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I confess, like most commentators on this matter, I'm less than thrilled by the idea of the People's Banks - giving everyone a small stake in the nationalised entities RBS and Lloyds. Whilst I can see the populist appeal, I'm not clear why it's better to get our money back through an administrative equivalent of the national ID card database. Rather than just selling them off and reducing the debt. In fact it might guarantee we don't get the money back. The government for example may be wise to sell the banks at a loss (to avoid worse losses later), ...
Ken Clarke has taken a lot of stick for his proposals - unceremoniously dumped earlier this week - to offer larger discounts from jail sentences for those offenders who plead guilty. The proposals were dropped as part of a new 'get tough' package by PM David Cameron which included various tabloid friendly headlines about making prisoners work harder and longer. But it really doesn't matter because the vast majority of crime in the country goes undetected and the perpetrators unpunished. According to Home Office figures (which unsurprisingly are somewhat difficult to find on their website), in 2009/10 just 28% of ...
Earlier this year I wrote about the Green Men of Belgrave. Now those Green Men have taken to following me. In Uppingham the other day I walked into The Rutland Bookshop to be faced with a copy of Green Man: The Archetype of our Oneness with the Earth by William Anderson. Clearly, I was expected to buy it. Then last Saturday, wandering around Northampton, I came across St Peter's in Marefair. This is a fine Norman church, now in the hands of the Churches Conservation Trust. (At least this stops anyone ripping out the pews and singing "Shine, Jesus, Shine", ...
First, a little self-promotion – I have a new, low-traffic Twitter account devoted only to my books, and Amazon pages in the US and the UK Jonathan at Liberal England sparked an interesting debate last week about the differences between Social Liberalism and Social Democracy. His most recent post links to much of the discussion. ...
I began supporting and subsequently joined the Liberal Democrats due to the issue of civil liberties. To me it is one of the most important issues in British politics and politics all around the world. The freedom of the individual is quite literally the 'bread and butter' for all liberals and Liberal Democrats. It is on that basis that the issue of civil liberties will always be such an important one to anyone who identifies themselves as being a liberal. Liberals have always and will always oppose government authoritarianism that seeks to erode civil liberties. A key example of this ...
On Saturday morning, before I caught the bus to Northampton, I wrote a brief post about that day's first Social Liberal Forum (SLF) conference. As well as wishing it well, I asked how social liberalism differed from a social democracy. That post elicited a remarkable response, both in the comments and in posts on other blogs. Some attempted to answer the question, but those answers varied widely. In the comments on the post Simon Titley assured me that social liberalism and social democracy are two very different things, as I need only read David Howarth's chapter in Reinventing the State ...
Foreign Office minister Alistair Burt gave an enjoyable talk this evening, covering the whole area of his portfolio, before taking questions. Held under the Chatham House rule, so I shall confine myself to saying that Durbar Court at the Foreign Office is one beautiful room; should you ever get to go there as part of something like Open House London, then I heartily recommend that you do. The event was organised by a group called Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, which will cause some sniggering among those of you who know that I am now forty...Anyway, great stuff.
The former seating area at Pennycook Lane opposite the entrance to Blackness Primary School looks very tired as the photo (below) shows. So well done to the Pennycook and Sinderins Court sheltered housing Residents' Association who have secured over £1000 of funding to get new seating and have some environmental improvements too.We had a site visit there yesterday with the Dighty Environmental Group, who have kindly agreed to undertake the work and I have asked Blackness Primary School if it can get involved in maintaining the plants we want to put in planters adjacent to the new seats. It will ...
But only because it's so great. And since I am too headachey to write tonight, I too will reproduce Paddy Ashdown's wonderful speech on Lords reform in full. This kind of thing is why, despite everything, I still feel at home in the Lib Dems: Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon: I think it was Oscar Wilde ...
Uttlesford Tories are patting themselves on the back after agreeing to install solar panels on the district's council houses. What they won't admit is the fact that six months ago they rejected Liberal Democrat proposals to do just this. The original motion, proposed by then Councillor Catherine Dean, called on the council to investigate the generation of renewable energy on its properties and land holdings. This would have taken advantage of new Government rules that encourage councils to make money from green energy schemes, and at the same time cut their carbon footprint. This would give council tenants free heating ...
The Belgian team Omega Pharma-Lotto could well be Team Jurgen for this Tour as three of their team go by that name, including the team leader. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) 28 The team leader finished 5th in last year's Tour de France the best performance by a Belgian since Claude Criquielion in 1986. He is a time trial specialist (indeed Junior World Time Trial Champion in 2001) but in the 2009 Tour he kept apace with the climbers and came in 15th. He'd crashed on stage four and lost 6 minutes that day so last year proved it was ...
From the latest Popbitch email: Not the most exciting gossip. Unless, of course, you are not aware that Floella Benjamin is a member of the House of Lords.
For anyone thinking of going to university, or at university or who just wants to understand what the changes in student loans and tuition fees will mean, this guide on Money Saving Expert is excellent. As I've said to people who have contacted me concerned about the new structure, there should be no-one who doesn't go to university because of the changes – read the guide to find out why.
There is a grassroots Facebook group called Liberal Democrats for Lords Reform. And it is certainly needed, given the number of Lib Dem peers who have suddenly come to see virtue in the Ancien Régime. They vary from the former Liberal leader Lord Steel to the newly ennobled Baron Strasburger (I have to confess I had never heard of him until he got his peerage), who has already been half seduced by the more Ruritanian aspects of Westminster life: Most of us here have outgrown the raw ambition that afflicts us in our youth, and that allows us to take ...
Just invented this great dish - very quick, delicious and healthy. One Sweet Potato (or a normal one) 1 glove garlic thinly sliced 2 spring onions sliced 1 rasher of bacon, with the rind removed sliced into small squares - (or you can use Lardons, sliced meats, pancetta, bresola, anything really) A few cabbage leaves finely shredded (chiffonade) you should end up with a large handful. 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds A spoonful of wholegrain mustard A dollop of creme fraiche A little Parmesan Ground black pepper Bake the potato - microwave or the traditional way in the oven. If you ...
From james_nicoll , here. Italicize the authors you've heard of before reading this list of authors, bold the ones you've read at least one work by, underline the ones of whose work you own at least one example of. Lynn Abbey Eleanor Arnason Octavia Butler Moyra Caldecott Jaygee Carr Joy Chant Suzy McKee Charnas C. J. Cherryh Jo Clayton Candas Jane Dorsey Diane Duane Phyllis Eisenstein Cynthia Felice Sheila Finch Sally Gearhart Mary Gentle Dian Girard Eileen Gunn Monica Hughes Diana Wynne Jones Gwyneth Jones Leigh Kennedy Lee Killough Nancy Kress Katherine Kurtz Tanith Lee Megan Lindholm (AKA Robin Hobb) ...
Just a quick mention, over the recent, nonsensical decision by Thanet District council to discriminate against the likes of Bignews Margate and Thanetonline just to refresh your memory TDC press office will refuse to talk to me or anyone else who blogs. To some extent it's a storm in a teacup, for myself I rarely contacted them, to be honest it's easy enough to go direct to the horses mouth, as it were, via the operator. Still petty as it is, a principle is a principle and in this case it would appear that independent "liberal" commentators are to be ...
The EU's fastest growing economy, Sweden, was where we are now - and made the same choices The UK government has adopted fiscal austerity to claw back debt levels without raising taxes, yet languishes with a stagnant economy and some industrial segments such as steel continuing to contract. Meanwhile, Sweden is enjoying the strongest, most broad-based and balanced growth. The British public and much of the establishment would baulk at the idea that the economy could recover with a 25% VAT, high personal income tax (54-61%), rigid labour market (70% of the Swedish workforce is unionised), tax breaks for immigrant ...
The Standard exuberantly reports the murder of a burglar today, citing Cameron's (no actual change) policy on defence of property. As I commented two days ago, the papers may celebrate Cameron's announcement to protect those who defend property from prosecution, but his comment 'who use reasonable force to defend themselves or their properties' still contains the all important caveat 'reasonable' for which there is strict legal precedent to adhere to. It is highly unlikely that any criminal court will see murder as reasonable force to protect property, much as they didn't in Tony Martin's case. Despite Cameron's rhetoric 'The system ...
Strange Thoughts enjoyed the first Social Liberal Forum conference but "won't be signing up any time soon". Nick Clegg's support for the idea of making over government-owned bank shares to the British people delights Paul McGarry. "Back in the 2010 election, the Conservatives launched their manifesto as 'an invitation to join the Government of Britain.' This was a slightly clunky phrase, and wasn't easy to explain on the doorstep - but the theme running through it was the ambition to 'give people much more say over the things that affect their daily lives... We will make government, politics and public ...
Come along to Gatley Carrs and help clear away some of the balsam clogging up parts of the Carrs – help improve the nature reserve and de-stress at the same time! The Balsam Bash will be on Tuesday 5th July at 10am. Meet at the car park on Gatley Carrs (see map). View Cheadle and Gatley in a larger map
Yesterday saw Ken Clarke present the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill to Parliament. While the focus has been on the sentencing U-turns, that is a bit of a sideshow. Any liberal with a concern for rights, and in particular the rights of the relatively less powerful in society, should be deeply concerned. ...
If the Hatch Farm Dairies application goes ahead then Wokinghan Borough Council will have to fund and build part of the Winnersh relief road – from Reading Road by the M4 bridge at Winnersh Farm to King Street Lane, by the other M4 bridge. Next week at the Borough Council Executive meeting the Conservatives are going to approve the spending of £300,000 from accumulated developer contributions (where accumulated from the report doesn't say) on their part of the road. What will that buy? Modelling, apparently. Not actual road. The full cost of the council's part of the road is estimated ...
This blog has been dormant for a while. Back when I had the time and the motivation, I used to write stuff about liberalism and UK politics. Over the last couple of years, I'm afraid I got out of the habit. Now, I'm studying in Israel for a few weeks, and I'd like to keep my family and friends posted. This old blog seems as good a place as any. If my Facebook friends, Twitter followers and former Lib Dem readership want to join the party too, you're more than welcome. I'm in Jerusalem, on the top of Mount Scopus, ...
In March this year I supported the move by Stephen Williams MP to propose that the Goverment owned bank shares are returned to the British Public. Such a move I believe will go some way to mending the gap between the British public and those in control of our banks. Today these proposals moved one step closer following the announcement by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg that he supports these proposals and has written to George Osborne and Danny Alexander in support of this move. This is great news I believe for the taxpayer, Whether these shares will entitle 'shareholders' ...
I am heartened today that it's clear that the SNP bulldozer can choose to bring itself to a halt. It's a good thing that the First Minister has announced that the Sectarian Bill will not be rushed through in the next week after widespread criticism of such a quick timetable. Instead, the Government will extend the timetable to allow for greater scrutiny. Alex Salmond could have ignored the wishes of football clubs, churches and lawyers, and the rest of the Parliament. After all, he has a parliamentary majority and can do what he likes. I had started to write a ...
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Stephen Williams & the banks. Right in March. Still right now. Please tell the world he's spot o...
I blogged a few months ago that I rather liked Stephen Williams plan for the nationalised banks. I still do. And I'm thrilled that Nick Clegg is now proposing a variation on that scheme should be put forward. You can vote on whether you think it's a good idea or not over on this line at The Guardian. Please do. And say Yes!
The farm land around Ormskirk and Burscough and in the rural areas of the borough is some of the most fertile in the country and should be retained as a valuable resource for food production. All three of the ... Continue reading →
Without Lance Armstrong who announced his retirement in February the team that bears his Livestrong armband on their left sleeve are without a named leader. Not that there isn't a list of options to take on that mantle. They are also going to the line with 12 times starter sprinter Robbie McEwan, who although he as been losing out in recent years to the new generation of sprinters still has been up there in the mix. So who are the nine men to carry on the legacy of their former leader and Tour legend. After all two of their team ...
There's been a few developments related to my earlier post about the possible Travelodge compromise. Firstly, it's been covered by The Register so is attracting some interest. Travelodge themselves have also confirmed via Twitter that they haven't sold any data, which makes it pretty clear they've been broken in to. I've also had a reply from the CEO of Travelodge. It's a bit light on content: Thank you for your email regarding spam e-mail you have received. I am sorry you have had the need to write to me, but appreciate you bringing this to our attention. Please be assured ...
Time is running out for you to have your say on the options for future development in West Lancashire – the consultation process expires tomorrow (June 24th) at 5pm. Make your voice heard by completing the survey online at:
How many coalition ministers does it take to change a lightbulb? Three. One to decide to change the bulb, one to launch the consultation and one to announce the u-turn.
Nick Clegg's innovative proposal to give the public shares in Lloyds and RBS is enthusiastically welcomed by Liberal Youth: but we believe that these reforms can go even further. Young people are bearing the brunt of the recession caused by the banks both in a lack of jobs and lost funding for education, and because it is the next generation that will be paying off the government's debt for years to come. It is only right the government should give something back to them. While Nick's proposal represents exactly the kind of fairness that Liberal Democrats seek to bring to ...
Baroness (Jenny) Tonge has a dream, which she shared at a public meeting the other night. Labour's Sir Gerald Kaufman says that he dreams the same dream, and his fellow Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn was at the same meeting, so Baroness Tonge's dream appears to be as much a Labour dream as it is a Lib Dem one. I too have a dream. Let me share it with you: it is that Baroness Tonge would apply to Israel/Palestine the same intelligence and dispassionate analysis that she routinely applies to other issues, rather than indulging in the emotive language of one-sided ...
Mystery grows over precisely what First Capital Connect will be paying passengers delayed on the broken down train on 26 May. Lib Dem County Councillor Chris White, who met with FCC managers last week, was told that he could not be told the amount because it was a private matter between FCC and their 'customers'. But correspondence indicates that they are not being told either. Chris said: 'It cannot be right that an elected representative has been refused this information. Clearly it is to their advantage to negotiate privately with each claimant in a situation where one claimant may not ...
I'm extremely busy at the moment. Finishing off a few articles, which is limiting the time I have for blogging. Normal service will resume in the next few weeks. Current posts will be limited, once or twice a week.
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has publicly thrown his weight behind plans I launched in March to give nationalised bank shares to the people. We all remember the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, culminating in the state riding to the rescue of two huge British Banks, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group. ...
The team that will wear the single numbers on their backs because they are the team of the champion are Saxobank-Sunguard. The former team of the Schleck brothers will now be header by Alberto Contador, who after a year of legal proceedings will be taking to the start line at Passage du Gois. Here is a look at the time. Alberto Contador (Spa) 28 The Spaniard has won all three Grand Tours, France 3 times 2007, 2009, 2010, Italy 2008 and 2011 and Spain 2008. However, it is that latest Grand Tour victory in a very tough Giro this year ...
Recommended reading for Lib Dem councillors and local campaigners from the last seven days: This week there have been a few stories in the local government world that Lib Dems should know about. Firstly, there's the good news that In Cornwall there was good news as a senior Conservative councillor joined the Liberal Democrats, whilst in Christchurch in Dorset, one of our councillors went in the other direction. In a quick run down of news from Liberal Democrats around the country. The BBC looks at how Lib Dem run Burnley has improved since the riots of ten years ago, including ...
I am pessimistic about Lords reform. The coalition agreement only commits the government to bring forward proposals. The massed ranks of Tory backwoodsmen with the vociferous support of the old Labour dinosaurs (I see Betty Boothroyd has joined their ranks)are digging in to oppose reform and shamefully there are even Liberal Democrat peers (step forward David Steel) who will vote with them.
With the hundreds of options for Keyboards on Android, I've always been one who prefered the stock Froyo and Gingerbread ones. Never really getting on with Swype (and it's clones), missing some of the shortcuts with others. However recently in the market place I came across Hacker's Keyboard. For starters this keyboard doesn't actually doing any Hacking, it just has buttons for everything. [IMG: Hacker Keyboard, Connect Bot and vi] Whilst Ctrl, Alt and Esc won't do much in your normal apps when logging in to a Terminal shell they are vital. To get around these missing buttons in the ...
It is that point that the team are finalising naming their nine man teams to take on the 98th edition of the Tour de France. So I'll start my look at the teams with the one with most British interest Team Sky Team Sky's Tour de France squad Bradley Wiggins (UK) 31 The Olympic gold medalist of course turned his attention to the road after Beijing. With his winter training in 2008/9 led to him coming fourth in the 2009 Tour equalling the best performance by a British cyclist in the Tour. Last year with Team Sky it was rather ...
Some people may be sceptical as to claims that Palestinians can appeal to Israel's courts over the location of the West Bank security barrier. Well, Israel has now begun dismantling a section of the barrier at Bili'in following a ruling by the country's High Court, proving that this does sometimes happen. Whether you like it or not, the security barrier has massively reduced the number of suicide bombings, etc. Unless one thinks that suicide bombings are a good thing, then one has to be pleased about there being fewer such bombings, whatever arguments there are about the route of the ...
The 2011 Welsh Assembly Electionwas the first election during which I stood to represent a Welsh constituency – Ynys Mon – in the Assembly in Cardiff Bay. Having been involved in the campaign to elect Mike Powell during the General Election in 2010 for the Rhondda Cynon Taf constituency, my interest in politics was solidified ...
Labour opposes reform of the House of Lords, saying it wants a fully elected Chamber. Seriously? This is the Labour Party which promised House of Lords reform in its manifesto of 1997, its manifesto of 2001 and its manifesto of 2005. And look at how those promises were honoured. Pygmies.
Tuition Fees – Article for Arfon Lib Dem Candidate, 2011 Assembly Election Tuition fees are one of the biggest concerns that students have about applying for university. Although we're given loans to cover tuition fees and our maintenance costs, we are lumped with large debts after leaving university. Many students are put off going to ...
On Monday I had an appointment to see the Minister Andrew Robothan concerning the MOD plans to vacate Bath. This is bad news for Bath and what is sad for us is that we think their business case is seriously flawed. Making all those workers commute an extra hour each way per day is not good for families, it is not good for Bath and so we have presented an alternative solution to them based on a much denser use of the Endsleigh site and selling off Warminster Road and Fox Hill. The minister listened very closely to our case ...
As Labour and Plaid approach the end of their joint administration in the Assembly, we should take a good look at our four years on. Wales has a weak economy, under-funded schools, and an NHS that costs more but delivers poorer outcomes than the NHS in England. This is terribly disappointing for all of us ...
25,700 receiving an Income Tax cut in Ynys Mon. From 6th April 2011, around 700 people in Ynys Mon will no longer have to pay Income Tax and a further 25,000 will get £200 extra in their pockets. Liberal Democrats in Government secured a rise in the Income Tax threshold, the point from which people ...
Clause 4 : Limits on doing things for commercial purpose in exercise of general powerDebate on whether Clause 4 should stand part of the Bill.Lord Jenkin of Roding: I did not give notice of my intention to ask a question about Clause 4, but I have listened to the discussion on the previous group of amendments with some interest. Clause 4(1) gives me a certain amount of anxiety. The provision describes,"power on a local authority to do things for a commercial purpose only if they are things which the authority may, in exercise of the general power, do otherwise than ...
New town centre for Talbot Green? I was interested to read in the Pontypridd Observer of plans for a £200m new town centre for Talbot Green. The project claims to bring up to 1,900 jobs to the area although that seems a bit ambitious and will include, a cinema, cafes, restaurants, bars, a hotel, office ...
Many Liberal Democrats I've spoken to have mixed feelings about the proposed benefit cap and some of the housing benefit changes. On the one hand, they have very little sympathy with the complaints of people such as Frank Dobson that rule changes means he wouldn't be able to afford to stay in his council flat. Count me in the camp who doesn't think council housing should be used to let ex-ministers with decades of salary earning that puts them amongst the best paid in the country and with membership of a decent pension scheme live in one of London's most ...
Yay, the government has announced 8 new sites for nuclear power stations, all to be built without subsidies, apparently. What astonished me recently was discovering how basic the principles behind nuclear power are. Coal and gas power stations heat water to make steam to turn turbines to generate electricity. Nuclear power stations, er, heat water to make steam to turn turbines to generate electricity. So much for new technology. Given that no new nuclear power station has been completed in decades due to myriad problems and that no new nuclear power station has been built - or is being built ...
Outdoor expressions of Faith in Jesus Christ - taking our Lord to the streets. Reflections on Corpus Christi.
[IMG: Halloween visitors with the President, 31 October 1963] [IMG: Creative Commons License] photo credit: Infrogmation This is worth a watch on iPlayer if you missed it - it's called "Kennedy Home Movies". Apart from some very attractive footage of the halcyon days of the vast Kennedy family at Hyannis Port, the White House etc in the fifties and sixties, this provides a fascinating insight into the family from the point of view of the nannies employed to look after the children. We all remember the iconic photos of JFK in the Oval Office with his kids playing peek-a-boo under ...
This row about the Labour MP Ian Davidson calling the SNP neo-fascist...They're clearly not neo-fascist, he clearly (with hindsight) did not mean to call them neo-fascist, his own party wants him to apologise for calling them neo-fascist - why can't he just do that? Why, when there are these occasional storms in teacups over a politician having said something silly, can the person concerned not simply say: "Yes, actually, I've thought about it, and I didn't mean that after all, sorry." That's what happens in normal life, outside politics, when someone has said something that s/he didn't really mean. I ...
Just a few figures to contemplate about Lords Reform. 68 of those who took part in the two-day debate (just on two thirds) were ex-MPs, and a few more were existing or previous councillors, and yet the prevailing mood seemed to be that elected politicians are always somehow less independent and responsible than appointed ones. A curious reflection on their previous experience, surely? 65 of those who took part had been nominated to the Lords since 1997, when the incoming government clearly stated its intention of creating a more democratic, elected House. Since then, of course, all three parties have ...
Michael catches up on news from the Oxford Oratory including one Oratorian's selection(?) to represent Vatican City.
[IMG: Click on images to download articles] [IMG: Click on images to download articles] The issue of Linden House's music, dance and drinking licence application has hit the front pages of the local press ahead of the licensing committee hearing on Tuesday. I have received reports that some residents living near the venue had misgivings, but did not wish to voice them in a formal objection because they did not wish to upset the owners, who are popular in the village. But this licence issue is not personal, nor are the objectors opposing the renovation of two neglected buildings into ...
Europe's seas face a future without fish, the woman responsible for shaping EU policy has warned. Speaking at a meeting of the European Parliament's 'Fish for the Future' group organised by North West England MEP Chris Davies, EU fisheries commissioner ... Continue reading →
A little-noticed policy of the Coalition is that of throwing out the entire planning system and replacing it with about fifty pages of pro-development planning policies. This is called the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and is intended to be the entire amount of national planning policy governing development. When implemented it will change your community forever. Given what it seeks to do, fifty pages is a tiny amount – by contrast, the current Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 1, which deals merely with Sustainable Development, is itself twenty-five pages long. And there are twenty-five of these PPS's, reaching about 800 ...
Guest Post by John Trader I'm very pleased to introduce John Trader a communications specialist working for M2SYS. John has kindly written this post was as a reply to my own post on biometric privacy concerns, that was recently hosted on M2SYS' blog. It's difficult to have a discussion today about biometric technology without the subject of privacy coming up. Often perceived as mixing like oil and water, in many circles of influence adoption of biometrics for any purpose has become synonymous with negative repercussions on individual privacy rights. What we have found is that there are legitimate points of ...
I written before about Dabr, the Twitter client I code for. Dabr helps people around the world and is used by some of Twitter's most influential users. Today, I am pleased to announce that Chinese artist, political prisoner, and sower of porcelain sunflower seed, Ai Weiwei uses dabr! On last night's Newsnight, as part of a package on Ai Weiwei's release, they showed him using Twitter. Here's a screenshot. [IMG: ai weiwei dabr screenshot large] Click for larger image That's Dabr! I'd recognise the orange colour scheme anywhere! It looks like he's using one of the many hundreds of installs ...
After takeoff, as the aircraft gained height, Metro Manila gradually came into view: a grey jumble of human habitation punctuated by clustered skyscrapers, intersected by meanders of a noxious-looking, mustard-coloured river, sprawling across an enormous plain bounded on the west side by the sea and in other directions not at all, further than the eye could see, eventually obscured by pollution haze and clouds. Making life bearable in this monster megacity is just one aspect of the problems faced by President Aquino's government. Already it is home to upwards of 15 million people and it is growing all the time ...
Pakistan: Religious Minorities Question 3 pm Asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool To ask Her Majesty's Government what advocacy the Foreign Office is undertaking on behalf of persecuted religious minorities in Pakistan. The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Lord Howell of Guildford): My Lords, we engage regularly with the authorities in Pakistan on issues of religious freedom. Most recently, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my honourable 22 Jun 2011 : Column 1305 friend Mr Burt, discussed religious freedom with the newly appointed Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Interfaith Harmony and Minority Affairs. He also met religious leaders from ...
Stockport shares our waste and recycling disposal with the nine other Greater Manchester authorities, and the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority is the body that runs it all. This website shows where all our recycling goes (and, contrary to occasional odd stories in the media, none of it gets shipped to the Far East!).
Various pieces of research have made it clear that selling caffiene energy drinks with alcohol is a recipe for disaster. The caffeine fix counters the affects that alcohol normally has of slowing peoples alcohol drinking. One study, researchers led by Sean Barrett of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada, found that students consumed an average of 8.6 alcoholic drinks per session when mixing it with energy drinks, compared to 4.7 when they consumed alcohol alone. Amelia Arria of the University of Maryland in College Park led other research and concluded people drink more alcohol when they mix it with energy drinks. ...
Yesterday I received a spam email. Not unusual, but note the destination email address: Subject: Zoe OConnell Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:58:33 -0400 From: Lorraine Ackerson @lt;lorraineackersonas113@hotmail.com> To: <zoe-travelodge@****.co.uk> Greetings. Don't miss exciting business chance. Reputable agency is looking for energetic worker in United Kingdom to help us expand our activity in the UK sector. Necessity: - 18+ United Kingdom resident - Only operational knowledge of Internet & computer. - Free access to personal e-mail box - 2-3 free hours per day - Fast replies on our written tasks - Excellent organizational skills. You can without problem combine our ...
My Papers Are Not In Order Everyone who thinks that the police accreditation system for Lib Dem conference is only to be expected and not worth making a fuss about should read this. (tags: libdemmery) Lib Dem Conference motion against police accreditation of representatives All you Lib Dems who are narked about how the party has dealt with conference "security" should read this and act on it. (tags: libdemmery) Paddy on Lord's Reform aka This ?Is Why Paddy is AWESOME (tags: libdemmery)
I wrote in a previous post about how during my time as an elected councillor on Luton Borough Council I got the Council to sign up to the Nottingham Declaration on tackling climate change in 2006 and how that was used as a lever to get the Council to take the issue seriously. On two occasions last year I was asked to be a guest speaker and facilitator at the Climate Change Leadership Academy organised by Local Government Improvement and Development. These two day courses for elected members were designed to show how local councils can take action to prevent ...
It probably is. And this isn't a finger wagging exercise having a go at any group in the party. I've just blogged how we don't do that. I'd genuinely like some feedback. In all the commentary I've read about the excellent Social Liberal Forum, one thing I keep seeing was that the event was a marker demonstrating the strength of social liberals in the party versus 'The Orange Bookers'. Fair enough. But then I also have read several times that the support of two cabinet ministers at the event - Chris Huhne and Vince Cable - was a physical demonstration ...
For some weeks now, my Lib Dem colleagues and I have been raising the extent of weeds across the City and the lack of weed spraying. I have found weeks in some parts of the City that are literally shoulder high and foot high is not at all unusual. For some people this may not be a big issue. But the volume of complaints individual councillors have received shows that it is bigger than you might expect. Some complaints are around the fact that weeds make it difficult for some with limited mobility, or for people pushing a shopping trolley ...
Today I'm going to look at some of the sculpture you would find out and about on the street of Belfast. First up a tribute to a favourite son Clive Staples Lewis. The Searcher (1998) by Ross Wilson This next piece is now somewhat hidden by a building site but can be found in front of the Waterfront Hall. Sheep on the Road (1991) by Deborah Brown Finally today just along the River Bank you will come along another statue with a number of different names to the locals. Beacon of Hope (2007) by Andy Scott I'm sure I will ...
Tensions are rising over Syria, although we have seen a significanly slower process than Libya. The protests in Syria began in January alongside other Arab spring countries. Yet the UN, Europe and Nato have avoided direct intervention unlike Libya. I commented when European Union began putting financial and travel sanctions on Syrian elite a number of times, that action would eventually become inevitable. Hague stated in the last few weeks there was no clear opposition to Assad which would prevent intervention. So the dissidents allieged themselves and were still knocked back by Nato. The protestors are pleading for help. They ...
The Metro reports a story on adopted children being caught in 'legal limbo' between two families. As a precis, the brother and sister were due to move to adoption parents when foster parents put in a plea to keep them and an injunction prevents them being moved. What interested me was the foster father's background. Given the children-in-care arena is steeped in bureaucracy to protect the child, I am very surprised to see the foster father has a conviction for violence and debt to the child support agency. The principles put forward by social workers appear to require potential parents ...
The BBC report that the Welsh Local Government Minister will be coming to the WLGA Conference in Swansea this morning so as to throw his weight around. Apparently, he is going to announce that he will legislate to give him the power to force joint appointments on local Councils. It is not yet clear what the nature of these joint appointments will be but it seems fairly clear that they will be limited to local Councils when the natural way forward might be to have combined officer roles for local government and the health service within the same area. Of ...
It is a year since last I sent a card to Sister Etheldreda SSL for her feast day which is today. This year it will not be happening at all. Today, however, I will be remembering my friend Sister Etheldreda, as I say the Office, and pray that her soul is resting in peace, and ...
Tweet Maybe because It's because I'm getting older, maybe it's years of cynicism, maybe it's the fact that I just don't like Gareth Thomas that much, but every time I see him recently. he's being deified as the great gay hope. The man who can "normalise" LGBT behaviour and be the beacon of hope for all young gay men and sports stars, and that really annoys me. You see, truthfully, I have a decent amount of respect for Gareth Thomas, coming out, admitting that your relationship was a sham, all of that takes guts, and doubly so when you are ...
In her blog on the New Stateman a few weeks back, Olly Grender posed the question 'Where are all the Lib Dem journalists?' Her conclusion was (and I am paraphrasing here, apologies Olly) that because it seemed unlikely that we would have a hand in government, editors had not bothered to cultivate relationships with Lib Dem orientated journalists; and furthermore journalists who supported the party were disinclined to position themselves as flag waving Liberals in case managing editors saw them as 'irrelevant'. When I read the article I thought that was probably right. But 2 recent events have made me ...
Newt Gingrich, a right-winger whose bid to become US President looks to be crashing and burning after many of his senior staff walked out on his campaign, is not an obvious role model for British politicians, especially those not on the right. But at heart quite a few all across the political spectrum would, I suspect, be rather pleased if he ends up doing well. That's because the cause of the falling out is Gingrich's insistence on doing two things that will strike a chord with many politicians and a fear into many election agents. He has kept on taking ...
I have never been a great fan of Paddy Ashdown. I voted for Alan Beith when they both contested the party leadership, and any confidence I had in Ashdown ebbed away when, in our hour of need (the 1989 European Election when we candidates had our backs to the wall after a nasty row with the SDP,) instead of staying to support us he beggared off to Hong Kong. However, his speech in the House of Lords on the 21st June was a gem which I quote in full. Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon:I think it was Oscar Wilde who said ...
TweetI've already blogged about the interview, and my experiences on it, but I thought I'd offer the full transcript of the interview to you the readers. Make off it what you will, It's pretty much verbatim for what was said, enjoy! Interview with Vince Cable Attendees: Mark Pack, Andrew Emmerson, Lee Dargue, Kelly-Marie Blundell, Joe Jordan, Jack Holroyde, Brian Robson [Interview was picked up several seconds into Mark Pack introducing the session] Mark Pack: And obviously as we are all blogging and tweeting everything you say is public, even though we are all friendly audience, but Jack do you want ...
Yesterday David Cameron held the second event at 10 Downing Street (the first was this time last year) to demonstrate the coalition's commitment to LGB&T equality. The particular focus of this event was the Sports Charter which the government is asking sporting bodies and individuals to sign up to – to kick homophobia and transphobia out of sport and I have written about this very important campaign before on this blog several times. Many sporting bodies were represented at the event – and are signed up to the charter. To show your support you can sign up here. Just on ...
i) births and deaths 23 June 1925: birth of Mary Ridge, who directed Terminus (1983). ii) broadcast anniversaries 23 June 1973: broadcast of sixth episode of The Green Death, ending Season 10 of Old Who; last regular appearance of Katy Manning as Jo Grant. The Doctor realises that Cliff's fungus is fatal to the maggots, and destroys BOSS with the blue crystal; but Jo get engaged to Cliff. 23 June 2007: broadcast of The Sound of Drums. The Master, as Harold Saxon, becomes Prime Minister, kills the cabinet and the American president, ages the Doctor by hundreds of years and ...
New faces added to The Hobbit cast - Den of Geek 'Barry Humphries, meanwhile, is known primarily to the world as Dame Edna Everage, and he's set to play the Goblin King in The Hobbit. Jackson says, "We're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves."' In other news, Benedict Cumberbatch to play Smaug the dragon. (tags: sf films) peterbirks: Events, dear boy, events. "PMQ is, in my oipinion, representative of all that is bad in British democracy. It does none of what its defenders claim it does, and ...
Legislation that came into effect last year required councils to respond to petitions, and to include a provision to trigger a debate for any petition over a certain size. Durham decided the trigger-point would be 5,000 signatures. Today in council we had the first such debate as the Sherburn "Save our Sports Centre" petition was presented to council and a 15 minute debate followed. It's clearly a way for a group or community to insist that their views are heard, though equally clearly it has no power to force anyone to listen or take action. Sherburn's Sports Centre is one ...
