Why has the coalition gone public today with details of public sector pension changes? The coalition say it is to stop details of their position leaking out and being misrepresented. Some unions have said this is a desperate attempt to bypass union leaders and appeal directly to public sector workers. More than likely the truth ...
One of the most enjoyable things I do as MP for Bristol West is visiting the more than forty schools in the constituency. The children of all ages always have an amazing assortment of questions. When asked what is the best part of the job I reply that it's the sheer variety, no day is ...
...of this coalition includes one Philip Davies MP, a man who in Parliament expressed his view that people with a disability are inherently inferior to other human beings. That is not a view which any mainstream politician would share. If the Conservatives are seriously interested in governing in the national interest, they should withdraw the whip from Davies and send him to the far-Right ghetto where he belongs. That is what we would do. Where are you on detoxifying the Tory brand from Mr Davies, Mr Cameron? socialise this: [IMG: add 'The big tent....' a Del.icio.us] [IMG: add 'The big ...
Father's Day is this Sunday and if you've left getting a present till the last minute here are some cool last minute suggestions for those music mad dad's.
When a person who has been living a spiritual life for a long time falls into a serious fault, there is no better way of raising him up again than by exhorting him to manifest his fall to any pious friend with whom he has a particular intimacy: and God will reconduct him to his ...
This is my letter to Ms Dorries, my MP: I am emailing as one of your constituents, regarding the issue of the State Pension Age. I am asking you NOT to vote against the Pensions Bill at its Second Reading on Monday. While these proposals do not give those affected much notice to plan for their retirement, it's a darned sight more that the student 2012 intake whose tuition fees are being hiked. While they hit women much harder than men, as no men will have to wait over a year longer for their pension, we women have to admit ...
In Braybrooke the other day I came across the appealing theory that the River Jordan, which flows through both that village and my own of Little Bowden, got its name because the Baptists in the former village used it to baptise people. A couple of people left informative comments on that post and I have since come across a bit more supportive evidence. In an old Northampton Chronicle and Echo article the nameless author recalls: I once spoke to Norman Foster who, since 1965, had been lay Pastor of Braybrooke Baptist Church. He was eager to give me all the ...
The newly-launched West End Sports and Heritage Association will be represented at the Friends of Magdalen Green stall at WestFest Big Sunday. With thanks to Angela Mehlert, Chair of Friends of Magdalen Green and the newly appointed Minutes Secretary of WESHA, the flyer above will be available on Sunday. Full details of Big Sunday are available at http://tinyurl.com/BIGSunday. The layout plan for Sunday on Magdalen Green is below. You can also download the presentation by Angela and by Matthew Miller, WESHA's Chair, from the launch meeting on Wednesday at DCA, by going to http://tinyurl.com/WESHAppt.
I had a very enjoyable afternoon in Thursday afternoon's sunshine, joining local residents and young people in planting some extra shrubs and plants in Berry Edge Gardens, the small green area to the rear of the Demi. The local community made a huge investment of time and energy into improving this area a couple of years ago, and I was proud to be able to help them in that. So when Consett North Partnership, working with Groundwork, accessed some money to buy plants and shrubs we jumped at the chance and were delighted to have the assistance of young people ...
Like David Boyle I am left a little underwhelmed by the Liberal Democrats' success in bringing about changes to the Health and Social Care Bill: So in one bound, the coalition has leapt triumphantly into embracing a wholly different series of NHS reforms. Instead of GPs driving forward the commissioning process, there will be appointees representing hospital doctors, nurses and others. The brave new compromise looks a great deal more like the old PCTs, which are still twitching away prior to being dead and buried.It is not so much that I was an enthusiast for Andrew Lansley's plans. It's more ...
Leicester City Council's lack of preparedness for a zombie invasion was recently uncovered by a bizarre Freedom of Information request. Now the incident has featured on this evening's topical satire The Now Show on Radio 4. You should be able to listen to it via the BBC iPlayer or the Friday Night Comedy Podcast
Heretofore Little Bowden Rec (seen above in autumnal mood) has been best known as the scene of the young Bryan Magee's philosophical epiphany and the home of the stump watch conducted by Backwatersman. But yesterday it served as the venue of one of the great news stories. The Harborough Mail reports: The classic image of the fireman rescuing a cat from up a tree may be a cliché - but that's exactly what Harborough firefighters found themselves doing yesterday morning (Thursday). A crew from the town were called to the park off Scotland Road in Little Bowden at 11am. Firefighters ...
Two well-known and well-respected West End residents recently passed away, Dr Harry Leadbitter and Frankie Falconer. Harry and Sheena Leadbitter were neighbours of ours when we lived at Vernonholme, near the Botanic Garden. Dr Leadbitter (right) had a distinguished medical career, but also did a huge amount in the community, through the Children's Panel, Dundee Rotary Club and Dundee United Football Club. Sheena takes a real interest in the local community and is always a pleasure to speak with. My thoughts are with her and her family at this sad time. There was a very fitting tribute to Dr Leadbitter ...
You have the chance to help shape the future of policing in Cambridgeshire using a new online tool. The 'Have your say' section on the force website will feature weekly projects being considered for a more efficient and effective policing model. The force faces a number of challenges over the next few years as we work to balance the books and ensure we make the best use of resources. Work is already underway to review the existing force structure to create a new policing model that provides the best possible service to the public. Our focus remains on frontline duties ...
You have the chance to help shape the future of policing in Cambridgeshire using a new online tool. The 'Have your say' section on the force website will feature weekly projects being considered for a more efficient and effective policing model. The force faces a number of challenges over the next few years as we work to balance the books and ensure we make the best use of resources. Work is already underway to review the existing force structure to create a new policing model that provides the best possible service to the public. Our focus remains on frontline duties ...
I'll be posting the next Seven Soldiers piece (on Frankenstein) tomorrow – and a Beach Boys piece on Sunday. I've also managed to rearrange some stuff at work, so I'll be much less tired from now on, and much more able to write, so expect the pace to pick up a bit. Meanwhile, some links. ...
Today's ruling by Mr Justice Collins that a school's ban on the cornrows hairstyle resulted in "unlawful, indirect racial discrimination" puts me in mind of a post I wrote in March 2005 when dinosaurs roamed the lanes of Leicestershire and this blog had few readers: What interests and worries me is the idea that an appeal to human rights can be used to settle a case like this. There are good arguments for school uniform in terms of corporate spirit and the avoidance of bullying over fashionable labels. There are good arguments against in terms of individualism. When I was ...
Dear Editor, Having attended the 'relaunch' of the STAG campaign on Monday night, I was horrified to learn that the amendments to the original application belatedly submitted by the developer are insignificant in respect of the ongoing heritage concerns. STAG experts seem to be of the view that the heritage statement of the amended application ...
Here is a straight c&p of a spam e-mail. Really if you are going to spam at least learn basic English grammar and punctuation... This is a short notice from Yahoo! We hereby announce the official notification of the results of the Microsoft-Yahoo! Financial promotions held This Month.you have won in the 1st category, you have been approved for a lump sum pay out of 1,000,000.00GBP (i.e One Million United Kingdom Pounds).Please ensure to keep this message for future references{Do Not Delete} as it may be required to procces your claims,Your One Million British Pounds will be released to you ...
This is the second time in a couple of weeks I've argued with Brian Taylor. He's still my favourite political journalist by a long way, but I am taking issue with a comment he made on his blog about Willie Rennie asking Alex Salmond about Cornton Vale yesterday. Willie Rennie of the Liberal Democrats was a little disadvantaged by coming late to the exchanges, after constituency questions. Still, he piled in with gusto, only slightly weakening it by diverting onto the topic of prison numbers at Cornton Vale. In response to each, Mr Salmond resolutely declined to apologise.Brian, it's not ...
Hello everyone. The Potter Blogger is now officially back. I've been very busy lately with my second year exams which ended yesterday. Now all I have to worry about is: setting up Surrey Liberal Youth, writing enough blogposts this month to stop the blog from falling in the rankings, find a job for my placement year, rewrite my CV, get a motion submitted for autumn conference, celebrate the summer solstice, catch up on my emails, pack my stuff up ready to move house by the end of June, go to a job interview, tidy my room, finish reading a Song ...
That's the question the BBC's political correspondent Norman Smith has been asking: In their first foray into muscular liberalism the Liberal Democrats chalked up a victory on the NHS reforms. There is no shortage of ideas from activists about where the yellow flag should be planted next... Mark Park, who edits the Liberal Democrat Voice blog, argues that banking is the most logical place to start. Like the health reforms, banking was the subject of a well-supported motion at the party's spring conference demanding a tougher stance from MPs. It is also an issue that resonates with the general public. ...
After Sofia, I'm afraid I went to Bucharest with pretty low expectations. I'm really pleased to say they were surpassed by quite some margin. If it hadn't been for the stifling heat (which we were told was unusual for June) I could quite happily have whiled away several more days exploring its faded glory and beautiful architecture. As it was, our trip was a bit of a flying visit. The drive from Bulgaria into Romania was bad enough (car reversing down three-lane highway towards us? Check! Surly border police refusing to believe we could take hire car across the border? ...
Guided Bus Liberal Democrats have welcomed the news that the long-awaited Cambridgeshire Guided Busway will finally open on 7th August.Better late than never. It is incredible that the project has overrun by two years. It is the longest busway in the world in more ways than one. And we are appalled that the cost looks likely to go up to £187 million, with local people left to pay for £71 million of this. So much for the Conservatives' promise at the beginning of the project that 'not one penny" of taxpayers' money would be needed to pay for the busway'. ...
FLAGS' first weekend social camp away from Scout premises saw Michael climb his first of the four highest peaks of the countries of the UK and everyone have a fantastic time.
It's Friday. It's five o'clock. Here's a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week: 5 most-read stories on LDV this week Liberal Democrats receive Queen's Birthday Honours (8 comments) by Helen Duffett Forgotten Liberal heroes: Richard Lillicrap (1 comment) by Dan Falchikov Opinion: The cap doesn't fit, so don't wear it (65 comments) by Tim Leunig Liberal Democrats confirm new central campaigns teams (2 comments) by Helen Duffett Opinion: Time for that Lib Dem tax cut in full? (44 comments) by Nick Thornsby 5 sample LDV Members' Forum threads The Good Society vs community politics Tim Farron at ...
Jan Powell, the widely respected Chair of Cornwall Council's Health Committee, has joined the Liberal Democrat Group at County Hall. This has been as a result of the continuing disintegration of the Tory-led administration at the Council and also the work the Lib Dems have been doing locally and nationally to protect the NHS from ...
Yeah it is the 17 June, one this date in 1579 Sir Francis Drake discovered a new peice of the earth and claimed Nova Albion for England and Queen Elizabeth, you may know it better by another name. Over to some sixties singers to tell you more. This was also the birthday of two twin girls Erin and Diane Murphy, who both appeared as the young Tabitha Stevens on Bewitched! so here is Erin casting a spell. It is also the birthday of James Corden. So what better example of his work than the 2010 Sports Relief appearance of Smithy* ...
I've been in and around the music business all my life so it's difficult for me to get lost in the emotions created by an album or concert without thinking about the mechanics of how it was produced. Movies are different for me. I've never been involved in the movie business and have little interest in how they are made so it's easy to become immersed in the feelings of watching a film and allow the director to take you on an emotional journey.
Residents in Warwick Road have contacted us asking for help to replace street trees that have died or need to be replaced. I have written to officers requesting these trees be replaced as soon as possible. We succeeded in getting trees replaced on Alexandra Road following a local campaign in conjunction with residents. When we ran the Council we found money in the budget to fund planting of 100 new trees across the Borough. We also set up a new tree warden scheme to encourage residents to get involved in conserving trees in their area. This was much needed as there are ...
... another conservative MP who, in the same debate as Philip Davies was justifying mentally ill people being paid less than their colleagues, was saying that the adult minimum wage of £5.93 should be disregarded by employers who should be able to ...
A mention, for those who are visiting Margate, since all being well with this weekend it will be busy for the Big Event, one little gem that may be overlooked is Margate Museum, which these days is generally open on Saturdays. Not having been myself for a while, I wondered if it would be open this weekend, since its one of those things, because of its close proximity, you always think you can put off but as many of us know, its future is to some extent not entirely clear, it has become a bit more precious I've done a ...
Fri 17th
16:30
Day 3819: If Mr Balls Wants a Tax Cut So Bad... Why Doesn't He Propose Cutting LABOUR'S NI Rise?
Thursday: When Mr Bully Balls, Labour's master of monetary mayhem, performs a complete U-TURN from "spend more!" to "tax less!" the real question is: why don't people just LAUGH? But, okay, let's look at tax changes this year: The Conservatories COST you £390(*1) a year by putting up your VAT. The Liberal Democrats GAVE you up to £200(*2) with a rise in your Income Tax Allowance. and Hard Labour COST you £188(*3) by putting your National Insurance up. Oh yes they did. Mr Alistair Dalek did it a year in advance. So who's REALLY "putting money back in your pocket"? ...
I spent Wednesday morning touring Neo Natal services at the Simpson's Centre for Reproductive Health. As well as meeting some of their highly trained staff we saw some of the cutting edge technology they use. Praise was heaped by the staff on the local Edinburgh newspaper the Edinburgh Evening News for their fundraising for scanners for the Unit. These are very expensive pieces of equipment and the News has played a blinder in raising cash to buy them. We then had a tour of the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit. It never ceases to amaze me how small new born ...
30 minutes free parking in the Library Car Park You can now park for free for 30 minutes in the Library Car Park in Shotfield. Please remember that you will need to pick up a free ticket from the machines in the car park. There are now 84 spaces available for free for 30 minutes - a massive increase on just 14 in the high street before the improvements. Free parking was suggested by residents and traders who are members of the Members and Stakeholders Group that is overseeing the improvements before the work began. And cyclists in townIt is ...
There was some good economic news for Chancellor George Osborne this week, after the Office of National Statistics announced that 88,000 private sector jobs had been created between February and April 2011. However, this new got upstaged by a disgraceful episode at PMQs, in which David Cameron and Ed Miliband decided it was ok to turn cancer into ...
Shelter have published worrying statistics on the link between housing and mental health. The YouGov survey found 18 million people (38 per cent) in Britain believe housing costs cause stress and depression in their family. This is a rise of seven million people (15 per cent) since 2009. Shelter commissioned YouGov to investigate how the risk of repossession and rent rises are affecting people. The survey also found that: More than 13 million people (28 per cent) said they keep up with their rent or mortgage without any difficulty, a drop from 19 million people (41 per cent) in 2009. ...
Looking good on a rainy day Despite the rainy weather, Wallington was looking really good this afternoon when I popped in to see how the last stages of the works are going. Walking down from the Old Town Hall to the Post Office the new seating, street lights and tree seats have made a real dfference to how our town feels. Even on such a wet afternoon people were taking time to chat and I got some great feedback from shoppers. A few noisy nights ...The overnight work to resurface Woodcote Road is almost complete now. We are really sorry ...
Another striking reporting disparity is that between the case of Huhne's alleged speeding offence and Bridgen's alleged sexual assault. Huhne MP, Liberal Democrat, has been investigated for fraudulently avoiding speeding points. As Hislop said on Have I Got News for You a few weeks ago, it is literally the most uninspiring political scandal ever seen. It is a positively mediocre. The panel show compared it to the Labour Government's (satirically) squeeky clean record. Yet the media is unable to get enough of the story, with a drip feed of information on his interviews and everyone he has ever met's opinions. ...
I realise that compared to most, I haven't got anything to whinge about - indeed, I'm, still reeling at the news that I'm in a minority having received an allocation of tickets for the Olympics - just 36% of people who applied got anything. Gobsmacking. But apart from a community minded sense of indignation at the ridiculous situation we find ourselves in, I've still got lots to moan about...and it would be nice if Jeremy Hunt & Hugh Robertson got off their arses and did something about it. The entire process of ticket allocation has been designed to suit, not ...
Its easy in a time of coalition to forget some of the fundamental differences between ourselves and our partners. Differences which we have put aside for the sake of the country and a genuine desire to put things right. But ...
TweetPhilip Davies MP made a speech on the Minimum Wage today which disgusted me. If you want to know why I am critical of the coalition, it is because we have MPs like this in the senior party of it. ... Continue reading →
In a Lords debate last night, a Labour peer gave, as one of his reasons for withdrawing an amendment at the end of a debate: "It is nearly 10 o'clock and I have not eaten yet, as indeed will be the case for most noble Lords." Well, yes. It's important to stop debating in time to get something to eat before bedtime. Is this really a good way to run a Parliament in the year 2011? I suppose I say this with some sympathy for the peer concerned, as we all need to eat, but it still sounds faintly daft. ...
It seems the period of grieving for a pedestal-of-evil bad guy is over. One thing I have always been critical of is the way the media have hyped Bin Laden and Al Queda out of all preportion. But, it seems, no more. Now Zawahiri has his first selections of press cuttings to keep. The Guardian's huge headline; 'Al-Qaida names Egyptian mastermind of Nairobi bombing as Bin Laden's successor' It's not a headline, it's an accolade. From this it is clear the hyperbole is set to commence all over again, with an organisation of religious extremism taken out of reality and ...
As if to vindicate my suggestion Lib Dems are being used to bring bad news, The Guardian reports later on in the paper that Ed Davey MP has rejected calls for tougher strike laws. This is in contrast to Cable's speech to GMB last week where he said the government would be forced to legislate if strikes got any worse. Davey clarifies the point, some may say too late, stating that position should only be reviewed if the economy is being brought to it's knees. Or bought, depending on how you look at it! He presents a far fairer and ...
Liberal Democrats have this week backed local residents in their fight to stop a giant train depot being built at Coronation Sidings in Hornsey. A strong consultation response to Haringey Council was made by Hornsey Councillor Robert Gorrie, backed by local Liberal Democrats and Lynne Featherstone MP, following a meeting last week between Network Rail, Residents' Association chairs and Liberal Democrats. Lynne Featherstone MP comments: "Local residents are enraged at the plans to build this huge train shed right next to New River Village, and I was delighted to be able to help residents put their concerns directly to Network ...
Ed Balls call for a temporary cut in VAT was an audacious move to get him onto the front pages. However, in the cold light of day it looks ill-judged and opportunistic. Don't take my word for it. The Guardian, who one would normally expect to support such a move is very luke warm: But this is a case of right diagnosis, wrong prescription, because a cut in VAT, as Mr Balls proposed yesterday, makes sense only if one wants to shovel £2.5bn a month out of the Treasury as fast as possible. That is costly for a policy whose ...
My last contribution on industrial relations law didn't go down well in some quarters. C'est la vie. However, it couldn't escape my notice that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander had some pretty strong words for the trade unions and the inescapable nature of public sector pension reform today. Although he did not call for minimum turnouts for strike ballots, a few snippets of an article he penned for a newspaper ahead of his key speech to the IPPR are worth highlighting: "It is unjustifiable that the taxpayer should work longer and pay more tax so that public ...
Danny Alexander is to announce proposed changes to public sector pensions. The unions have criticised this announcement because they are still in negotiation. This is the same unions who have already announced they are going to strike on 30/06 about the issue, despite being in the same negotiations. How does that work?
The Social Liberal Forum got a profile in The Guardian this week, rightly highlighting its growing influence in the party (something I particularly noted over the Sheffield health debate): In a tribute to the forum's growing influence, cabinet ministers Vince Cable and Chris Huhne will attend the SLF conference on Saturday, with party deputy leader Simon Hughes. The group claims about 1,500 members, and has no full time staff. It has only just appointed a director - Mark Blackburn, a former Lib Dem candidate for Westminster. The group was set up after the party leadership won a vote at the ...
Onto my doormat on Tuesday fell a leaflet from British Tamils Forum (BTF), urging me to watch that night's Channel 4 documentary on Sri Lanka's Killing Fields; I recorded the programme and will watch it. Whether BTF leafleted all local doormats, or only the doormats of people who stood for Parliament last year, I don't know. Along with Israel/Palestine and Cyprus, Sri Lanka is one of the big three foreign policy issues confronting any Parliamentary candidate in a North London seat like Hendon. The Tamil Guardian therefore contacted me during the election campaign to ask what I thought about Sri ...
Well, quite a lot, if the take up for tomorrow's inaugural conference is anything to go by. It's sold out! Part of that is to do with the excellent line up of speakers the sandal-wearers have secured. Business Secretary Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne, Deputy Leader Simon Hughes, and former MP Dr. ...
TweetWhen the government made the difficult decision to raise tuition fees, it rightly prompted an outcry. The loudest and most discouraging voices were those of NUS and its members and officials. Often trotting out the phrase without abandon "Kids won't be able to afford to go to university" in a reckless and dangerous manner that spread myth and rumour. It now seems certain members of the NUS and Labour Fraternity are desperately trying to back peddle. Former NUS President, Labour Councillor, and many other positions Wes Streeting has taken to the blogosphere to rally against the myths that are being ...
Story: Lord Judge said ... "The problem therefore is not the internet" Headline: Judge: Internet threatens justice (From Thursday's Evening Standard, page 7)
So the fixture list has come out this morning and there are certain dates and games that you look for as a football fan. Opening day, when you play your rivals, who you play on the last day and the Christmas period games. Pompey open up with a trip to the Riverside to play Middlesbrough. We traditionally do well up there. We play the Scum as the last game before Christmas at home – I'm very confident PC Plod will be distinctly unhappy with that. Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday this year so no games are being played on ...
Last month I reported that one of the key witnesses to give evidence in support of Phil Woolas during his trial at an election court was in court herself over charges of benefit fraud. Now, Rebecca McGladdery has pleaded guilty to ... Continue reading →
Liberty We exist as a Party to defend the rights of the individual, his liberty to live his own life subject to respect for the rights of others, to hold and express his own views, to associate with others of ... Continue reading →
Fri 17th
12:19
I apologise; this is a cheap dig at the Milibands. But it's the most brilliant photo, isn't it....
Hats off to Paul Waugh yesterday at Politics Home. First he tweeted this: Then he tweeted a photo of the moment: I've also linked here to the picture. Isn't it brilliant?
I confess I am NOT a fan of Danny Alexander, so I was ready to believe the BBC's quick summary of his remarks about Public Sector Pension Reform. In their headline news it sounded like old-fashioned union-bashing. Then I read the actual article on LibDem Voice and came away with a very different impression. I know politicians have to be aware of how they will be reported when they choose
On 14th June I found myself looking for a hotel in Oxford. A receptionist at one hotel that was full kindly called a Travelodge. They had a room but I was staggered to be quoted a cost that was so outrageous I've forgotten exactly what it was - something like £130. The Travelodge receptionist kindly said that I might get a better rate if I 'phoned central reservations & gave me a number. I expect you can guess what happened - several minutes of PR claptrap at a premium rate before I am invited to press a number to speak ...
"The style of debate practised by the Today programme poisons discourse in this country. An arena where there are no positions possible except diametrically opposed ones, where nuance is not permitted, where politicians are forced into defensive positions of utter banality...none of it is any good for the national conversation." So wrote Graham Linehan in his blog.For those of us whose blood
In 2010 one of the manifesto promises of the newly elected Labour group to Merton Council was to introduce two wheelie bins per house hold, one for recycling and one for general waste with the anticipation that such a proposal would increase the overall level of recycling in the borough. However, as was highlighted by the Lib Dem group at the time, wheelie bins are not suitable for all residents, especially in flats and houses with limited physical space to store the bins. I am thinking particularly of the streets I was recently helping campaign in called the Apostles (12 ...
I'm getting this in the wrong order, but events of the earlier part of the week were: Monday, attended and spoke at a meeting of the Irish Catholic Chaplaincy on their report Unheard Voices on Irish Travelers in prison, a very competent and informative piece of work. (Press release irish-chaplaincy-in-britain.org.uk/Events.asp, full report in .pdf format will be on the Irish Chaplaincy in Britain site next week) Also a meeting with the International Bar Association to discuss the failure of both the IBA, the Parliamentary Human Rights Group, and the US War Crimes Ambassador Rapp to persuade the Bangladesh government to ...
Fri 17th
10:30
Poetic justice: NUS help to clear up the unholy mess they helped to create with "Tuition fees" hyste...
Full marks to Wes Streeting, writing on Labour List, for launching a campaign with others to explain the new "Tuition fees" to prospective students. Many have been put off by myths, so this campaign with the Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, NUS, UCAS, the universities and others is manna from heaven. Martin Lewis has put together a brilliant guide to the new system – with 20 key facts. It really is superb. Just look at some of the headings from Martin's key facts!: You don't need to have cash to go to university Crikey! Earn under £21,000 and you'll never ...
It has been an absolute shambles. Ever since the men in command at Villa Park made the not unreasonable decision to relinquish Houllier of his position due to his ill health, they have presided over a comedy of errors which has resulted in probably the most extraordinary managerial appointment in the club's history. When Houllier was let go with a severance pay on June 1st, little could anyone have guessed that his replacement, some 17 days later would be the manager of second city rivals Birmingham City, Alex McLeish. The CandidatesThere was talk of former Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti being ...
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander writes in the Telegraph today on public sector pensions reform, calling the Government's offer "by far the best that is likely to be on the table for years to come": This debate is often polarised between two extremes. There are some trade unions who seem to believe that pensions for public service workers should not change. Then there are those equally misguided voices who seem to think that the public services should be the front-runner in a race to the bottom. Between these two, I believe there is an indisputable case for reforming ...
Part one of the posts describing the weekend in Snowdonia that Michael had from 10-13 June 2011. Snow, sunshine, and Scouts.
The Belfast Telegraph reports: Researchers at the Bank of England have discovered that internet searches for specific related terms are a powerful predictive tool for seeing where unemployment and house prices will go in the future. Taking search terms such as "estate agent", "mortgage", "unemployed" and "jobseekers allowance" and comparing their frequency over a period of years with actual subsequent movements in house values and the claimant count produced results that "have the potential to be useful for economic policy making" and in some cases beat existing guides such as surveys of public opinion. The idea isn't new - see ...
i) births and deaths 17 June 1982: birth of Arthur Darvill, who plays Rory in New Who (2010-present). ii) broadcast anniversaries 17 June 1967: broadcast of fifth episode of The Evil of the Daleks. The Doctor infects several Daleks with the 'human factor'; the consequences gradually become apparent. 17 June 1972: broadcast of fifth episode of The Time Monster. The Master and the Doctor arrive in Atlantis and become embroiled in a power struggle between the king and queen. 17 June 2006: broadcast of Love and Monsters. A group dedicated to investigating the Doctor is infiltrated by Victor Kennedy, who ...
Speculation is rife ahead of the start of the Tour de France next weekend that Mark Cavendish, who is out of contract with HTC-Highroad at the end of the year, might be joining Bradley Wiggins and UK Coach Dave Brailsford on Team Sky. When Brailsford first muted the idea of a predominently British team there where three names in the ring Wiggins, David Millar and Cavendish himself. Together these three are the top British road cyclists at the moment and each has their own strengths. While Bradley can chase the overall wins, like he did last week in the Critérium ...
The Guardian reports Southern Cross staff are being asked to sign away their employment rights. This is both misleading and wrong. Employment Rights are protected by law. This includes the working time directive, minimum wage and reasonable treatment. What it doesn't include are; Being paid for a lunch break Getting paid more than the minimum wage Working outside of the WTD with an approved contract opt-out Yet this is what Southern Cross staff are being asked to do. While I am grateful for what Unions do in the name of employment rights, ensuring they are protected in Law, I strongly ...
First there was Vince's potentially menacing speech to Unions, the the Tories get the pleasure of announcing bank break ups, then today we get Danny Alexander on Public Sector Pensions. It feels as though the Lib Dems are being penalised for their action, forced to tell those who voted for them bad news. One could argue that Osbourne's speech to the Banks was as gutting for his party, but given the Tories are (still) ahead in the polls, it's nowhere near as catastrophic for their party's relations. It is not just the reporting that castes the Lib Dems in a ...
Fri 17th
09:37
1 Year of Praise for Lib Dem Ministers: Strengths of Lib Dem Ministers in 1 year of being in Governm...
Following on from 1 Year of Praise for the Lib Dems: Strengths of the Lib Dems in 1 year of being in Coalition and 1 Year of Praise for Nick Clegg: His strengths and achievements in 1 year of being Deputy PM we now look at the strengths of the Lib Dem Ministers according to the mainstream ...
RT @medianooze Radio News: Danny Baker: The DJ who lost his voice http://bit.ly/kJJ7m7 < fascinating interview # RT @guardian D Miliband – the speech he wd have given if he'd won http://gu.com/p/2pncb/tw < disagree with lots, but how Lab must regret Ed. # Who said golf is a good walk spoiled? Pah. Gorgeous weather, fab views, great fun [IMG: :)] http://lockerz.com/s/109685837 # Have had a 'G' day today: golf, gardening and gym. What should I do *next*? # TY for suggestions for how to continue my 'G' Saturday: Gin by popular acclaim. (Tho I may settle for Grub). # After ...
At 9am this morning, the fixture list for the Premier League and Football League 2011/12 season was published and it put into stark reality, what was achieved on that wonderful day at Wembley back at the end of May. SWANSEA CITY - PREMIER LEAGUE! It really hasn't sunk in and we all knew that it wouldn't until this day - the day when the reality of the situation would be down in black and white. This is, that black and white! Swansea City will be proudly flying the Welsh flag against the best that the Premier League has to offer ...
County Council fails to meet target by £42m New figures show the Conservative administration at county hall has managed to underspend its capital programme by a staggering £45m, of which £42m is 'slippage' – namely planned projects not being delivered. Malcolm Cowan, LibDem spokesperson for finance, said: 'This may sound dry, but what it means is that over £40m of improvements to classrooms, libraries and fire stations did not happen. So right across the county there are children being taught in mobile classrooms far longer than they need be. 'It is unavoidable that some projects will fall behind, for good ...
[IMG: Vince Cable] Mary Reid has done an excellent job organising a series of blogger interviews during the Social Liberal Forum conference on Saturday. She's roped me in to facilitate the one with Vince Cable, which should mean I manage to slip in a question myself too. I'll be blogging Vince's answer but I'm a little spoilt for choice for possible questions, so over to you: what would you like to see me ask?
Channel 4 News FactCheck have again come up trumps by producing a comprehensive analysis of Ed Miliband's claim about cancer patients in Wednesday's Prime Ministers' Questions. Essentially, Ed Miliband was spot on. (Although it is clear this was a manoevre which was carefully choeographed with a former Labour candidate now working for Macmillan Cancer Support). I sense a government U-turn coming up on this. I hope so. If you look at the bottom of the FactCheck, as usual the devil is in the detail: The Department for Work and Pensions pointed out that the criteria used to determine which benefits ...
Under the heading 'Silent assassin' today's Daily Telegraph reports on revelations in a new book by journalists Mehdi Hassan and James Macintyre that they say makes some startling claims about the way the Labour leader conducted his bid for power. They say that Ed Miliband began planning his campaign to become Labour leader months before the party's general election defeat and did not tell his older brother David he would challenge him for the post until 12 May, six days after the election resulted in a hung parliament. But the book reveals that Ed had been weighing up his options ...
This week Julian Huppert tabled Early Day Motion 1913: Disconnection of Users from the Internet, which calls for a rethink on last year's Digital Economy Act. From the Register: A Liberal Democrat MP is demanding a repeal of the Digital Economy Act having tabled an early day motion in Parliament yesterday, which so far has gained nine signatures from across the political spectrum. Julian Huppert wants the UK government to debate the issue in the House of Commons. Signatories include Labour MPs Tom Watson and Eric Joyce as well as Tory backbencher Peter Bottomley. The Lib Dem MP has made ...
The 125th Wenlock Olympian Games will take place in Much Wenlock and at other sites across Shropshire on 3, 8, 9, 10 and 11 July 2011. To learn more about the Games and their history see the video above or read an article I once wrote for the New Statesman.
In the past on this blog I've featured letters to my 16 and 60 year old selfs. I've now found a website which will let you write an e-mail to yourself and specify when you want it delivered. Laying aside the relative transience of e-mail addresses, this is a fabulous idea. Even more fabulous is that you can choose to make the contents of your e-mail public. Here's a few of my favourites: Horrible News I slept with your wife. [think about it - Ed.] hey Dear FutureMe, Today is March 3rd, 2005. Your condoms expire this month. I hope ...
The discovery of Bujold: Cordelia's Honor « Randomly Yours, Alex Too tired to read this so bookmarking it for tomorrow. (tags: sf) Bujold: the saga continues. Or begins. « Randomly Yours, Alex Too tired to read this so bookmarking it for tomorrow. (tags: sf) game_thrones: sex/gender in got. Too tired to read this so bookmarking it for tomorrow. (tags: sf sexandsexualityandgender)
