Since missing out by 14 votes on being re-elected to Luton Borough Council on May 5th I've been taking my time to adjust to the election result and to work out what comes after and I've been using posts on this blog as part of my process of working things out. I've posted a number of articles looking at the things that I believe I can claim to have achieved over those eight years (achievements one, two and three) with a couple more to come. I've yet to write about the more general conclusions about the political world I have ...
This is what's currently sat on the rear tyre of our Fiat Punto: [IMG: Mahoosive Moth!] It has a wing span of 3 or so inches and I hope it doesn't eat rubber! Apparently, it's a Poplar Hawk Moth and quite common around these parts. Still, it caused quite a stir amongst the neighbours.
Anyone would think that I wasn't taking this seriously... I've been busy elsewhere too. Litle known to most of you, I actually run another blog, dedicated to life in my small village, you know, the kind of stuff that you might not be particularly interested in. However, now you might be, so I'll be running some of the stories here. It might be fun, and not a little educational...
On Monday, 6th June, there was a report of a vehicle nuisance in Appletrees, Bar Hill. One of the occupants in Appletrees was repairing his vehicle in front of a block of garages in the location, and in doing so, was preventing other occupants from being able to access their garages requirring the police to attend to resolve matters. On Tuesday, 7th June, there was a report of shoplifting form Tesco Super Store in Bar Hill. A man was detained by security staff and returned into the store. Police attended and arrested the suspect, who was later charged with theft ...
Well done fellow Hibs fan Andy Murray on winning Men's Singles at the Queens Club this afternoon. The final was delayed due to rain. The sight of a Hibs fan with his hands on silverware is enough to make you weak at the knees!
This is the Baptist Church in Braybrooke. It is still open - indeed services are held there and at the Church of England's infinitely grander All Saints on alternate Sundays. And it may just explain the name of a local river. The River Jordan rises near Desborough, flows through Braybrooke and Little Bowden (where I live) to join the Welland near Market Harborough railway station. "Jordan" is an unlikely and rather modern name for such a short stream - river names tend to be among the most ancient words in the language. In Braybrooke I came across the story because ...
[IMG: A six month old baby wearing a red shirt and blue dungarees, sitting and holding a toy pancreas. He is looking at the camera and smiling a happy, open smile. There is a tube coming out of his left nostril, taped to his cheek.] Charlie Loves His Pancreas! Three weeks after I moved to New York, my sister gave birth to my first nephew – Charlie. Anyone who knows me knows how much I dote on his sister Abby, so my apparent silence on the subject for the months following Charlie's birth hit a few alarm bells among my ...
I promised myself that after a weekend of (much deserved) Milibashing Ed would not feature on VN today. So those of you coming here to see me mock Ed for his sanctimonious speech to the so called "squeezed middle", the phrase only beaten by "Alarm Clock Britain" as the worst in our political lexicon, are going to be disappointed. ...
Steve Richards had an important column in the Independent last week in which he observed: To his credit, and in spite of his instinctive pragmatism, Cameron is surrounded by a surprisingly large number of Tory romantics. They include his senior advisers, Steve Hilton and Rohan Silva, and influential ministers such as Oliver Letwin.And at one time those romantics promised to have a strong influence on the new government: I have notes from an address from Letwin in which he said explicitly: "If a service fails, an interview at ten past eight on the Today programme should be with the direct ...
Sofia was capital number 26, and to be honest, didn't really inspire me. There are some nice parks, but the centre of town seems to specialise in huge, impersonal edifices in the socialist realist style, and the outskirts have been scarred by more than their fair share of system-built flats and tacky malls. The whole city seems slightly neglected – a bit like a TV screen covered in static dust, with a few finger prints of relief here and there. One highlight which probably wouldn't be on everyone's list was the National Palace of Culture (NDK): Opened in 1981, so ...
"Dust off your Bike!" is a campaign organised by Cycle Cambridge (part of the County Council) which aims to encourage more people to use their bikes to get around. They are organinsing 3 events where you can get free bicycle repairs, maintenance workshops and children's actvities. They are as follows: Sat 18th June 10-4 at CU Football Ground, Newmarket RoadWed 22 June 10-4 at Cambridge Regional College, King's Hedges Road.Sun 26th June 10-4 at the Grove School, Campkin Road. For more information visit the County Council website here.
Having my mother in a residential care home means that I've followed the saga of Southern Cross with more than purely academic interest. Fortunately her home is not managed by that company, but the whole sorry saga has highlighted the problems we have. Whatever the rights and wrongs of the Southern Cross story (and I happen to believe that there's been a large degree of immorality in the
Chris Dillow has put up a post attacking Ed Milliband for failing to recognise that Labour's biggest fault is its inability to recognise that capitalism produces a particular structure of power – one which can be abused in a fashion inimical to justice. If bosses are able to extract rents from the workers and raise ...
This story by Andrew Cartmel, part of the current Big Finish run of 'lost' Seventh Doctor scripts, is basically an introduction story for new companion Raine, whose origins were explained in last month's instalment in this series, Thin Ice. I'm afraid it didn't really grab me as firmly as its predecessor did - I think 'Kaffiristan' is a somewhat dubious name for a fictional country, even a former Soviet republic, and the alien Metatraxi sound like they have escaped from a lesser work of Douglas Adams; their means and motivation were not well explained. Also Ace has forgiven the Doctor ...
Last week's BBC documentary Poor Kids received a lot of favourable comment, but one Labour councillor was not impressed. One of the families featured consisted of Steve Arnold and his children Kayleigh, 16, and Sam, 12. But according to BBC News: Councillor Anne Glover, who represents Braunstone at Leicester City Council, said she was "staggered" by the documentary, arguing the depiction of the estate undermined the work of volunteers to improve the estate's reputation. "[Mr Arnold] must walk around with his eyes shut or isn't prepared to accept or ask for any help," she said.Fortunately, the programme's viewers reacted differently: ...
Ever since Cornwall Council's Director of Environment and Economy Tom Flanagan raised the issue of a tourist tax with MPs, there has been a flurry of comments on the subject. I've yet to read a single positive comment with most predicting that such a tax would both deter tourists from coming to Cornwall and be almost impossible to collect, but a number of papers have run the story nonetheless. I know that the Council's press team have a statement prepared to give to anyone who asks, but it has yet to appear on the website. On Wednesday there is a ...
St Ives MP Andrew George has been quite robust in his comments on the NHS Bill today, declaring: "Of course we should pat ourselves on the back for having forced an unprecedented pause in a major piece of Government legislation. It is clear that, had the Conservatives outright power, they would be railroading this Bill through Parliament without hesitation. I'm afraid we can't trust the Tories with the NHS. They brazenly ignored the Coalition Agreement before the ink was even dry. Tory promises on the NHS should be issued with a 'health warning'" The 'pause' is still continuing, but today ...
Mon 13th
18:48
Chris Rennard profiled in Total Politics: "Think about the swings and roundabouts over the years"
Over at Total Politics Iain Dale interviews former Lib Dem Chief Executive Lord Rennard about his views on the local elections, The AV referendum and Coalition government. Here's a flavour: Bernard Jenkin said you could imagine a Lib Dem enclave within the Conservative Party at some point. It's happened before, hasn't it? Do you think that that's at all possible or likely? I think that's just trouble-making by someone who is very anti-coalition. I don't think in the 21st century things will go back to the way they were in the 1920s or 1930s. Don't you think this time it ...
If you missed out on Bristol's Biggest Bike Ride due to its last-minute cancellation, or if you want something closer to home, try the Chipping Sodbury Festival Bike Rides this coming Sunday, June 19th. Two rides are on offer - 25 miles for more experienced cyclists, and a 12 mile family ride. Even quite young children can usually manage 12 miles - it's the parents who have the problems! The rides both start at the Clock Tower in Hugh Street, Chipping Sodbury. The 25 mile ride starts at 11.30 am, and the 12 mile ride begins at 12.30 pm. Both ...
Watching yesterday's Andrew Marr show (and don't start me about him...), I realised just how seriously the Labour leadership were taking the reports about Ed Miliband's future. You can, after all, always rely on the soothing tones of Lord Falconer to smooth over any turbulence. However, that doesn't mean to say that the wily old campaigner isn't above using the odd entirely inaccurate 'fact' in support of his arguments.Having obfuscated with rare style over the future of Miliband, the conversation turned to Lords Reform. As a senior Labour Peer, his opinion undoubtedly matters. He is rather well-connected in Labour circles. ...
Via UPI: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused European countries [last] Saturday of using weather control to deprive is country and other Muslim nations of rain. The president made the charge while opening a dam in Arak, Murkazi province, The Daily Telegraph reported. Immediately after he spoke, rain began falling.
What do you think of first when asked to define 'abstract reasoning'? If you're at all similar to me, then the first definition that springs to mind is 'applying reason to the consideration of abstract concepts', or words to that effect. It is increasingly common, particularly in the public sector, to require job applicants to sit an abstract reasoning test as part of the selection process. However, these abstract reasoning tests have nothing to do with abstract reasoning; at least, nothing to do with 'abstract reasoning' as I have just defined it. Instead, these tests have to do with the ...
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has had quite a ride with his Health and Social Care Bill. I think given that this is his baby, I believe Andrew Lansley has done a good job of listening and compromising. Hopefully this will result in better legisation and therefore better government. At least with a coalition the details of disagreements are much more open then internal party disagreement (not that these don't still exist.) I am of course a typical Lib Dem and I am fully signed up to the changes voted on at the Lib Dem conference (See the Social Liberal Forum ...
Just gritted my teeth and registered for Liberal Democrat Federal Conference, resenting every moment wasted !!! My first objection was that I had to tick the box saying I agreed with the terms and conditions, which I don't and which I will fight tooth and nail, so I lied ! Having already given my first name, I did not think it necessary to fill in the next box entitled "Commonly used first name"
I was almost just knocked off my feet by the enormous whooshing sound created by the extreme rapidity with which Egypt, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates have come out in support of Christine Lagarde in the race to head the IMF. Their sudden willingness to declare a preference for Ms Lagarde might, I would suggest, not be wholly unrelated to the entry into the race of Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer. Although I appreciate that Mr Fischer hails from a pariah state, given that he was born in Northern Rhodesia. But seriously, if he is the best candidate ...
So we all know about the arrest of Jacqui Thompson the internet blogger who was filming a council in Carmarthenshire. She was arrested for breaching the peace officially but we all know that she was arrested for basically being a thorn in the mind of the council who didn't want anyone from the public recording the shit they were shovelling (well that's my PoV anyway). Anyway we are waiting for the local plod to get back to The New Statesman's David Allen Green over a story he is set to run on this episode. They are apparently having a meeting ...
For those who had a look at my last post (All Square?), I was very glad to have some support from comments here, as well as from other Peers who spoke. However, the most encouraging reaction was from my Liberal Democrat colleague, Lord (William) Wallace of Saltaire, the Minister replying to the debate. By happy accident he had previously supported the effective pedestrianisation of the central area of the square, removing the traffic on two sides. It was difficult, therefore, for him to be defeatist or obstructive to my ideas for making it a more demonstrably democratic space. I suspect ...
One of my blog postings has been included in the Lib Dem Golden Dozen, a list of highly recommended blog postings of the week. Hooray! Thanks for that.
.... The Tories can't have it both ways. This from The Guardian this morning : Then this from The Telegraph this afternoon: Come on Tory spin doctors? Are you really calling David Cameron juvenile? Looks like it from here....
The BBC has reported that 95% of all local council-funded outdoor education centres have had their entire funding cut. A third of all the council-funded out door centres now feel their future is uncertain. 12 outdoor education centres are set to shut, in addition to all those that have already closed over the years. I can not think of another national, educational service that has suffered a 95% cut in the latest rounds of budgets and been expected to survive. The Liberal Democrats should be championing outdoor education. Affordable high quality outdoor education which is available to children on low ...
I was sitting here about an hour or so ago watching Ed Miliband do what Ed Miliband does when he's speaking (making me and every political person wonder how on Earth Labour screwed themselves so badly by not making David their leader) and I asked myself considering just how ineffective he is – are the real opposition already in government? We aren't a country that knows too much about coalitions. The average person on the street doesn't like them and every 'comedian' tripes out jokes about how 'no-one voted for this' and the audience roar in laughter. However could public ...
[IMG: Graham Pooley, our Chelmsford candidate out campaigning] There were four principal local council by-elections held on Thursday 9th June 2011. The Tories held two seats and gained one from the Lib Dems. There were no parish or town council by-election results reported to ALDC. The Chelmsford Central Division by-election for Essex County Council was caused by the death of the Lib Dem councillor. In May the two borough wards that form the county division had elections. In Moulsham Lodge - a historically safe Lib Dem ward we won. In Moulsham and Central the Conservatives won. The aggregate vote put ...
From: Katie Sutton To: Freecycle Greenwich, Freecycle Lewisham Date: June 13th 2011 Time: 15:16 (29 minutes ago) Subject: OFFERED: mixed bag of clothes SE* Binbag of clothes, sizes 14-18. All to go as one bag. Pick up only. -- Katie Sutton http://tajasel.org "The 'Net is a waste of time, and that's exactly what's right about it." ~ William Gibson ~~~ From: j******r@yahoo.com To: Katie Date: June 13th 2011 Time: 15:38 (6 minutes ago) hi katie please do you still have clothes oh dear. *splorfle* I didn't reply "No, I'm joining a nudist colony, you can have all my clothes." But ...
When the NHS White Paper was first debated in an early session of the Liverpool Lib Dem conference in September 2010, Coalition ministers were startled by the storm of well reasoned but strongly expressed criticism of Andrew Lansley's plans – but they clearly listened. An early concession was the retention of local council powers to scrutinise the way NHS services are delivered in their areas. Next came promises that the massive centralisation of the new Whitehall-based NHS Commissioning Board would be diluted by the establishment of local offices more closely in touch with the family doctor services they are to ...
If you type in 'Formula 1 is boring' into google you get 5.25million results. If you think Formula 1 is boring then you aren't a fan of any sport – period. F1 in 2011 has adopted some new rules to help enhance the race for both drivers and the viewer and boy are they working. The ability to open up their rear-wing in certain places if they are challenging for an overtake, KERS and new tyres that are basically worse have all been brought it and whilst the rear-wing DRS seems to be a bit artificial at times – you ...
St Albans City and District Council's Scrutiny Committee* has invited First Capital Connect to attend a Scrutiny meeting starting at 7pm on Wednesday 13 July, which will focus mainly on the quality of their passenger information and other key customer concerns. Councillor Robert Donald, Chair of Scrutiny has invited First Capital Connect and Network Rail to send representatives along. First Capital Connect's Managing Director Neal Lawson and Integration and Partnership Manager Larry Heyman, accompanied by Martin Frobisher, Route Director, East Midlands for Network Rail will attend. Local residents are invited to submit questions for councillors to put to First Capital ...
When the NHS White Paper was first debated in an early session of the Liverpool Lib Dem conference in September 2010, Coalition ministers were startled by the storm of well reasoned but strongly expressed criticism of Andrew Lansley's plans – but they clearly listened. An early concession was the retention of local council powers to scrutinise the way NHS services are delivered in their areas. Next came promises that the massive centralisation of the new Whitehall-based NHS Commissioning Board would be diluted by the establishment of local offices more closely in touch with the family doctor services they are to ...
You have to admire the depths local government members and officers will sink to, in the approach they have toward "media". Still the latest creation of that inventive mind, that officers have, is that from now on, they will no longer email press releases, to those they consider not to be "mainstream" news outlets, quite how they interpret this is simple, organisations that are likely to at some time receive income in the form of advertising from the council will get preferential treatment. Now in itself this is not a big deal, as they informed me, the information will be ...
Please do support South Hill Park arts centre which is losing its grant from the Art Council due to the government cuts. From £216,745 for 2011/12, to £100,000 for 2012/2013 and zero from 2014. see save_south_hill_park_say_protesters This funding helps to pay for events such as the Big Day Out festival, it also helps funds those parts of the arts that do not bring in large amounts of funds to the arts centre.The petition to keep some of the funding can be found at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save_our_south_hill_park/ Hopefully this cut won't mean the loss of our arts centre, however I'm sure it will ...
I love The Daily Mash. The wonderfully satirical website was kicked off in 2007 by Neil Rafferty, a former political correspondent for The Sunday Times, and Paul Stokes, former business editor of The Scotsman. As former journalists, they clearly have a good grasp of the inherent absurdities in much of what their former comrades churn ...
Liberal Democrats celebrated a successful North East Conference in Gateshead on Saturday, as it was announced that party membership in the region remains strong. Fiona Hall, MEP for the North East, commented after, "It was great to see so many new faces, including many young people who have recently joined. I was struck by the energy and positive attitude of members in attendance. There is a clear appetite for the important campaigns ahead." Lord Shipley also praised the event and promised to take forward a conference motion to prevent parties holding on to control of scrutiny when they take control ...
Community Politics is an ideology beloved of many Liberal Democrats, even if not all are quite sure what it is. As Mark Pack points out, "Community Politics" is distinctively Lib Dem, and Mark contrasts it to Labour "localism" and the Conservative "Big Society". But is it right? No ideology is completely correct – all have faults where they fail to capture certain facets and nuances of our complex human behaviour. Few are complete nonsense either – most ideologies have elements that capture something important, and it's a foolish person indeed who dismisses any ideology completely. Some are better than others, ...
Tweet It is becoming increasingly clear that Ed Miliband is a loser, yes I think most of us knew this right from the start, but with David Miliband popping up, it only serves as a reminder to Labour Supporters and the country exactly what type of leader was on offer if the Unions hadn't interfered. Ed is useless, there is no escaping it, he may be a good old fashioned progressive, but he's being completely hamstrung by the conservatives in his party and his inability to look like anything other than a grotesque characterisation of Wallace, from Wallace and Gromit. ...
Mon 13th
13:53
The Members of Bilderberg could learn a thing or two about security from West Midlands Police....
If you were a top secret organisation of the great and the good, dedicated to debating the important issues of the day in top secret away from the eyes of the world, then you would probably assemble any meeting of that group on a remote Swiss Alp behind intense security. You'd have important meetings around a big round table in posh reclining chairs looking at video screens which appear out of hidden recesses in walls, while the chairman sits pensively listening to the debate stroking a white, fluffy cat. And you'd definitely go for a ramble in the countryside. What? ...
Just over a week ago, Pam was very pleased to officially open the new Multi-User Games Area on Brookfield Park, Cheadle (just off Chestnut Avenue). We both went to the opening event, complete with lots of excited kids, sports instructors, a fantastic buffet and cake and many of the people who worked so hard to make it happen. That includes members of the Chestnut, Acorn and Ash Avenues Residents' Assocation and representatives from Stockport Council and the local Police. The aim is to give young people in an area that's often suffered from anti-social behaviour something to do. The new ...
I've decided to participate in the Big Society and use my blog-plus twitter-to provide assistance to a charity. The Lesbian & Gay Foundation provides voice to the LBG&T community in the United Kingdom. Especially among my close friends. I also ... Continue reading →
Back in January I called for action to be taken to improve local post-Stroke services for patients after the publication of a highly-critical report by the Care Quality Commission. In that report, Berkshire West PCT (which serves Reading) was rated 127 out of 151 PCTs in England. Services in neighbouring Berkshire East were found to be even worse. The report was circulated to members of the Council's Community Care, Housing & Health Panel but as far as I'm aware the then Labour Chair of the Committee, Cllr Mike Orton did not investigate the issue further. I wrote to the Chair ...
I'm embarked on a project of reflection on my specific political and moral beliefs and how they fit with my liberal and libertarian beliefs in general Going to be unpopular this one. My position on anti-discrimination laws has been inconsistent over the last few years. In 2007 I was against them in principle, although looked forward with glee to the unhappiness they'd cause religious fundamentalists, whereas in 2010 I was of the opinion that one person's rights did trump another's in the Chris Grayling Bed and Breakfast controversy. Well I'll put my hands up and apologise to all who debated ...
The court case against R&D has been adjourned for 21 days . Details here: A winding-up petition brought against Rushden & Diamonds has been adjourned for twenty-one days. Northampton County Court heard today that the Diamonds expect to be able to pay their creditors in the form of finance from Japanese investors. The petition is headed by catering company Cloverdale, who are owed in the region of £65,000. But the club owes money to a range of creditors, including a debt of around £189,000 to HM Revenue & Customs. Diamonds were expelled from the Football Conference at Saturday`s AGM held ...
It's an issue on which agreement ought to be simple, but its return is as inevitable as backbenchers chuntering at PMQs. In his second article for the Guardian on the topic since becoming Prime Minister, David Cameron has once again set out the reasons behind Britain's "high" levels of foreign aid. There is a pervading ...
I'm feeling a bit out of sorts right now. I will be fine, but I'm probably going to have the rest of this week off from blogging. When I say things like that, most often something happens that I can't keep my trap shut about so it may not quite work out as expected. I have a few things on at the school and Bob's impending Diamond Jubilee to prepare for. That'll keep me out of mischief. If I get really desperate, I could always try tidying my house. I just want to curl up with some good books and ...
I'm taking part in the session on Community Politics and the Big Society at the Social Liberal Forum conference on 18 June. Do come and ask questions, throw rotten fruit, offer chocolates or demand signed photos. Other confirmed contributors include Vince Cable, Lee Chalmers, Richard Grayson, Evan Harris, Simon Hebditch, Simon Hughes, Chris Huhne, Will Hutton, Neal Lawson, Alex Marsh, Ed Randall, Alexis Rowell, Naomi Smith, Claire Tyler and Halina Ward. More details over on the Social Liberal Forum website or on Facebook.
They say that the street circuit at Montreal is a slippery circuit. Seeing as it is partly used as normal roads for most of the year and not as a specific race track. However, you never thought that applied to underfoot until this weekend. Lewis Hamilton was in the wars again, this wasn't his first incident of the day, but it was the one where he collided with his team mate Jenson Button. It was to be the first of 6 times Jenson had to go into the pits one of which was for a drive through penalty. However, after ...
A North West England Euro-MP says that the failure of politicians to allow people to seek medical help to die amounts to "cruelty and barbarism." Liberal Democrat Chris Davies has spoken out as author Sir Terry Pratchett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in ... Continue reading →
When the history of these times comes to be written the role that the Southport MP has played in rescuing the NHS from the worst excesses of the Lansley proposals will be given significant prominence. John was not one of those who had a 'late conversion' to opposing the Bill, from the outset he identified the major weaknesses and worked tirelessly to challenge them. He consulted widely with those involved in providing health care and with the party (see this early posting on Lib Dem Voice). The announcement that radical changes are to be made are a vindication of his ...
We've given our arrangements for Councillors' Advice Surgeries in West Hampstead a spring clean! From the beginning of June, your Liberal Democrat Councillors for West Hampstead ward (Keith Moffitt, John Bryant and Gillian Risso-Gill) and Fortune Green ward (Flick Rea, Russell Eagling and Nancy Jirira) are holding weekly joint surgeries every Friday from 6-7pm at the Camden District Housing Office at 156 West End Lane. We'll be trying to make sure that there is one councillor for each ward at each surgery on a rota basis. There will also be two monthly Saturday morning surgeries on the last Saturday of ...
A further announcement as part of the reorganisation of the Liberal Democrats' central campaigns staff. From HQ Chief of Staff, Tim Snowball: I am very pleased to announce that as of 17 June 2011 the full make up of the new central Campaigns Teams, working under Director of Elections and Skills, Hilary Stephenson, will be as follows: Campaign Development Team Key Objectives: to research, test and deliver cutting edge campaign techniques and to maximise uptake through a well planned and coordinated training and support system. Jake Holland (Head of Unit) Austin Rathe Tim Pollard Ground Communications Team Key Objectives: to ...
There is little doubt that most people reading this blog will have heard of the A Gay Girl in Damascus blog. Certainly if they hadn't and then stumbled upon this blog post from last week claiming the blogger had been taken by Syrian authorities then they would have felt for her and that this is just another example of everything that is wrong with Syria and other countries in the Middle East. The only problem is this character didn't exist. She was a figment of a 40 year-old American's imagination. The NY Times has an excellent summary of the events ...
The `brave Syrian lesbian blogger` Amina Abdullah has been shown as a fake. Who then is Sandra Begaria who spoke on her behalf to R5 Live's `up all night` link here (on at 1hr 16 – only available for another 2 days). Either she was in on the hoax – or the fake tag is not ...
I'm in a loquacious mood; sadly quite lugubrious and politically uncertain. A blanket of disappointment has befallen me and, well, a lack of faith in our party and direction. Opinion polls and media narrative are dominating decision-making and not reality; ... Continue reading →
I read with interest today that Ed Miliband is set to talk about a radical new housing policy, in his 'fightback' speech today. On closer inspection it seems he is simply going to argue for tweaks to councils allocations policies in favour of more 'deserving' households in an attempt to redistribute homes more fairly: "One area where people's sense of fairness is under threat is social housing,' he will say. 'In Manchester, as well as helping the most vulnerable families and disabled people with housing, they prioritise households who are giving something back to their communities - making a contribution ...
Earlier today I recorded a piece for a black media company about my impression of the 'riots' 30 years on. Firstly I corrected them. In my view they weren't riots and they especially were not race riots. They were serious ... Continue reading →
Chris Willmore reports: Well flatten me with the feather! S Glos officers asked for a meeting urgently this week to discuss the survey. Dave Buckland (the officer who had the guts to come to meet us back in Feb) met Ruth Davis, Paul Hulbert, Ian Blair, Martin Monk and me - and came with draft plans!!! AND THEY HAVE LISTENED!!!! The plans reflect what you said in the survey. We made some practical comments and suggestions and he has gone off to refine the drawings and then get quotes. £15-20k has been found from the source we suggested (traffic management ...
I'm embarked on a project of reflection on my specific political and moral beliefs and how they fit with my liberal and libertarian beliefs in general No. Jae "Marriage Equality" Kay is not saying he's changed his mind on the whole marriage equality thing. But things have changed, so have I, and I'm looking towards the next objective. At the beginning of last year I still felt like a very lonely voice screaming in the dark for marriage equality. But now far more influential and inspirational folks have taken up the battle. LGBT people, the Government and the general population ...
Shirley Williams, writing today in the Independent, says that the Liberal Democrats can be proud of their influence on NHS reforms: Liberal Democrats, from our party's grassroots to its leadership, can be proud of the influence we have exerted to change the Government's NHS plans. It is clear now that the proposals that will be taken forward are dramatically different to those originally proposed. The implications of Andrew Lansley's massive health proposals, setting England's health system on the path to a market in health care rather than a public service, were very slow to sink in. The complex, extensive and ...
Residents have been in touch with us to draw our attention to the problem of blocked drains in the ward. This picture taken by my ward colleague Cllr Glenn Goodall is of a drain at the junction with Allcroft Road and Redlands Road. As you can see it is very blocked: [IMG: Blocked drain Allcroft Road] We also noticed that some drains at the bottom end of Alexandra Road were also blocked. This is not good news particualrly when you get bouts of heavy rain like we did yesterday. This is not the first time that blocked drains in Redlands have been ...
Mon 13th
09:35
1 Year of Praise for the Lib Dems: Strengths of the Lib Dems in 1 year of being in Coalition
The Coalition has been a blessing and curse in equal measure for the Lib Dems. With few friends in the mainstream media the Party has struggled to gain traction on what it is doing in a positive light. There are frequent depressing and negative stories about the Lib Dems and what they are doing in ...
The somewhat unexpected news that the young lesbian blogger from Syria is, in fact, a bearded American academic living in Edinburgh, will have provided some amusement to the cynics amongst us. And yet, it is a demonstration of the risks that the internet presents. After all, once the media started to report 'her' dilemma as fact, the story took on a life of its own. It is all too easy to create a credible story and portray it as real life, especially when it plays to an agenda that people want to believe in. In this case, a repressive regime ...
broadcast anniversaries 13 June 1964: broadcast of "The Day of Darkness", fourth episode of the story we now call The Aztecs. Cameca helps the Tardis crew escape, and Aztec history continues as it had always done. 13 June 1970: broadcast of sixth episode of Inferno. The Doctor and friends fight through to the Tardis console in the parallel Earth, and the Doctor escapes though the others are doomed.
David says he stands fully behind Ed. This is of course the best place to stand if you're going to stab him in the back... And given all the press over the weekend - and there clearly is an orchestrated attack under way within the Labour Party against Ed Miliband - it would be easy for us to start focussing on who they are likely to choose to take over from him, what it might mean for Labour policies vs. our own (not least, that Labour might actually have some...) and then start thinking about how we should defeat the ...
Former chair of Southwark Cyclsits highlighted that no British Standard exists of bicycle locks. I was amazed to hear this. Some industry type standards exist but most UK citizens would know to trust a British Standard kite mark but wouldn't know if some other standard quoted was just so much mumbo jumbo. Equally many locks don't meet any standard and offer zero protection from bicycle theft. Once someone has a bike stolen they're quite likely to give up cycling and not replace it. So this is a really important health and climate change issue. So Simon Hughes MP has kindly ...
Jane Collins, the Chief Executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital, is facing calls to resign after it was revealed that critical details about the hospital's role in the death of Baby Peter were withheld from one inquiry into the tragedy and, despite the hospital's subsequent claims, were also not supplied to the second inquiry. However, what has been less commented on in the coverage in the last few days is the way Jane Collins escaped being investigated by the General Medical Council last year: The chief executive of Great Ormond Street Hospital has escaped investigation over the Baby P scandal ...
The impact of the Liberal Democrats in Government has once more been underlined this morning with a major success in removing the worst aspects of the NHS reforms in England. However, as the Daily Telegraph says, this is not the only area in which we have influenced the Government agenda for the better. The paper says that the Prime Minister has also retreated on a plan to cap state welfare handouts at £26,000 a year, on Council refusals to bring back weekly bin collections and in the fact that the reduction in the number of foreign students will now be ...
Great to see the efforts by the Western Cemetery Association being recognised by the Beautiful Scotland campaign! See http://tinyurl.com/wcabeautifulscotland.
The Telegraph has exposed Labour's hypocrisy when they abolished the starting 10p rate of tax in 2007. At the time Labour denied the move would disproportionately hit the poorest - but the papers show Labour, including Gordon Brown and Ed Balls, knew full well that their move would harm the very poorest and benefit the very rich. But they went ahead anyway. The killer graphic is here: But this was not an aberration. Under Blair/Brown the gap between rich and poor rose faster than under Thatcher. They declared it was their intention to abolish child poverty, but the pledge (like ...
Along with some of my colleagues in Dundee Liberal Democrats, we spent part of Sunday in the sunshine of Aberdeen, helping Gregor McAbery, LibDem candidate in the Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee By-Election. Here's a photo from yesterday, with Gregor on the right :
Dundee West Fest launches today! Superb event from now until Sunday right across the West End. You can read the full programme of events at http://dundeewestfest.co.uk/calendar.
Chrononaut » And so the bird of heaven... David Moles shares my astonishment, and the astonishment of all right-thinking people, at the award of a Nebula for Best Novelette to Eric James Stone's 'That Leviathan, Which Thou Hast Made', a story which "contained no science worth speaking of. There was very little fiction in it either, if fiction is the narrative of imagination; whatever images might have been in its author's mind, what made it onto the page was determinedly unimaginative, and less narrated than vaguely gestured at. It put forward no fantasy, unless the fantasy that the world is ...
