. For years the UK ...
I've long been sceptical about the scope for online fundraising in British politics. That's partly because I've seen a sequence of American political consultants come to the UK, say they know much better than Brits, promise lots and then raise not very much – across the political spectrum. I've also seen a sequence of people from Britain go, "Oooh! American! Shiny! Must be better!", promise lots and then raise not very much – again, across the political spectrum. Having been responsible for (along with Ashley Lumsden and Martin Tod) the first candidate website in the UK to take credit card ...
5 things I've discovered written about the AV Referendum that have brightened my week. As always, they're here because they are interesting, not because I agree with every word... 1. 'Many Conservatives will be demented with rage if they are defeated in the referendum on electoral reform' writes Andrew Rawnsley in the Guardian. Surely that headline alone makes you want to read it... 2. 'Never has a duller issue caused so many to sound insane with rage' writes Jackie Ashley Ms. Ashley stirs the Tory pot.... 3. 'A very odd political campaign' by Bagehot in The Economist. Bagehot takes a ...
In this morning's Daily Mail, Vince Cable sets out a key reason why many of us are biting our tongue and working with the Tories in Government. It is because we are moderating their worst excesses, whilst at the same time putting into effect key Liberal Democrat policies such as taking 50,000 Welsh workers out of tax and linking pensions to earnings. We should not overlook the fact either that one of Nick Clegg's promises in the last election was that in the event of a hung Parliament we would work with the largest party. Nor should we forget that ...
Yes, I know this was on Monday night, but if you haven't seen it, it's worth watching to see how little thought Labour have put into their flagship policy. Labour say that knife crime in Scotland costs the NHS £500 million a year. An organisation called Straight Statistics, ironically set up by a Labour peer, has dismissed Labour's statistics as "a fantasy". Confronted with this by Isabel Fraser, Labour's justice spokesperson Richard Baker was literally all over the place, admitting that Labour had got the statistics from press reports from another organisation's conference. That organisation says that they have never ...
Today's Sheffield Star reports that Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg is leading by example by selling his old Sheffield constituency home and giving the £38,750 profit to the taxpayer. They say that although he would have been allowed to keep the money under current rules, Mr. Clegg wanted to "lead by example". He said that he hoped other MPs will follow suit as they are forced to sell second homes and rent properties instead. The new regulations come in later this year.
... that Cornwall beat Yorkshire by 29 points to 20 after extra time in the final of the County Championship. Other championships have been won before and since, but this was my greatest rugby experience ever. For a bit of Nigel Starmer-Smith:
Oops! I posted this on the wrong blog last night. A young Elisabeth Sladen with K-9 The BBC has just confirmed the news that I was seeing across Twitter when I got in a few moments ago. Elisabeth Sladen the actress best known as Sarah Jane Smith companion to both Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker's Doctor as well as appearing with with David Tennent and Matt Smith has passed away aged 63. As a result of her appearance along with K-9 in that David Tennent story School Reunion she was given what was her second spin off series The Sarah ...
Liberator 345 is on its way to subscribers. As well as an article by Adrian Sanders sking why the Liberal Democrats were so unprepared for government, it contains the diary of my employer Lord Bonkers. This time he has devoted it to answering his readers' problems. Here he introduces his new idea. Every morning, the postman brings a heavy mailbag (perchance one sewn by a former Labour MP?) through the lodge gates, along the drive and up to the Hall - I have to say that he has pedalled more slowly since my safari park closed, but I suppose that ...
I write from London, where I will be taking young F to the Doctor Who Experience this morning, after last night's unexpected and very sad news that Elisabeth Sladen is no more. There are some lovely tributes to her already: see sadbhyl here, strange_complex here, Ian here, beccaelizabeth here and here. For myself, she is the first Classic Who companion who I remember clearly. Numerous female fans have written of her importance as a role model for girls, but this was not absent from the way we boys related to her either - being the Doctor's friend, the one who ...
Just a reminder that the postal votes are out this week. So if you are expecting one, please keep an eye out and remember to send it back as soon as possible! With your support, we will keep: - protecting services for the vulnerable - making sure Council tax stays as low as possible - working locally to improve our neighbourhoods Thankyou ever so much for your continuing support! - Kirsten
I love going to Mobile Monday London – it's a great meeting place for those of us in the mobile industry. It's also one of the few spaces which holds the equivalent of an "Open Mic" night. [IMG: momo logo] MoMoLo's Spring Demo Night was crowded with great entrants. So much so that each of us had only three minutes to present! That's quite tight. I'm used to 15-30 minutes. I'm not sure how, but I managed to distil the QRpedia pitch down. QRpedia was received warmly by the crowd. Massive thanks to the ever-patient Liz for recording it. Don't ...
I have received a complaint that the penguins statues outside Discovery Point are in need of being spruced up. I asked Dundee Heritage Trust who own them if they could have some work done to improve things. The Heritage Trust has responded positively as follows : "The penguins are indeed the responsibility of Dundee Heritage Trust. Due to the severe weather in the winter the penguins paint coatings have suffered serious damage and are need of a complete rub down and repainting. This work has now started and can only be completed when the weather conditions to allow for the ...
Yesterday, I attended the Balgay Stakeholders' Group meeting along with one of my councillor ward colleagues. The stakeholders' group is a quarterly get-together of Leisure & Communities Department officers, Friends of Balgay and local councillors to discuss issues at Balgay Park, enhancements and improvements. We had a very productive and useful discussion about lighting in the park (with good progress on plans to improve lighting in the park), signage/information boards, footpaths and other matters. I also attended the Dundee Civic Forum AGM at the City Chambers in the evening, at which there was a very informative presentation by Alistair Macleod ...
i) births and deaths I'll comment more later, but like everyone else I was very sad to see that Elisabeth Sladen's name is now in the minus column as well. 20 April 1951: birth of Louise Jameson, who played the Fourth Doctor companion Leela from 1977 to 1978. ii) broadcast and publication anniversaries 20 April 1968: broadcast of sixth episode of Fury from the Deep; last appearance of Deborah Watling as Victoria. The seaweed creature is destroyed by Victoria's screams, and she decides to stay behind. 20 April 1972: publication of The Making of Doctor Who by Malcolm Hulke and ...
For my original appeal for rational debate on AV rather than a slanging match please see my post on 4th April. Unfortunately instead of arguing the pros and cons of AV and of FPTP, more vitriolic accusations seem to be the order of the day, and what should be great debate in a process which began with the Great Reform Bill of 1832 has degenerated into just another political squabble. On Monday David Cameron claimed that AV was "obscure, unfair and expensive." and his unlikely collaborator, John Reid said it was "not British." All of these claims can and should ...
Inequality: The 1% solution I don't expect my colleague to share all my beliefs about how to weigh the political equality of citizens against the freedom of billionaires to spend their money on politics. But I do think that if we don't agree that rich people have more political power than poor people and that they use that power to pursue their economic interests, then we've really got a communications problem. (tags: us economics)
I'm not a Doctor Who fan. Maybe I was too young for old Who and not in the right place for Nu Who. Maybe I missed the Nu Who boat and the huge fan movement turned me away. Maybe the Science Fiction stars just didn't smile on me and Who. More likely, it's just one of those things; as a show, I'm just not that into it. I'm nont a Doctor Who fan; I've never seen an episode with Sarah Jane in it and I've never watched an episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures, nevertheless, hearing of the death of ...
The mid-Beds Tory glossy distributed in my ward has had serious money thrown at it and not just for the printing. No less a source than Pricewaterhouse Cooper's (PwC) has been quoted as saying that Central Beds gave better "Value for Money" service delivery in 2010/11 than Bedford, MK and Luton (while curiously calling only Luton "our geographical neighbours"). Anyone who has ever worked with PwC will know precisely what happened here. As business consultants, PwC would have been paid to devise a methodology that would spit out the desired answer first thought of. And they'll have charged through the ...
I am slightly too young to remember Sarah-Jane Smith's original run in Doctor Who. Nevertheless, by the time of School ReUnion, I had seen enough reruns and videos and DVDs to be familiar with her, and when she got her own series, I watched it, with my daughter, mostly out of curiosity at first, but then with growing fannishness. Here was a TV show in which the protagonist was a middle-aged single woman, saving the world over and over with the assistance of a bunch of misfit and multi-ethnic kids. And she was good. And Holly adored her - enough ...
On Sunday 31st August 1997 I was woken at around 6.30am with the news that Princess Diana had died in a car crash. Later that morning I passed on the request that if any other members of the royal family were to die I would wait for the news without being woken. I know she was very popular and some readers may wish to be woken but I prefer the person who died a week later as a role model for me. Mother Teresa. Yesterday I was speaking with someone who had attended Diana's funeral. He had done so as ...
