The departure of Suffolk County Council's controversial chief executive will come as a relief to many after two months of uncertainty. Her £218,500 salary was controversial from day one. In an unprecedented move Liberal Democrats voted against both her appointment and her salary package at the council meeting which ratified her appointment three years ago. In a county where half the population earn less than £17,500 a salary of £218k was always going to be unacceptable to the majority. When the council announced its New Strategic Direction – and the consequent "divestment" of much loved services like libraries, it was ...
I have been able to think of little else over the past day or so other than The News of the World scandal. The thing about this story is that it makes it so easy to expose their hypocrisy. Take for instance the tragic case of Baby P. Both the NotW and the Sun lead with headlines such as: Shoesmith blames everyone but self Unfortunately the NotW articles are behind a paywall so I can't link to them, but The Sun is as good as the same. The argument is that because Baby P died on Sharon Shoesmith's watch she ...
It looks likely that Mears will win a 3 year extension to their contact to maintain council homes in Acocks Green. Back in April 2008, Mears took over the repairs and maintenance contract for Council owned homes across both Yardley and Hodge Hill constituencies, including Acocks Green. Their contract was for a period of 4.5 years with an option to extend for a further 3 years. If the Council agrees to extend the contacts now, further savings (amounting to £6m when you also include the Willmott Dixon contracts in Ladywood, Perry Barr, Sutton and Erdington) can be achieved. Tenants have ...
Last month, I mentioned that I had raised with the City Council's Roads Maintenance Partnership the need to have the damaged Melville Terrace street sign (at its junction with West Park Road) replaced. The City Council has now advised me : "A replacement street name plate will be included in the next street name plate order and the timescale for completion will be approximately eight to ten weeks." I had also reported the damaged Marchfield Road sign (at its junction with Blackness Road) and have been updated as follows : "This street name plate will be checked and a replacement ...
Michael and Andrew were both visibly shaken after an incident with a security guard in Belfast's Victoria Square. Michael explains the story.
Conservative South West MEP Giles Chichester was today elected by acclamation as a Vice-President of the European Parliament and said his appointment gives "prestige and status [to the region] in a way that we haven't had for many years now". His nomination was unopposed.Mr Chichester, who was first elected to Parliament in 1994, replaces the ALDE member Silvana Koch-Mehrin who resigned her
I'm really unhappy with terrorism laws, unsurprisingly. Theresa May's proposal to ban 'terror suspects' from London is a shocking example of terrorism law being used to ride roughshod over the rights of the individual. I maintain if it is an offence, then arrest and prosecute them. Even if prosecution is not complete, bail restrictions allow the proposed offenders to be removed from London. But do not dilly-dally around about controlling people who have not committed a criminal offence. It is an assault on civil liberties and creates a presumption of guilt that breaches the rule of law. I find it ...
If this were an ordinary recession the world economy would be bouncing back strongly. That it isn't tells us two things. Firstly, that this isn't an ordinary downturn and, secondly, that unemployment is set to be a big problem for a long time to come especially for younger people. So what can we do about ...
Wartime Housewife's household sale last Sunday was in Great Bowden, a rather horsey village which, unlike my home of Little Bowden, has managed to keep itself separate from Market Harborough. This is, in part, Liberal and Liberal Democrat councillors have put a lot of work in opposing development of the fields between I thought I knew Great Bowden well, but thanks to the district council's village trail leaflet I was able to make some new discoveries. The best of them is this splendid mud wall, which lines the path from the churchyard to the village's Nether Green. The leaflet says: ...
Good to see the announcement by Norman Baker MP, Lib Dem transport minister earlier today that Reading is set to benefit from government cash to develop greener solutions to transport issues via the Local Sustainable Transport Fund. Devolving transport decisions to councils has long been a Lib Dem policy priority. As has been investing in low-carbon transport solutions. The thinking behind the LSTF was included in the transport section of the Coalition Agreement: "We will support sustainable travel initiatives, including the promotion of cycling and walking, and will encourage joint working between bus operators and local authorities."Reading Borough Council when ...
Tue 5th
20:45
DPMQs: "Grotesque" and "beneath contempt" - Clegg on the Milly Dowler phone hacking allegations
The highest profile issue at Deputy Prime Minister's questions today was the issue of press phone hacking in the light of the allegations concerning Milly Dowler and the News of the World. Harriet Harman asked Nick Clegg to back Ed Miliband's call for a general public inquiry into illegality in the newspaper industry. As someone has said, this is a bit like holding an inquiry into why we get bad weather. In a sign of divisions within Labour, Chris Bryant, in contrast, has called for a more narrow inquiry. Nick Clegg stopped short of backing an inquiry but, instead, emphasised ...
The issue of diplomatic immunity is not a new one, but the figures in today's Standard are rather shocking. An average of 10 people a year for the last three years have had indictable offence charges dropped as a result of diplomatic immunity. Cases include GBH, Rape and Fraud. Offences that would require an automatic custodial sentence were offenders not registered with the Foreign office. As the Standard editorial observes, "diplomatic immunity exists...to prevent exploiting differences between national laws". This is why it is a subjective immunity and not an invincibility. The immunity breaches the rule of law and indicates ...
Earlier today the Daily Telegraph published a blog post by its "chief leader writer" David Hughes. Under the headline "What is the BBC really trying to do with its Milly Dowler coverage?" he writes: While the allegations are - in David Cameron's well-chosen words - "truly dreadful", do they warrant this level of news overkill? Well, they do if there is a commercial interest at stake - and the one element of the story the BBC seems coy about is that it is itself a player in a particularly frenzied media battle.This is bizarre. It's not just the BBC that ...
Frankly I never have understood how or why Rupert Murdoch's media operation was ever allowed to reach such dominance. For me it's a question of national security to have a press not dominated by a single foreign owner, who presumably has no loyalty or connection to our nation its laws or democracy. The emerging scope of the News of the World's techniques in news gathering are a clear indication that we should. as a nation, consider whether we ought to be more circumspect. Any how if you follow this link too Avaaz.org an organisation about people power, you will find ...
The new 2011 Health Profiles for all local authorities and counties in England has been released. There is a separate profile for each local authority, providing a snapshot of the current health status of the area, with tailored commentary, maps and charts. The information for Cambridge is available here, and for South Cambridgeshire is available here. Please visit the website at www.healthprofiles.info to view profiles for any other areas of interest to you. The website provides further information, interactive maps and links related to online tools also produced by the Public Health Observatories in England. The 2011 profiles give up-to-date ...
Inadequate numbers of peacekeepers for the next mission in South Sudan risk endangering thousands of lives and future stability, a news release from Oxfam argues: As the Security Council this week debates the future of the mission, Oxfam warned that failure to fully fund and resource it - including by slashing troop or civilian staffing numbers due to cost concerns - would undermine the progress that has been made over the past six years. "If there was ever a time for the Security Council and countries that contribute to peace keeping to support the people of Sudan, it is now. ...
John Dixon, the Liberal Democrat Welsh Assembly member who was disqualified in May, will not be reinstated after an investigation said he had not read the relevant rules for candidates. He will be replaced by the next candidate on the party's regional list: Eluned Parrott. From the BBC: Liberal Democrat John Dixon stood down after May's election when it emerged he was a member of a public body to which AMs cannot belong. On Wednesday AMs will decide whether to reinstate fellow Lib Dem Aled Roberts who fell victim to out-of-date advice. Mr Dixon was elected for the South Wales ...
TweetWith new allegations about Phone Hacking appearing every day, and growing worse with every day. The allegations about Milly Dowler and hacks deleting her messages from her phones which gave her parents false hope actually make me sick to my stomach, and I believe more than one person should lose their job for such organised wickedness. However, I won't be supporting a full ban of the Newspaper or the Murdoch Empire as much as I dislike both of them. Trying to hit Murdoch where it hurts is indeed a noble cause on the face of it, it would be surely ...
As of 5pm today, Raja of Cheadle joined the ranks of restaurants in Cheadle and Gatley – we wish it every success. Raja is at 2a Gatley Road – just down from the White Horse. We've got an impressive selection of restaurants and cafes and Cheadle and Gatley now – from coffee shops and ice cream parlours to delis and restaurants – and a whole lot of people working very hard to keep them going and make them a success. You can call 0161 428 2212 or 0161 428 3848 to book or order with Raja of Cheadle.
This is the view from inside the car at Tarbat Ness lighthouse near Portmahomack in Easter Ross. Anna & Bob, the mad fools, are out in this, inspecting the rock pools on a beach he used to play on as a child. The option I've chosen is probably sensible given that I've spent the afternoon helping my friend Siobhan celebrate her second 21st birthday. The generous slug of Bushmills she expertly put in the coffee cup went down a treat, not to mention the subsequent gin and tonic. And being within spitting distance of a huge mobile phone mast is ...
Statement from Kirsty Williams, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats: "Tomorrow, Assembly Members will be asked to consider whether it is proper to lift the disqualification of Aled Roberts and John Dixon. The advice of Gerard Elias QC enables them to do so with regard to the facts of each case. "The Elias report treats each case differently, since the circumstances are very different. "In the case of Aled Roberts, Gerard Elias has confirmed that 'at each stage of his selection and nomination process, Aled Roberts followed the guidance provided to him by the Electoral Commission and mirrored on the ...
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams AM, has just made this announcement with regards to the 'Lib Dem 2': - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - "Tomorrow, Assembly Members will be asked to consider whether it is proper to lift the disqualification of Aled Roberts and ...
Lib Dem peer Lord (Paul) Tyler recently took to the Guardian's Comment Is Free along with Labour's Lord (Andrew) Adonis with a joint piece arguing that their fellow members of the House of Lords should back proposals to reform the second chamber. Here's a sample: Any objection that reform is taking place with undue haste will not stand up to scrutiny. It is now 100 years since the passage of the Parliament Act, which states the intention to substitute the Lords with "a second chamber constituted on a popular instead of hereditary basis, but such substitution cannot be immediately brought ...
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, described Pope Gregory IX as 'a Pharisee seated on the chair of pestilence, anointed with the oil of wickedness'. The Pope replied that the Emperor was the forerunner of the Antichrist and the monster of the Apocalypse. ('The Popes', by John Julius Norwich, 2011). Such was political debate in the 13th century, topped up by episodes of unspeakable violence. At this distance it seems rather laughable that an Emperor and a Prelate (especially one considering himself the Vicar of Christ) should behave like that. But while burning at the stake is now thankfully behind us, ...
****WARING for Caron look away now until you watch the highlights that is**** At the start of stage four we had the first abandon of this year's Tour. Jurgen van de Walle who crashed on the first day, did not arrive at the start after riding through pain the last two days. The stage today followed the what is becoming a familiar pattern. Although the weather decided to turn wet, but carried on being windy. A small group got away containing Jon Izagirre Insausti (EUS), Johnny Hoogerland (VCD), Biel Kadri (ALM), Imanol Erviti (MOV) and for a second time Jérémy ...
The News of the World phonehacking saga has rumbled on and on for years. It has resulted in two men going to prison, and effectively cost Andy Coulson his job at No.10. Yet despite all this, it is only today that more than a select few have begun to take the issue seriously. The allegations that a ...
The link is to an article about Freedom of Speech and the Rule of Law in the Huffington Post.
I'm off work ill at the moment, and while I'm feeling a little better today, I'm not well enough for a full post. I'm also away on Thursday night, so don't expect much until Friday (when I'll be reviewing the Beach Boys gig I'm going to on Thursday). However, I'm hoping that I'll be able ...
Tue 5th
16:10
Sharon Shoesmith, Rebekah Brooks: both wanted the power, neither willing to take the responsibility.
Full marks to @Topoftheprops and Charlie Brooker for tweeting the above. As I've blogged before - if you want the top job, the power (and the money), you have to be willing to take the responsibility. Not the blame. The responsibility. The two things are different. If Rebekah Brooks knew the alleged phone hacking was going on, that's different - she'd have to take the blame. But accepting her statement at face value, that she didn't know what was going on, then she doesn't need to take the blame. (Although everyone should also read David Allen Green's withering line by ...
Well, it's official. Earlier this year, Amazon US sales of e-books outstripped the number of paperbacks sold for the first time. The on-going rise of the e-reader seems unlikely to be stopped, especially now older people - who typically read more books - are embracing them (interestingly, 6% of people over 55 own an e-book reader while only 5% of 18-24 year olds do). This suggests that there is definitely something in the e-reader and it's not just a passing fad. This has led to a lot of articles being written about the 'death of the book' and a 'crisis ...
The 38degrees Group conducted a survey in which 78.8% of respondents pushed for the banks to pay their fair share of taxes & clamp down on bonuses. Week after week even papers like the Financial Times warn repeatedly of the dangers of failure to effectively reform the system. So what do we get? Sir John Vickers has issued an initial report which talks about 'ringfencing' retail from investment banking. George Osborne has indicated he can accept this although the banks are howling with rage about it. But even Nigel Lawson thinks that that proposal doesn't go far enough to deal ...
Tennis stars Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray throw their (sweat-soaked) wrist-bands into the crowd after winning a match at Wimbledon. To me this is rather bizarre. What on earth would I do if one of them landed in my lap? But the Romans would have understood, and I would not be surprised if victorious gladiators did something quite similar. The latest exhibition at the British Museum looks at another variation of this behaviour, on a massive scale, that overtook Christianity for over 1,000 years, up to the Reformation in the 1500s. This was the collection of relics associated with saints ...
On 15th April this year I wrote about the Murdoch press & how the 'phone tapping scandal was, it was being argued by senior politicians, no reason to deny the expansion of his empire. Now the scandal has got infinitely worse but I don't suppose it will make much difference. The Telegraph is upset about it. Boo hoo. What a pity it didn't think about this when it allowed its visceral hatred of the LibDems to overcome its judgment & destroy the one member of the Government who was not in Murdoch's pocket. Still we can draw comfort from the ...
It has been common knowledge for some time that News International routinely hacked mobile phones. Many of the great stories of the past 15 or 20 years have probably been the result of this illegal activity. Even the "Squidgy-gate" story of 1990 now appears to have been the direct result of illegal journalistic snooping. The Milly Dowler phone hacking was a new low, but in precisely the same tradition of illegal and immoral activity. News International has a clear case to answer, but they are not the only ones. Why did the initial Police investigation into phone hacking conclude that ...
Report of Inter-disciplinary multi-faith chaplaincy conference May 2011 The annual Inter-disciplinary multi-faith chaplaincy conference organised by Good Work, in partnership with Norfolk and Waveney Churches Together, took place recently at Trinity United Reform church in Norwich. Well attended, as always, the event brought together chaplains from a variety of contexts-including police, hospital, prison, local authority or education settings-from a diversity of faith communities including those from Christians, Muslims, Jewish and Sikh traditions. The event also brought together a variety of different models of chaplaincy-some full-time, others part-time or sessional; some paid others voluntary. The resulting gathering showed how increasingly important ...
I have to say that everytime I go into the BBC offices in the Welsh Assembly they are all hard at work and not all of them have tidy desks. However, according to this morning's Western Mail all of this could just be an illusion put in place to fool me and other visitors. The paper says that dozens of BBC Wales journalists have been told to tidy their desks, archive old tapes and fill in expenses forms over the summer, instead of working on programmes: A whistle-blower who works at Broadcasting House in Cardiff claims that bizarre BBC rules ...
The Guardian opened a whole new can of worms yesterday, with the revelation that – allegedly – News of the World journalists got private investigators to hack into Milly Dowler's phone. Not only this, but according to the piece, they ... Continue reading →
In an astounding display of irresponsible posturing and opportunism the Labour party has just voted against Britain contributing more to the IMF. The International Monetary Fund is increasing its total pool of reserves in order to stabilise the economies of struggling members. In a Parliamentary committee this morning to approve an increase in the UK's ...
Götterdämmerung [Twilight of the Gods], opera in three acts and the final part of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen [The Ring of the Nibelung]. Performed at the Wermland Opera in Karlstad, 3 July 2011. The eagerly awaited final part ... Continue reading →
I'm returning to the issue of Luton's current lack of representation on Bedfordshire Police Authority in order to correct a misleading statement by the Luton Labour Party. Last week I was welcoming Luton on Sunday's belated reporting of how the insistence by the Labour group on Luton Borough Council that the three people who should represent the town on the Police Authority should be Labour councillors, in the face of the understanding by the other two councils in Bedfordshire that they should be 2 Labour and 1 Lib Dem, has left Luton without any representation at all. What I didn't ...
As I blog daily and given my interest in civil liberty and privacy issues, it would be strange if I did not comment on this morning's Guardian news item that the News of the World hacked into Milly Dowler's voicemail after she went missing. The paper says that the News of the World illegally targeted the missing schoolgirl and her family in March 2002, interfering with police inquiries into her disappearance. They add that Scotland Yard is investigating the episode, which is likely to put new pressure on the then editor of the paper, Rebekah Brooks, now Rupert Murdoch's chief ...
I thought I'd write an introductory post here, to avoid any confusion. Daniel has asked me to write on Too Liberal as he's now writing more for the Huffington Post UK. So who am I? I've just finished my degree ... Continue reading →
I've linked here to the interview Peta Buscombe, Chair of the Press Complaints Commission, has just given on The Daily Politics. Everyone should watch it, as it's one of the most extraordinary interviews I've ever seen. Hats off to Andrew Neil for mercilessly pursuing Peta Buscombe into revealing that nothing that has emerged about this scandal has done so as a result of the PCC. She also admitted that she felt News International had misled her. It's a brilliant piece of questioning and truly illuminating about how little the PCC has been able to do to control, regulate or punish ...
A NEW CONCEPT IN CHILDREN'S HOLIDAY PLAY SCHEMES COMES TO PHILIPS PARK THIS SUMMER The Summer Cycle Camp in Philips Park, organised by The Nationwide Cycling Academy, is designed for children between the ages of 6 to 16 years and is all about getting youngsters of all abilities involved in a wide variety of cycling. They can try out MTB with the North West Downhill Champion, learn cycle maintenance, road safety, mountain biking, cycle speedway and BMXing. The Nationwide Cycling Academy teaches core skills to thousands of school children each year so they know how to cover the basics, cycling ...
After Southport's escape from relegation we have now seen published the fixtures for next season. Southport start with a home match against newcomers Lincoln City. New players are arriving seemingly every day at Haig Ave but we shall have to wait and see if they produce a team that does not flirt with relegation
Few things are more irritating than otherwise sensible people claiming that they read the likes of the Mail and the Telegraph in order to get 'all the sides of a story'. Newspapers don't present sides of a story in terms of a measured weighing of pros and cons, they present the range of feelings you ...
Tue 5th
13:20
The smoking "ban" - is smoking the only thing the state should not be allowed to interfere with?
John Hemming has argued (http://bit.ly/m07Jau) for the smoking ban to be reviewed. Some argue this was a good law, and should stick, and others argue it's illiberal for the sate to say whether you can smoke or not. I'm not authoritarian, I do agree with the fact it isn't illiberal to have for a "ban" (people aren't banned from smoking, just moved to another place to do it) because liberalism is about doing what you want, without harming others. One of the points being missed here is that smoking CAN cause health problems for the smoker, and non-smokers next to ...
Guided Bus, opening August 2011 Cambridgeshire County Council's Conservative administration made an arrogant decision when it made a 100% cut to bus subsidies in its budget setting exercise earlier this year. The council's own public consultation gave a very clear message: Cambridgeshire residents listed bus services as one of their top three most valued public services. The Conservative Cabinet, led by Cllr Nick Clarke, ignored this message and made the worst bus subsidy cuts in England. Bus subsidies were to be swept off the map, in several stages, with no assessment of the impact these reckless cuts would have on ...
Alice Walker has written eloquently and compassionately about why she is on board the Audacity of Hope, one of the flotilla of boats seeking to sail from Greece to Gaza. Howard Jacobson has written with equal eloquence about why he thinks that Alice Walker is mistaken. Imagine for a moment that you believed that aid was urgently needed in a a disputed conflict zone. Imagine if a country next to that conflict zone said that it was checking all aid before it entered the conflict zone, to ensure that it does not include any weapons. Imagine if the Greek Government ...
I have always been fascinated, if not bemused, by the allege culture war in America. Our liberal counterparts have, apparently, declared war on everything American – mainly the family. Instead of addressing the causes of key social problems, conservatives have ... Continue reading →
It's Colchester Carnival a week on Saturday (the 16th) and there's going to be a whole day of activity going on in town. Keep an eye on the official website and this Facebook page for more information, but as I write this, the current plan for the day is: Here are just a few of the amazing things you will be able to see in the parade – in no particular order. The Main part of the parade starts from Abby Fields at 5.30 pm on the 16th July and goes via Butt Road, Headgate, Head Street and High Street, ...
This is Stephen Chapman's 25th monthly edition of Five on the Fifth in which he invites fellow bloggers to share pictures taken over the last few days. As this is the Silver Annivesary of the idea the theme this month was Silver. So here are my contributions to the party. Need a card Baking a cake Getting Dressed up for the Party Need transport to the party, as long as it is silver And relax into the soft furnishings
Residents have reported this more than once and Chris is chasing yet again for some simple painting to be done.
I'm a over a week late late with these, mainly due to tech problems and pressure of other business. But I should also say that the 45-minute episodes rather threw my rhythm; I had got nicely into the habit of finding 25-minute slots during the day, and the longer episodes were surprisingly disrupting. This also inclines me to make a further strategic decision: once I have finished my Old Who run, I will take a break before I try a similar exercise with New Who. Anyway, on with the shows. There's a decent story in Vengeance on Varos, and particularly ...
Tue 5th
11:14
'Boycott all News International products. It's the only way they'll learn.' - Nah I don't think so.....
Some people may call me a hypocrite – some may call me worse. As someone who has been a Sky customer since 2001 (bar a year when one of my landlords wouldn't let me put up a dish) I can say that I'm completely happy with their service. I know Rupert Murdoch is the man behind Sky and whilst I do not like him – I do like his product. I am not going to leave Sky or stop watching any FOX programming just because Murdoch is the man behind it. However if my twitterfeed is to be believed that ...
Tue 5th
10:56
Five stories you shouldn't miss: playing games to get jobs, the shop you can visit but can't leave w...
[IMG: Top 5 picture] Welcome to the eighth in our monthly collection of five weblinks that you shouldn't miss, put together by the Digital Leadership Group. Computer gaming as a recruitment tool http://bit.ly/kfjRGX Marriott Hotels have been using a computer game to recruit new staff, as you can see in this short YouTube film. Myself, I'm staying put as there are too many burger bun options for me to cope with. How colours change the ways people shop http://bit.ly/mqiPTC Good to know that the colour of Robin's shoes is carefully picked to make us all feel calm and soothed. New ...
The worst aspect of corruption is its routinisation. It can become so normal, so taken for granted that those who practise it no longer have any idea that they are doing anything wrong. Rebekah Brooks, in charge of NotW when the Milly Dowler hacking took place, and now chief executive of News International, says she knew nothing of the newspaper's illegal and immoral activities while she was in charge. She further says that she therefore has no reason to resign. In my view she has every reason to resign, although she won't. We don't know, and quite possibly never will ...
Despite being imprisoned for nine months for expenses fraud, Paul White – who sits in the unelected House of Lords under his official pseudonym "The Lord Hanningfield" – has refused to resign from Essex County Council and will continue to receive his £11,500 council allowance. The Tory controlled authority has insisted that a by-election for his division – Stock, near Chelmsford – cannot go ahead until his appeal against his conviction is concluded. Councillor Mike Mackrory, Lib Dems' deputy leader on Essex County Council, told the East Anglian Daily Times: "He should do the honourable thing and resign his seat ...
The title is pretty self-explanatory. Rebekah Brooks will not be fired by Rupert Murdoch unless she is charged and subsequently found guilty of perverting the course of justice. That is the only way that she'll lose her job at head of News International. Rupert Murdoch is said to be backing her 100% according to sources and that is no surprise. This is the woman who pursueded Murdoch to ditch his support of Labour for the Tories believing that Gordon Brown was done and that they wanted to be seen to be supporting only winners and not losers. Whilst it is ...
What a glorious weekend we had in Somerset ! The gravel beaches were full of white blobby bodies turning red. I walked up Glastonbury Tor in the sunshine where there was so little breeze I could light my pipe with a match.Not so glorious in Copenhagen. This film shows dramatic flooding in the streets of the Danish capital. Note how the Danes drive, cycle and walk through the floods with
Liberal Democrats are passionate about localism. We want decisions on local issues to stay where they belong. Giving towns and villages the ability to establish 20mph speed zones empowers local communities and allows them to set speeds that are best for local people. Unfortunately, the system in place until recently focused much less on local government than on micromanagement from Westminster. The story of the parish council of Whiteshill & Ruscombe illustrates this well. The council representing these two Gloucestershire villages paid £1000 out of its own budget to have several "20 is plenty" signs set up. But Whitehall, working ...
On Sunday I was pleased to accept an invitation to attend the 70th Birthday of RAF Woodvale. This was also a celebration of the base being granted The Freedom of Sefton. It was a hot day and the event was well attended by both dignitaries and the public. Visiting the base reminded me to pencil in the date for RAF Woodvale Rally on 6th/7th August. This is another well attended event and a must for fans of classic cars and motorcycles.
There's been much talk recently of the economic gap between the North of England and South, and indeed also of Scotland which some say gets more than its fair share. Some will want to paint this as a political problem – that their party of choice would be/is sorting it all out and the other party has let down the North. I disagree with that. The evidence is that a lot has been tried to reduce the North/South divide by a whole series of politicians, including pumping vast sums of money into certain areas, and it just hasn't worked – ...
Upon his first official visit to Hungary in the 1970s, the Archduke Franz Josef Otto Robert Maria Anton Karl Max Heinrich Sixtus Xavier Felix Renatus Ludwig Gaetan Pius Ignatius, heir to the Imperial throne of Austria and the Apostolic Royal Throne of Hungary, the Royal Thrones of Bohemia, Dalmatia, Slavonia, Croatia, Lodemeria and Illyria. Heir to the titular kingdom of Jerusalem, the grand Duchies of Tuscany and Krakow, the Duchies of Lorraine, Salzburg, Styria, Carniola and Bukovina, the Grand Principality of Transylvania, the Margravate of Moravia and many dozens of other titles, was greeted with a rapturous reception. Indeed he ...
The stage today goes from Lorient to Mûr-de-Bretagne (literally the wall of Brittany). The reason it is called the wall is because of the sharp climb up to the finish of today's stage. It is why today dispite a largely level profile this is unlikely to be a sprinters' finish, so don't expect to see Mark Cavendish making a sprint for the line. However, the sprinters seem set to have their day at 92.5 km in the town of Spizét. After yesterday's disqualification from the sprint of both Mark Cavendish and Thor Hushovd I expect them to get right on ...
John Dixon and Aled Roberts (the 'dangling' Lib Dem Two) may have to wait until next week to find out whether they will be reinstated following their disqualification in May. WalesOnline reports: Members of all parties were due to receive a copy of an Assembly report yesterday afternoon into the case of Aled Roberts and John Dixon, who are accused of breaching rules by remaining affiliated to organisations whose members are barred from standing for office. The report, by Gerard Elias QC, the Assembly's Commissioner for Standards, was sent to party leaders over the weekend, and was due to go ...
If every Government review concluded, as Dilnot has done, that you needed to spend more money, would they be worth the paper they were written on? What Andrew Dilnot has done is just that. A former Director of the Institute for Fiscal studies should know better. While in other respects his report is laudable and useful, the effect of his report is to call for a switch in funding still further towards the 'baby boomer' generation and away from the rest of us. It should have been written to be revenue-neutral, with spending decisions taken by Government. The baby boomers ...
Lots and lots of the people I normally get all with trying out a new web feature have had emails to Google+ and are having fin getting it working. I haven't had an invite yet. It looks cool. Nothing groundbreaking, but some substantially well through through UI tweaks to existing ideas (Dreamwidth users are probably pointing at the "Circles" idea and going "ours" quite a bit, whereas G+ is laughing at the management interface...) So, y'know, if anyone has a spare invite kicking around ;-)
I clocked this interesting piece of news about Bio Fuels on my Twitter feed this weekend. Apparently KLM Royal Dutch Airlines are about to introduce a new bio fuel to 200 of their Flights. They will be run on biokerosene on flights between between Amsterdam and Paris. In 2009 they found it was technically possible to fly on biokerosene when they flew a demonstration flight. They are now receiving certification to operate commercial flights on bio fuel. These flights will be operated on bio fuel made from Used Cooking Oil. Apparently KLM is open to using different raw materials for ...
