[IMG: Hornsey Vale Community Centre] Local residents have set up a public meeting at 7pm tomorrow (Friday 20th) night in the Hornsey Vale Community Centre on Mayfield Road to demand action on local parking problems. Ever since the Crouch End Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) was extended east to Ferme Park Road residents have been complaining that parking has become very difficult in streets just outside the extended Zone. The proposed extension of the Finsbury Park CPZ up to Ridge Road in September could make the situation much worse, which is why since at least October 2010, I have been calling ...
Ken Clarke's blusterings on rape this week have been a fixation of the liberal (sometimes) intelligentsia in the new media. Ken Clarke's comments came under scrutiny because he allegedly stated that some offences of rape was less serious than others. In fact, my learned friend @neilmonnery put up a rather good blog article on the reactionary responses to headline news. In short, the reaction was
So, it's official, Labour run Bury again. Bob Bibby isn't Council Leader any more (nor is he Bury Conservative Leader, replaced in that role by Cllr Roger Brown – the Tories replacing with a barrister someone who was pleasant enough in private but who often struggled to string a sentence together in public, and let ...
The row over Kenneth Clarke's comments on rape exemplifies what is wrong with our politics: the obsession with identifying gaffes and comparative lack of interest in the substantial interests involved. Of course, Clarke's comments were crass: there is no such thing as a rape that is not serious. And the argument that it is somehow better to be raped by someone you know is a very questionable one. But no one believes that Clarke really believes that rape is not serious. He spoke in a clumsy and thoughtless way, which is regrettable but is hardly a reason for resignation. It ...
I am reading Charles Williams superb biography of Harold Macmillan. Which I actually got because I'd been meaning to buy the DR Thorpe one and picked Williams' book up by accident, and I'm very glad I did. It's a superb book and a reminder of how very different the recent past was. I don't think that I like Macmillan as a man as much as I thought I did before reading this book. I had thought that as he was a great anti-Thatcher rebel and the author of The Middle Way, he might be my kind of Tory (not that ...
WestFest 2011 is taking great shape and the team organising the week's events have put in huge effort. There's now a detailed calendar of events available online and there's no doubt that it will be a superb week!
Good news on the Olympics Torch Relay - from Dundee City Council tonight : The Torch Relay will start on Saturday, 19th May 2012 and then travel around the UK for 70 days. On Friday 27th July 2012 the Flame will enter the Olympic Stadium to light the cauldron in the Opening Ceremony and formally start the London 2012 Olympic Games. The London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) confirmed the first 74 locations on the route yesterday. Many more will follow as the content of each day is put in place throughout the rest ...
Some words of wisdom of Kenneth Clarke's travails from Welcome to Spiderplant Land. Liberal Landslide writes on the consolations of losing elections: "Since the polls closed on the 5th of May, I've carried with me a sense of overwhelming liberation." Writing on the Daily Telegraph site, Ed West pays tribute to the former taoiseach Dr Garret FitzGerald,: "Generally regarded as the nicest man in Irish politics, FitzGerald was often outfoxed by his more cunning rival Charlie Haughey, but was all the more loved for it. FitzGerald had a vision of a more liberal, wealthy and outward-looking Ireland that came to ...
I won't go into to much detail, my overall impression was of a subdued meeting of tonight's first council, Labour were happy but not too irritatingly so, which I would ascribe to not having done as well to win but it could have been worse. Tories are losers but not in any emphatic way, they still lead the council but not in the confident way of just a month back. People don't necessarily appreciate the personal side of council, whilst their might be some real divide in political ideology, the council is like some big unwieldy family, however tonight evidenced ...
And so, after the commotion, come the lawyers. Today's coverage of the unfolding saga regarding John Dixon and Aled Roberts and their present disqualification from the Assembly has latched onto the first legal opinion offered, by former counsel general Winston Roddick, and (with some exceptions) taken it as gospel. Unsurprisingly, as your favourite (read: only) Lib Dem blogger-cum-law student, I've taken a look at the matter. So as that fine constitutional scholar, Toby Ziegler, might have had it, let us turn our attention to the Government of Wales Act 2006, for it is the owner's manual and we should read ...
If you see a Dobermann in Edinburgh, it may well be Leda. Local artist, Dylan Lisle had his Dobermann puppy Leda stolen on Tuesday evening. There is a possibility that Leda is in the Newhaven/Granton area. Please call Leith police station or Dylan Lisle on 07914 817947 if you see ANYONE with a Dobermann. A dog like this does not simply vanish. You can read more details on Dylan Lisle's website HERE.
The High Court has thankfully judged Birmingham City Council as acting unlawfully over a decision to reduce its provision of care for disabled people to only those deemed to have 'critical needs'. It is, as a Liberal, the one thing you never do - you never cut care to the weakest members of society, it is infact a step beyond the very last thing that you would ever do. If in governance you do something which will undoubtedly leads to someone's very real and intense suffering or death, there is little fundamental difference between having a death penalty - of ...
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Michael suggests that with just under 3 months to go until the centenary of 1 and 2 Geo. 5, c.13, HM Government should get on with the reform of the Upper House of Parliament as it really is about time we got round to it.
Regular readers of this blog will know that one of the things that interests me is how we might move a little way towards a more liberal society. By liberal society, I mean a place where people control their lives as much as possible. Some politicians are pursuing this objective and many argue over what it means. But if we do inch towards liberalism it might end up having little to do with policymakers. Alvin Toffler, the futurologist, believes that it is the nature of economic activity that characterises how society and political structures develop. Mass industrialisation meant that we ...
In Cleggmania 2015 I suggested that Nick Clegg could revive the party's fortunes. Here are three steps he needs to take to do it: Build a clear modern liberal narrative. From that will flow consistent policies. Work within the coalition narrative to differentiate the Lib Dem brand. The contrasting speeches by Cameron and Clegg on multiculturalism could act as a template. The opportunity to set out clear liberal policies will come when the second coalition agreement is drawn up. This is an opportunity not to be wasted.At the right moment, be very clear that the way the tuition fee policy ...
During the London Mayor election Boris Johnson talked about how land owned by the London Development Agency could be used to provide 32,000 new affordable homes. But three years on a mere 1,431 have been built. Ealing Lib Dem councillor Gary Malcolm has more on the story over on his blog, including this quote from London Assembly member Mike Tuffrey: The Mayor has completely failed Londoners by not delivering the promised mechanism to unlock these sites, and is now saying it may not even go ahead at all. There is a huge chasm between what the Mayor said was possible ...
Being leader of Her Majesty's Opposition is a difficult job. You must officially oppose the government of the day without giving away what you might do in government in case the people in power outflank you. You have to keep your party onside even when there is little chance of winning. These are challenges every leader of the opposition faces. Ed Miliband has the additional problem of trying to make the case against cuts while supporting cuts, attack the coalition without destabilising it so much that he ends up fighting an election his party isn't ready for and reframe the ...
[IMG: Tessa Munt] Yesterday evening I headed over to Putney to hear the MP for Wells, Tessa Munt, talk about winning elections to Putney Liberal Democrats. As you would expect with Tessa, her talk was full of energy and enthusiasm. It also had a very emotional moment when she recalled how on the day she won her seat last year she knew there were people in her local party who had literally spent 50 years campaigning locally for a Liberal / LibDem victory - and how much she owed to them. Her appreciation of how much candidates owe to local ...
Another week in which time seemed to vanish in a puff of smoke, though I can't say where it all went. Monday, I moved: That this House regrets that changes to the rules relating to the victims of domestic violence in the Statement of Changes in Immigration Rules (HC 908) remove the protection granted by the Rules to some victims who may therefore be forced to remain in the abusive relationships on which their immigration status depends. (see The Government were determined that the response to an application for leave to remain as a victim of domestic violence should ...
Work has ceased on the new day case unit at the St Luke's Hospital site in Market Harborough and NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland is suing the contactors over the delays with the project. This adds to the sense of mystery that has surrounded the construction of the new unit. Why, in particular, did it have to be shipped all the way from the United Arab Emirates? Liberal Democrat councillor Phil Knowles was live on the BBC East Midlands new programme this evening talking about this latest development. He has also been speaking to the Harborough Mail: "This is deeply ...
Kent police it appears are showing some contempt for tax payers and their own staff as they continue to extend their role past that of policing us landlubbers on an expensive maritime project. Some time back about 2008 they acquired an ocean going boat Alexandra III. Which myself have only seen once moored off Margate when a security alert involving terrorists, organised crime, drugs smuggling and all that sort of stuff just happened to coincide with an air show taking place somewhere between the shoreline and the boat. Today they have announced their new base for Kent Police maritime section, ...
Have been tidying up my sidebars and permanent entries today, among other things. Something have moved, some things have gone completely, some things have been added. And I need to sort out the share buttons thing on this laptop, do remind me about that, won't you?
Today Thursday 19th May 2011 the first meeting of the council since the election, we've yet to know how the new council is to be cobble together, it will be worth a visit, just see how things end up. In all probability we will have a good bit of political theatre, various scenarios, have been offered to me, hopefully everyone will be on their best behaviour, one things for sure, there have been no winners, outside of individuals. I don't know everything as you lot know but tonight I think will also be the first council meeting with Sue McGonagall ...
Thu 19th
17:37
Lib Dem peer Lord Stoneham reveals Fred Goodwin's super injunction in the House of Lords
New Liberal Democrat peer Lord Stoneham has revealed the details of former RBS boss Sir Fred Goodwin's super injunction today in the House of Lords, saying under parliamentary privilege: "Every taxpayer has a direct public interest in the events leading up to the collapse of the Royal Bank of Scotland, so how can it be right ...
The papers for the May 25th Cabinet meeting can now be found here
New College Durham (Lead sponsor) and Durham County Council (Co-sponsor) are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Kevin Reynolds as Principal Designate of the new Consett Academy. The Academy will open on 1 January 2012 but Mr Reynolds will take up post as Principal Designate from 1 July 2011 to lead preparations for this important stage in forming a new school to serve the whole of Consett and the surrounding area. Mr Reynolds is currently Deputy Head Teacher of Parkside Sports College. Speaking after his appointment, Mr Reynolds said "I am delighted to be appointed as the first Principal ...
I've said it before and I'll say it again - it is not antisemitic to criticise the State of Israel. Israel is a country, and any country can obviously be criticised without the critic necessarily being accused of racial or religious prejudice. So, not all critics of Israel are antisemites. But all antisemites are critics of Israel, and so some critics of Israel are antisemites. By way of comparison, I can criticise Saudi Arabia without being a racist or an Islamophobe - but if my criticisms did smack of anti-Arab racism or Islamophobia, then people would be entitled to call ...
If you required further proof of William Hague's influence in government the Telegraph's Benedict Brogan has revealed that it was the Foreign Secretary's intervention that caused Prime Minister David Cameron to wear morning suit to the recent Royal Wedding: "He wore a morning suit to the royal wedding only after - I am assured - William ...
(I've got a migraine and news consumption has been low so I thought I'd shoot this out there) Vegetarianism. The principle that it is wrong to eat animals, whether because of moral grounds, theological grounds, tastes or some other idiopathic reason. Herbivorism if you please, which, as referred to in the Wikipedia link, is the consumption of plant substances. I adore plant substances, but I am
Great to hear about House of Lords reform announced this week. A little annoying to hear that two options with one being only 80% elected but at least using the Single Transferable Vote system. IF you want the House of Lords to be 100% purely democratic then sign one or both of the following petitions: http://bit.ly/l8PozC http://action.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/elect-the-lords I understand that elections would be every five years with Lords elected for 15 years periods. That's a long time to be an elected representative but at least they'll be elected and on a rolling basis. It really is time for the UK ...
I think I'm getting the hang of losing elections. I counted it backwards and I'm pretty sure that I've been running for something or managing someone else's campaign since 2004. I'd almost forgotten what not being on a war footing felt like. Since the polls closed on the 5th of May, I've carried with me a sense of overwhelming liberation. I look back on the campaign just passed I'm not really gripped by a sense of having been cheated of victory or of hard work gone to waste. Instead I find myself mired in serenity and when I think about ...
Rape (3): "any violation or abuse" (Collins Compact English Dictionary). I suppose I should not be astonished at the ridiculous, overblown response to Ken Clark's remarks yesterday. Nobody doubts that he regards all rape as serious and most people who think about it will admit that there are differing degrees of seriousness of rape so why can't the Lord Chancellor say so ? No surprise perhaps
Following my post about a pro-peace advert in Israeli newspapers, news reaches me of another advert that ought to concern anyone who cares about Israel and the Palestinians: this one, published in some American newspapers, telling the truth about Hamas. Until Hamas fundamentally reforms, and becomes a very different organisation, it will not have anything meaningful to contribute towards peace. It will remain to Palestinian politics what the Ku Klux Klan is to American politics. Just consider the dreadful way in which Hamas treats Palestinian people living under its rule in Gaza. Hamas has to change - and change radically ...
Some good news for fans of liberty has come in the form of a ruling from the supreme court. The ruling on DNA states that the current police policy of indefinitely holding profiles of people arrested by never convicted on the national police DNA database is excessive and violates privacy rights. NO2ID appreciates the value of using DNA in criminal cases, but challenges both the effectiveness and principle of holding innocent people's samples. Genewatch have some detailed information on the effectiveness of the DNA database for any interested in the subject. Currently the retention of DNA is being considered by ...
The entire world has gone mad. The Sun is baying for blood and people all over the internet are screaming like baying wolves hunting down their pray as if it were the worst thing in the world. So what's up ... Continue reading →
One has to hope not, but not necessarily for the reasons that many people would think. We all know that Gordon was one of the most inept Chancellors and Prime Ministers this country has ever seen. He has continued to ... Continue reading →
This advert has appeared in Israeli newspapers, calling for the recognition of "a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders". This impassioned call for peace has been signed by some very senior retired Israeli soldiers - tough veterans who have served their country in war - so the Right cannot dismiss this as some softy peacenik initiative. The Right can say what they like about people like me, but they can hardly accuse the likes of Brigadier-General Menachem Aviram (a former Commander of Israel's Paratroopers Brigade) of not loving his country. The signatories also include Professor Naomi Chazan, who spoke ...
On the Spectator Coffee House blog today, in a piece ostensibly about Ken Clarke's current woes, James Forsyth mentions the following in the opening paragraph: Dominic Grieve's fate as shadow Home Secretary was sealed by a lunch at News International headquarters in Wapping. Grieve went to lunch with various Sun executives and rather than talking tough on crime he laid into the paper for how it covered the issue, claiming that it stoked fear of crime. The word then came back to Tory high command, via Andy Coulson, that the paper would not endorse the Tories as long as Grieve ...
We're getting some very interesting comments on our bus station survey - have you given us YOUR views yet? You can view the outline options from the links in the box in the right hand column of this blog. Then you can complete the survey online, or download the form and print it if you prefer. Update 19/05/2011: The South Glos deadline for replies is 27th May. We will collate the replies that come via us just before then and send them to South Glos, and then we'll publish a summary here. South Glos have not indicated how quickly they ...
It is with great pleasure, and a little relief, that I can announce that the Dulwich Leisure Centre gym and studios will reopen at 10am on Saturday 25 June. HOORAY. Apart from some speeches, free refreshments visitors will get tours of the new facilities. Also the 3 winners of a year free membership of the gym will be announced – enter the competition here www.southwark.gov.uk/dulwich If you'd like to get sneak preview of the new revitalised gym A1 3D pictures are now viewable in the centre foyer. Do let me know what you think.
Nick Clegg has told the CBI that "we need to hold our nerve" on fixing the economy, and that "means no blinking on deficit reduction." He said last night that despite their different economic traditions, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats are united on project of having a more stable economy: "We may differ on the ...
Cardinal Keith O'Brien has said that he considers the provisions in the Act of Settlement of 1701 which prevent Catholics from succeeding to the throne are hampering efforts to curb sectarianism. I can't think of any rational and reasonable argument against that position. I remember being horrified as a 10 year old that Prince Michael of Kent had to give up his place in the line of succession because he married a Catholic. It just seemed so unfair. Ok,so he was never going to get anywhere near the throne,but the fact that someone is excluded from being Head of State ...
And so, the Church of Scotland's General Assembly gets under way in Edinburgh. Unusually, this year what is being discussed is likely to attract more than a little interest from the media - not least because on Monday church leaders will spend the day discussing the report by the Special Commission on Same-Sex Relationships and the Ministry. I don't normally write on religious issues, but the importance of the Assembly's verdict is such that I feel compelled to speak out in advance. The special commission, established two years ago after the General Assembly voted by 326 votes to 267 to ...
Whilst May 5 was a bad night for many Liberal Democrats around the Country here in Bath and North East Somerset we kept the election focussed on local issues and campaigns that were important to residents and did well in the ballot box. The Council elections resulted in Liberal Democrats 29 (up 3) Conservatives 29 (down 3) Labour 5 (same) Independent 2 (same) The group have re-elected me as their leader and tomorrow night at the Council AGM we will be submitting to the Council a minority Liberal Democrat Cabinet. The Labour group have said they will not enter a ...
This morning I had an early start. I spent time with the Council enforcement team finding out how they actually look out for dog fouling and litter offences in South Liverpool. Starting at 6 am (yes people are out dog walking that early) we started at Heath Road in Cressington ward before going along Mather Avenue and then crossing to walk through some parkland. We also spent a bit of time in the Serpentine/Aigburth Road area. It soon became clear that appearing to casually watch a dog and owner isn't that easy! This morning all the dog owners we came ...
I've had this book sitting on a shelf for ages since someone gave it to me with the recommendation that I might like it. So, when the TV adaptation of the series began and got great reviews I decided it was time to finally give it a go, because as I don't have Sky Atlantic it'll be sometime before I get to see it and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. And now I regret having left it on the shelf for so long because it's a truly great book. More discussion follows, but there will be ...
A long while ago, I blogged about my reactions to those who insult my friends. Those views haven't changed at all, and if anything were made stronger by a friend of mine who herself received insults about myself and others ... Continue reading →
[IMG: Sir Menzies Campbell MP] Following a brief foray on to Twitter before Christmas, Lib Dem MP for North East Fife Ming Campbell has now started up again on Twitter. He's @MingCampbellMP. (Ming's got quite a long record of being active on social media, and a success of mine when at Liberal Democrat HQ was getting him on to Facebook shortly after he became the party's leader. One of the spin-offs from that was a remarkably positive write-up in The Sun - which was almost certainly the most positive write-up that newspaper gave him on any topic during his time ...
Last Saturday I joined in the Litter Pick in parts of Garston organised by local churches. It was rather on the windy side but we managed to clear up rather a lot, including litter from the park and streets roundabout. This rather unflattering picture shows me at work!
Reports that a review of Government plans to restructure the Coastguard service may be underway have been welcomed by Sir Menzies Campbell MP. Sir Menzies, whose North East Fife constituency is home to under-threat Forth Coastguard, said: "If these reports are true then they would represent a victory for common sense and the campaign for retention of as much of the existing coastguard network as possible. "I have spoken in a debate in the House of Commons when the Government's proposals did not have a single friend apart from the Minister seeking to justify them. The proposals simply didn't take ...
Garret Fitzgerald 1925-2011 When I was growing up there were two men who dominated the political scene in the Republic of Ireland Fianna Fáil's Charles Haughey and Fine Gael's Garret Fitzgerald. Garret was the Taoiseach that set up the New Ireland Forum in 1983 which although rejected outright by Margaret Thatcher led on the path to what would that eventually led to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Fitzgerald had previously played a part in the 1970s Sunningdale Agreement as well. For the formative political awakenings of a Northern Irish born politician like myself these were the events that would separate the course ...
Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days: National issues: Julian Huppert MP writes on Trident: We don't need to keep fighting the Cold War
I've often felt that when journalists at the Herald write about the Scottish Liberal Democrats, they dipped their keyboards in poison first. I was surprised then, to see this in yesterday's leader describing Willie: A doughty campaigner, with an unpatronising down-to-earth style, Mr Rennie may grow into an impressive leader, building a level of credibility that has eluded his two immediate predecessors. Not since Jim, now Lord, Wallace has the Scottish party had a leader of stature and authority. The whole thing was actually quite fair - although I take issue with the assertion that "it is a measure of ...
It was announced yesterday that the Olympic torch will visit Luton on the evening of Sunday 8 July 2012. This will be the focal point of a weekend of celebrations including Luton Carnival which will be moved from its usual date to the 7 July. More details are on the Council's website
Madrid's Puerta del Sol square became the European Tahrir Square on Wednesday. This is not an obscure analogy, but a strong indication of a pan-European protest against the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund. An innocent cabal of ... Continue reading →
I've read a few posts regarding Ken Clarke's well publicised radio interview regarding prison sentencing which has turned into a nightmare for him. I am unsure about writing this post as I don't expect a positive reaction but in the whole I am about to defend him. If anyone feels the need to object to what I am about to say that is fine, but please make sure you've read (or listened to) the full transcript of his interview first. Firstly let me say rape is a serious crime, it deserves to face the full force of the law and ...
Never in the field of political endeavour has such little been delivered and so much promised. I am, of course, referring to reform of the House of Lords, which is not only overdue by decades but - on the basis of what we witnessed in the "other place" on Tuesday - looks likely to become derailed by party tribalism on the part of Labour and resistance to change on the part of some Conservatives. That Nick Clegg presented the draft Bill allowed Labour MPs the opportunity to make fun of the Deputy Prime Minister. They sense he is a figure ...
I'll be honest, I'm not missing the 'glamour' of spending my weekends travelling around the country with Ros. However, I do like to get out beyond the borders of Suffolk from time to time, and this weekend sees me in Dresden for a meeting of the ELDR Council (for more details, see here). For a Party which is internationalist and pro-European, we really don't take our European relationships that seriously. Our delegations to ELDR and Liberal International go unremarked and, for the most part, unnoticed, and it is rare for a senior figure, other than our MEPs, to take part. ...
I've never met Tim Goodman. I don't know what he looks like. I don't know what he does most of the time. I don't know if that's his real name or a professional nom de plume. I don't even know which country he lives in. Or if he's alive. But I do know he has given me hours of entertainment thanks to his amazing abilities at narrating audio books. His voice brings characters, scenes and plots to live in a way that adds to the impact of the original author's words just as an actor adds to the writing skills ...
The Clarke interview transcript is painful to read. Clarke is guilty of clumsy language and perhaps arrogance. (Five Live are sharp. Politicians should heed that.) As mentioned in the comments on Caron's post here, Victoria Derbyshire was saying that rapists could (under Clarke's proposal of 50% discounts) be out after 15 months in jail. This is based on the average sentence of 5 years. On its own that is a valid point. Clarke tried to explain but dug himself into a very deep hole. Phillip Hammond explained it in crisp clear language this morning. The average sentence of five years ...
Judge: 'Ladies and Gentleman of the twittersphere have you reached a verdict?' Twittersphere: 'Yes your honour – we find the defendant guilty of endangering the lives of women and think he should be out of a position where he can endanger any women post haste' Judge: 'Don't men get raped too?' Twittersphere: 'No they don't. Only women. Ken Clarke is endangering women and deserves to be sacked immediately' Judge: 'Just checking if you read the proposals that he is putting forward?' Twittersphere: 'Of course we did what do you takes us for? Reactionary morons?" Judge: 'So you know that there ...
I watched the election of Alex Salmond as First Minister yesterday and the first thing that really hit me was his lack of smugness. Let's face it he was entitled to be Lord Smug of Smug Hall, and he's not been known for an inability to gloat in the past. Salmond was at his best yesterday, inclusive, positive, grown up, funny, gracious, rounded and literary. Yes, a fair wind was blowing, but he gave the impression that his new found majority power had not yet corrupted him. He was at pains to point out that his brand of nationalism was ...
Some people will find this entire entry triggery. I apologise for that in advance, but I think what I am putting here needs saying. I've put the worst bits behind a cut. Sometimes a person fails through lack of empathy; this is not their fault, necessarily, although it can be if they do it wilfully. But mostly, it's just that they haven't really thought about what it would be like to be another person. There has been a lot of vilification of Ken Clarke today for comments he has made about rape, and I find the revulsion that he has ...
So this Monday I handed in my resignation letter to work and I'm now counting down the days till I leave. I'm feeling pretty relieved as a result. Anyone out there have a job for a political/moral philosopher with skills in political campaigning and more than a decade of experience in Linux/Apache/SQL/PHP development?
Now please enlighten me as to how Labour came to support this Tory motion. Let us recap on the scheme which supports low earning students by taxing those with higher paid jobs: Everyone pays 9% of their income over £21k. This means every graduate will pay less per month than they do now. They make payments until the cost is met or 30 years has passed. Our models show 40% of graduates will have to repay the full amount. Graduates who do particularly well and go on to be high earners will contribute the full cost of their tuition and ...
I'm sorry to see that Garret Fitzgerald has died, at the age of 85. He was Taoiseach (=Prime Minster of Ireland) twice in the 1980s, and also Irish foreign minister in the mid-1970s. He played as important a role on Northern Ireland as any Southern politician - he was one of the Irish government's negotiators at Sunningdale in 1973, set up the New Ireland Forum to try and direct Irish nationalism more productively in the early 1980s, and most importantly he persuaded Margaret Thatcher to sign the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, which (rather bitterly) transformed Unionists' understanding of what might ...
And some worth seeing too. Revealed: How the Yes2AV campaign malfunctioned behind the scenes – These exposés of what happened within the Yes campaign may not make pleasant reading, but they're essential to avoiding mistakes like this being made in the future. Left, Right and Centre: A graphic illustration of why these words do not give enough information – Jennie explains why two axes are better than one. It prompted me to take the Political Compass test again (also on Facebook) where my score is economic -6.38, social -7.69 if you're interested. Not much changed from when I took it ...
Gloucestershire County Council is conducting a review of subsidised bus services to save £ 2m of the £ 5m they are currently spending. Stroud information can be found here. Services 8A and 36 to Bowl Hill are among those affected. There will also be an information evening on Thursday 26 May at the Sub Rooms and a 'roadshow' between 10 am and 2 pm on Saturday 11 June in King Street. The consultation ends on Monday 27 June 2011.
Cross-posted from Liberal Democrat Voice – written yesterday He's been one of the safest pairs of ministerial hands over decades. But he dropped a serious brick during a Five Live interview this morning. Then he wouldn't answer his phone even when it was Number Ten trying to urgently contact him. Then the Leader of the Opposition called for his sacking at Prime Minister's Questions. Then Number 10 went ballistic and sent him out to do another round of media interviews to try to mitigate the damage. It was quite a day in the life of one Rt. Hon Kenneth Harry ...
An 89 year old American man, Mr. Harold Camping, has spent quite a large amount of money trying to persuade people, largely in the US, that the "according to Biblical prophecy" the world will enter the "End Times" with a huge Earthquake the day after tomorrow. According to Science it won't. Mr. Camping, who seems a perfectly pleasant but perhaps rather confused figure, is probably no different from many other people who begin to believe impossible things- and by no means all of them are senile. What IS different is the media attention- after all from the media perspective, the ...
Dr Garret FitzGerald was the Irish Premier I have most admired over the years. So it is with immense sadness that I read of his passing away this morning. He was twice taoiseach and led Fine Gael for ten years. Much of that time his principle rival was Charles Haughy the Fianna Fail leader. FitzGerald was every inch the liberal, high minded intellectual, the type of leader that seemed be epitomised Europe in the 1980's. His attempt to introduce divorce legislation was defeated in a referendum but he was successful in his attempt to liberalise contraception legislation.
Take HeArt is an arts festival which brings together the very best local amateur art groups for a week of exhibitions at Yate Library throughout May and June. The festival is a great opportunity to see some wonderful art, find out about local art groups and maybe even purchase your very own masterpiece made in South Gloucestershire. It's already been running for a couple of weeks, but here are the remaining dates: Thursday 19 May to Tuesday 24 May - Doynton Painting GroupThursday 26 May to Tuesday 31 May - Frome Valley ArtistsThursday 2 June to Tuesday 7 June - ...
Subtitle: In which ammunition is provided to defenders of the NHS who want to challenge conservatives on their own turf The truth is that, after a certain measure of tangible material success or reward has been achieved, the question of increasing it becomes of constantly less importance compared to other things that can be done in life. - Theodore Roosevelt, "Citizenship in a Republic", April 23 1910 Teddy Roosevelt was one of the great Presidents of the United States of America. A Republican, he was the physical embodiment of what some might call the conservative ideal: hard working, physically courageous, ...
Here is an illuminating take on the Yes for the Alternative Vote campaign. It is a very disappointing read for many of us who have were hoping for a change in this country's voting system for Parliament. If there is ... Continue reading →
A fairly light story for today, though there is no doubt that it is serious for the victims. The Daily Telegraph reports that Viagra and similar impotence drugs have been linked to hundreds of cases of sudden hearing loss around the world, including some in the UK. The paper says that doctors have begun to warn that the drugs could damage users' hearing after a spate of people in the US with auditory problems: Experts, including some from Charing Cross, Stoke Mandeville and Royal Marsden hospitals, were so concerned by the claims that they demanded an investigation from official watchdogs ...
[Originally posted on Bristol Running Resource, 19/05/11] What are your arms up to when you run? You may not have given it much thought. Surely running's all about putting one foot in front the other? If you want to run faster then the key is to move those legs quicker. Well, yes, but what you're ...
Thu 19th
08:51
Lots of things I disagree with in Lord Steel's piece yesterday. But this especially seems a bit odd....
I didn't agree with almost anything in Lord Steel's contribution in The Guardian yesterday about why he opposes the current proposals to reform The House of Lords. But one sentiment in particular shone out at me. He wrote: "The suggestion that 20% of a future senate might be nominated will lead to a hybrid house and is an unwilling recognition that an elected chamber will lack the specialist expertise provided by those non-politicians in the Lords appointed precisely because of that expertise they bring from different walks of life." I presume that he must feel the same applies to the ...
As I'm taking both DD307 and SD226 this year I have a fairly busy study schedule. That's probably an understatement. I'm currently trying and failing to put my fifth TMA of the year to bed, which is the second of four for SD226. The next two TMAs are both due in on the same day – July 6th and one of them is the DD307 project, which I managed to scare myself about when I put together an outline timetable as part of the project proposal. There simply doesn't seem to be enough hours available at the moment. I'm currently ...
I've always been a keen fan of the BBC as I mentioned previously in this blog here. Like with any institution, it has had its fair share of ups and downs over the years but its most recent trailer, to me, manages to epitomise in 60 seconds, all that is great about the BBC. It manages to combine the rich heritage of the BBC with the modern programming of today. Beginning with the legendary '4291' clip from One Foot in the Grave, we then move forward into the Morecambe & Wise signature tune 'Bring Me Sunshine' with the imaginary twist ...
i) births and deaths 19 May 1935: birth of Michael Wisher, who played Wakefield in The Ambassadors of Death (1970), Rex Farrel in Terror of the Autons (1971), Kalik in Carnival of Monsters (1973), Davros in Genesis of the Daleks (1975), Magrik in Revenge of the Cybermen (1975) and Morelli in Planet of Evil (1975) as well as Dalek voices in several stories. 19 May 1947: birth of Michael Cochrane, who played Charles Cranleigh in Black Orchid (1982) and Redvers Fenn-Cooper in Ghost Light (1989). 19 May 1982: death of Elwyn Jones, who co-wrote The Highlanders (1966-67). 19 May 2006: ...
Is Breast Best? – Reviews – The F-Word Alexandra Goldstein reviews a book looking at the science behind the breastfeeding debate. (tags: breastfeeding science feminism)
Wordle's take on the speech of Her Majesty The Queen in Dublin Castle, at the State Dinner during HM State visit to the Irish Republic.
Nick Clegg announced details of the proposed reforms for the House Of Lords yesterday (so I suppose this post, like the Lords, is a bit behind the times). It's an interesting mix of proposals, some good, some bad, which has ... Continue reading →
One of the most pleasant surprises towards the end of the long election night in May 2010 was the LibDem gain of the parliamentary seat of Wells in Somerset. It had been a target seat, near target, even a near miss for at least 30 years but it seemed as if the land-owning Tory grandee David ...
From his Open University blog, Michael refers to his reading on the Enterprise between Belfast and Dublin, and looks forward to his tutorial on Saturday at Stranmillis College.
