I may have mentioned that I've written a few pieces for Liberal Democrat Voice of late. Here are the links, and a little introduction for each; Liberal Bureaucracy: Killing Your Party With Its Song? Is the English Party's addiction to bureaucracy stifling your Local Party? A recovering bureaucrat is beginning to suspect that the answer is one that he's been denying for years. But then, what use or ornament is the English Party leadership anyway? House of Lords Reform: the Select Committee calls for evidence Apparently, this is really important to Liberal Democrats, and for all progressives with a desire ...
Because now they've redirected The Sun's website to their own twitter page and are allegedly giving outmoded names and passwords of Sun email accounts. This is going to get messy surely.
When it comes to our current scandal, it is well worth keeping an eye on the New York Times. Here is an extract from a long article published on the paper's website today: Over the last several months, Ms. Brooks spearheaded a strategy that seemed designed to spread the blame across Fleet Street, interviews show. Several former News of the World journalists said that she asked them to dig up evidence of hacking. One said in an interview that Ms. Brooks's target was not her own newspapers, but her rivals. Mr. Dacre, The Daily Mail editor, told his senior managers ...
Looks like someone decided to take a little pot shot at The Sun tonight. If you visit their website it now redirects to a fake page claiming that Rupert Murdoch is dead.
This scandal is massive. No one is doubting that. The main problem with a scandal being so large, you can't keep on top of everything. But something has been troubling me. It is interesting lots of Labour figures (including Gordon Brown, former PM, & John Prescott, former DPM) have come out and said 'We would ...
During the general election, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the HQs of our local TA to speak with the Tyneside Scottish Association. It was clear that despite the obvious benefits of having a strong TA in keeping our defence costs down and in bringing valuable experience into the Army, they felt demoralised and that the TA was suffering from chronic under-investment. The decisions of the last government to reduce TA payments as a desperate way to reduce the army bill seemed like a very counter intuitive piece of public policy. All the time this was being ...
News is just coming through that the journalist, Sean Hoare, who first broke the story about phone hacking has been found dead in his home. The resignations are piling up. What will tomorrow bring? I fear worse will come. I fear that a witchhunt is escalating. Everybody who can gain from this situation is jumping at the chance to do so. In attacking Murdoch's vested interest the attacking parties have their own vested interests. Firstly, Ed Milliband sees this as his chance to show leadership by criticising Cameron. Yet, Labour were in power for 14 years and were in power ...
Latest ICM polling indicates small yellow surge.
This book, published in June 1964, actually predates the first Doctor Who annuals and books, so I guess may be the very first Who spinoff literature evar. It is really not bad at all; alternating formats between comic strip and illustrated prose, and even a photonovel featuring the Doctor's grand-daughter Susan, it tells the story of the Daleks' attempt to invade and occupy Earth's Solar System (a diagram showing Skaro swooshing past the orbits of the Sun's other planets), opposed by the heroic efforts of Jeff, Andy and Mary Stone, good swash-buckling square-jawed heroes all three. Mary at one point ...
[IMG: whats this for] Perhaps one enquiry I should make, is whether the councils newly appointed chief executive, has checked on the legal implications of press discrimination. I wonder if it's time to recall Sandy Ezekiel as Leader of the council at least he has a bit of savvy.
I have just come back from the Royal Welsh Show where, as this item on the BBC website makes clear, the badger cull and bovine TB is still a major topic of conversation. NFU Cymru are frustrated at the lack of progress over the appointment of experts to review part of the Welsh Government's bovine TB policy. Their president Ed Bailey is quoted as saying: "Four weeks have now passed by since the environment minister stood up in plenary to announce that an expert panel would peer review the scientific evidence base regarding the eradication of bovine TB in Wales. ...
For the past week, I have been at a Leadership Conference in Abuja, Nigeria, which has attracted an extraordinary range of Ministers (past and present, including several former Heads of Government), academics and religious figures, particularly from Africa but in fact from all over the world — as well as the odd entertainer, such as ...
As my earlier post about this report was the most popular one ever on this blog (easily topping my earlier triumph with the one about flying saucers being sighted over Shropshire), I thought this was worth recording. Understanding Bipolar Disorder will now be available for free download from the British Psychological Society until 12 August. We have also made it easier to access: now you simply have to register with the website before downloading the report.
Natasha Kaplinksy features in "This much I know" in the Observer. After seeing her investigate the appalling history of her family in "Who do you think you are?", I have great respect for the woman. But she rather invites guffaws with this: News is in my blood. Even on the day of the royal wedding, you think: what would have happened if Osama Bin Laden had been assassinated today? What would the running order be? Let me see. That's a really tricky one isn't it? There's a clue though. It's called "The News". Der.
Events continued to surprise me yesterday and today in the hacking scandal. I didn't expect Met Commissioner Stephenson to stand down, but he did. After that I shouldn't have been surprised when Yates went, but I was. Two people have gone for hiring Neil Wallis: a man who hasn't yet even been charged let alone convicted of any wrong doing. As such I am unsure I will be celebrating: two senior police officers were in charge of an organisation facing serious allegations over corruption and they resign not over that but over who they hired to handle Public Relations. Something ...
It's a shame to see that Charlotte Henry is packing up the Virtually Naked site. All too often Lib Dem blogging is merely an extension of local politics, which can make certain blogs impenetrable if you're not an eager follower ... Continue reading →
I'm catching up on the Observer, due to watching 200 kids and adults doing Billy Elliott yesterday! Peter Preston has some very wise words on the whole Hackgate thingymegig, particularly concerning the future of News Corporation. His article is entitled "As the dominoes topple, soak up the family drama" and concludes: ...the next head of News Corop will not be called Murdoch.
There is a lot of talk about a possible snap election if David Cameron resigns over the phone hacking scandal. Nick Clegg is now out arguing against Cameron's resignation. If we aren't careful, this could go very very wrong for the Lib Dems. A General Election now? Holding a general election before the government's economic rebalancing strategy has been allowed to fully play out would be a disaster for the Lib Dems. The Tories are buoyed up by their supporters' perverse preference for public service cuts, but ours aren't, and if the fiscal tightening is even seen to be damaging ...
Lib Dem Councillors welcome Ministerial statement on Consultation over Local Government Finance Reform Cllr Richard Kemp, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Local Government has welcomed today's Ministerial statement on Local Government Reform. He said, "The statement sets ... Continue reading →
Why have the Lib Dems been far and away the least successful major party at vote getting in national elections in recent decades? A big part of this has to be the party's continuing lack of a compelling narrative and to explore this I want to expand on a comment I made on a recent LDV post by Helen ...
I can recommend this Sixth Doctor novel to my Whovian classicist friends: it is set in a world where Antony and Cleopatra discovered alien technology and won the Battle of Actium, and a generation later, their twins and Cleopatra's son by Julius Cæsar together are ruling the known world as an uneasy triumvirate. Of course, all is not as it seems, but Bulis has produced quite a good story with some quite subtle underlying themes of change and transformation, and in particular gives Peri a rather better story than she usually gets. The characterisation of the Sixth Doctor is a ...
Mon 18th
17:27
July Books 13) The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Bar
This is a lovely heartwarming novel, set in 1946 and told in epistolary form, about a young woman who uncovers the story of a small group of people in Guernsey who held together through the German occupation by setting up a book club. It had me captivated in the first few pages, which economically portray a traumatised small society coming to terms with the present and the future, and then develops into a more conventional but entirely pleasing love story. Strongly recommended.
While the British news media and politicos alike obsess with the unfolding of the News of the World hacking scandal, Europe's financial crisis enters a dangerous stage. In fact this crisis seems to unfolding just as quickly, and with much more important potential consequences. Was I being too sanguine last Friday, when I blogged that it was a learning curve rather than a fundamental problem? Well, probably. I had hardly posted it than a flood of dire articles about the crisis came out. One of the best is by eminent US economist Larry Summers in this morning's FT(£); alongside it ...
I was prompted to take the above picture by Terry Durrance of UKIP. We were both attending the judging for North West in Bloom last week. Terry spotted this pigeon sat on one of the frogs that shoot water into the Mermaid Fountain outside Sainsbury's on Lord St. From our angle it looked as if the pigeon was "relieving itself in a public place". Thank's Terry. Will the Labour opposition see this as another coalition?
Get Reading today carries an article based on this year's Annual Health Profile which shows that public health in Reading continues to be significantly worse than other parts of the UK and health inequality continues to be a major issue. This is not news but the fact that health inequality is still such a major issue should concern all of us. Locally I have led calls for action by both Reading Borough Council and local health partners to close the gap - and in particular do more to reduce the impact poverty is having on children's health. Two years ago ...
Wikipedia defines civil liberties in the following way: Civil liberties are rights and freedoms that provide an individual specific rights such as the right to life, freedom from torture, freedom from slavery and forced labour, the right to liberty and security, right to a fair trial, the right to defend one's self, the right to privacy, freedom of conscience, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, and the right to marry and have a family. Traditionally when we think about civil liberties we think about how freedom can be taken away from the individual by the state. So what ...
Mon 18th
16:34
What does the Copa America and a French Language Newspaper Copyright Management Company have in comm...
Well they've both been frozen out on-line. Let me go on: As the events of News International's affairs have been unwinding in the public there has been much talk about the influence the media has over what we see and hear - the fact that they can set the agenda. DR Phillip Lee (Conservative MP) made an interesting point amongst the debate stating that we shouldn't just be looking at traditional media but also newer forms, such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft as many of us (myself included) glean most of our information, news, etc from the internet. The Lib ...
Whilst answering a question about student finance in his latest University assignment, Michael takes a break and highlights one of those who helped in the Open University's creation.
Mon 18th
15:48
Video: Car crash interview - What happened when Boris first got reminded about his description of th...
I expect everyone has seen the video of Boris describing the phone hacking scandal as 'codswallop' (in case not, here's a link - the video sorts itself out after 10 seconds or so...). But what I'd never seen was the film below of what I imagine was the first time he was reminded about what he'd said. It's the second question in. As a commentator on the video has posted on You Tube.. you can see the gears grinding together. Unfortunately, it seems he never gets out of first... Hats off to the interviewer who doesn't let Boris off the ...
I represent Kenilworth Abbey division on Warwickshire County Council. The electoral division includes the northern side of Kenilworth, the parish of Burton Green and the Warwickshire part of the University of Warwick campus. The proposed HS2 route bisects my electoral division, entering it at the A429 Coventry Road, Kenilworth and leaving it at Hodgetts Lane, Burton Green. In common with many of my constituents, I have been engaged deeply in studying the HS2 proposals since they were first announced in March 2010. I object strongly to the characterisation by senior public figures of anyone who opposes the HS2 proposals as ...
You cannot seek to bribe nor twist, Thank God, the British journalist; But seeing what the man will do Unbribed, there's no occasion to. Humbert Wolfe's rhyme suggests that the News International Hacking Scandal - let's call it by its proper name - is not a new phenomenon, but an extreme version of British journalistic excess. What has been less commented on is that the serious inability of News International to get to grips with the problem or the scandal is also a very old pattern. It is about the sclerosis of narrow hierarchies. News International is a classic narrow ...
In case you missed it someone has put together a deliciously mischievous, ahem, 'reinterpretation' of the Murdoch apology ad. Here's the original (click on the picture to enlarge and read): Here's the spoof (click on the picture to enlarge and read): Fabulous
Tom Brake MP is Lib Dem Home Affairs, Justice and Equalities Co-Chair. A friend texted me over the weekend, after the news of Sir Paul Stephenson's resignation, saying 'What next?'. I texted back, 'The Queen abdicates?'. Revelations about phone-hacking and the Metropolitan police have been coming so thick and fast over the last couple of weeks that nobody would bat an eyelid (all right, I exaggerate slightly) if Her Majesty revealed a previously unknown Met and NOTW connection. Sir Paul's departure is just the latest extraordinary development in the phone-hacking saga. Even though he was widely recognised as an outstanding ...
Some of you will have missed Olly Grender's hackgate quiz. I feel sure it couldbe expanded! Question: Which party called for the criminalisation of payment to Police by media following Culture Committee report? Answer: LibDems in June 2003 calls were ignored by whoever was in Govt at the time ...... who was it? Question: who was the first MP to call for a judicial inquiry into phone hacking? Answer: 9/7/2009: Chris Huhne, LibDem Home Affairs Spokesman, called for a full investigation into the phone-hacking scandal. 2010 February 24th: Chris Huhne is the first politician to call for a judicial inquiry ...
I am very sorry to hear that Rabbi Aba Dunner has died. Rabbi Dunner was a Conservative councillor in Barnet for many years, being exactly the sort of thoughtful, dignified and compassionate person that one wants in local government. This sad news follows the recent announcement that a former Leader of the Council, the Conservative Victor Lyon, has also died. Vic Lyon was another person who devoted years of his life to public service and who was always reasonable, good-humoured and willing to listen to the views of others. A great many people in Barnet will have gained immeasurably from ...
We are often told that we have to accept things 'because they were in the coalition agreements'. In which case we could do with an implementation plan for the paragraph that reads: "We want the banking system to serve business, not the other way round. We will bring forward detailed proposals to foster diversity in financial services, to promote mutuals and to create a more competitive banking industry An all party group has published a report today that tackles this issue. Many of us have identified the dominance of the 'share ownership ' model as one of the causes of ...
Andrew Stunell, the Communities and Local Government Minister, has an article in the Huffington Post today, announcing Government plans to increase social housing after decades of declining numbers and soaring waiting lists: Liberal Democrats in government are ensuring this trend is reversed. We fought hard to make sure that the Comprehensive Spending Review last October included money for a social housing building programme of 150,000 new social and affordable homes to be built up to 2015. A key part of this was the new Affordable Rent model that we introduced, with an invitation to social housing providers to bid for ...
As the press scandal grinds on, the right wing will probably concentrate on one key message: we need a free press, and therefore we should push back against regulation. The strength of this message is that the premise is an essential truth; the danger is that their conclusion will not produce a free press. A free press requires free journalists, not just free media barons with supplicant editors. Journalists need the law on their side if they are to be free. It's important that the Liberal Democrats consistently point out one of our core principles: "freedom" has two ingredients. It's ...
One of our regular readers, @CommentatorIntl, has asked, "Why are there still Bishops in the Lords?" Good Question. The short answer is that successive Prime Ministers and Governments have been too scared of all the other reactionary elements to want to take on the Church of England as well. However, the history of the presence of the Prelates in Parliament suggests a more complex situation, as one of their number has explained it to me. In mediaeval times, the Bishops were such huge feudal landlords, and had such huge economic power as a result, that no Monarch could risk going ...
As the blustery wind and the rain visited Birkdale yesterday three gardens were open to the public as part of the National Garden Scheme I went round to see the garden at Ashton Rd which was amazing. I (predictably) was impressed with the veg patch which was far neater and tidier than my allotment!. The size of the overwintering onions has persuaded me to try them this year. The photos show the firts part of the garden-complete with Tortoise trap!
This week is the 50th anniversary of Prime Minister's Questions. Over the years PMQs has seen many controversial moments and gladiatorial contests - but many argue that it shows the best and the worst of British politics. I have decided to score the various contests. They are from my own impressions since the Commons was heard (from 1978) and seen (since 1989) and, earlier than that, I have had to judge from other accounts. The below scores are my views alone and are just for fun - and I am only counting the leaders themselves rather than stand-ins. 1961-1963 Harold ...
Mon 18th
13:19
From Labour Cabinet member to Lib Dem Mayoral candidate: the curious tale of Brian Haley
Brian Haley was a name that raised an eyebrow from me and no doubt from many of you. The Mayoral candidate shortlist was announced. Lembit Opik, sure. Mike Tuffrey, ok. Brian Paddick, fine. Brian Haley? Huh? Well it turns out that he used to be a Labour councillor in Haringey. What's more, he was the Cabinet member for Environment and Conservation. He was facing deselection and got one over his party by defecting to us in January 2010 after 16 years as a Labour councillor. Apparently we are the only ones with the vision to fix Haringey's problems. Now, he ...
Yesterday's Observer carried a story about local authority investment in tobacco firms. The article claimed that Cornwall Council has £24.5 million invested in tobacco firms through it's pension fund - the biggest investment by a local authority and approximately one fifth of all the money invested by councils in such companies. I think it is appalling that Cornwall Council does not yet have an ethical investment strategy. I called a number of months ago for action to be taken to make sure that we don't invest in dodgy regimes such as the one in Bahrain. At the time I got ...
Just a few planning applications in this week. A couple of note: 47498 – application for the dentists at 20 Wilmslow Road, Cheadle to become a private residence with an additional balcony at the rear. 47560 – application for replacement extension at Gatley Golf Club 47570 – application for an additional rear enclosure for the Cheshire Line Tavern, Manchester Road, Cheadle. More information on all applications on the Stockport planning website.
Lord Monckton, climate change sceptic and UKIP's head of research, has been told to stop claiming to be a member of the House of Lords, in a letter sent to him personally and also published on the House of Lords website. In his letter, David Beamish, Clerk of the Parliaments, makes the distinction: No-one denies that you are, by virtue of your letters Patent, a Peer. That is an entirely separate issue to membership of the House... I am publishing this letter on the parliamentary website so that anybody who wishes to check whether you are a Member of the ...
Cornwall Council has formally confirmed their plan to move Launceston's One Stop Shop to the library as a money saving measure. I think that, if the circumstances, this is a fair decision to make. There are plenty of cuts being made and, whilst the Conservative led administration are axing front line services in some cases, this move ensure that both One Stop Shop and library services remain intact. My only concern at the move, and one which I have raised with officers ever since the proposal was first suggested, is about access to the library building. Whereas the old One ...
TweetEd Miliband has done well in presenting the illusion of leading on the phone hacking scandal, indeed this has translated into a poll boost, but I'm not convinced it'll last neither is it the start of a turn around. Quite simply to borrow a phrase "He Just doesn't get it" It's true that Ed Miliband has been the most vocal of the political leaders over the Murdoch scandal, and this has gained a lead in the polls because of it. The people are rightly disgusted and they believe he's demonstrated a leadership that he has sorely lacked over the course ...
How is it, that this nation, founded on virtuous and grand principles turned into a Roman-esque state of pure, naked political corruption? This is not solely subjected to Labour and Conservative governments, but we, the people, too are apart of ... Continue reading →
The Charlie Gilmour sentence of 16 months has caused quite a stir amongst the blogosphere in the past few days, with both sides of the debate having their say. Some believe that the sentence is overly harsh and some believe that it is justified due to what he did. I wrote the other day that I didn't write that the sentence was harsh but I did question whether it was right to send him to prison. I didn't see the pros of this course of action but I don't think prison works – and for certain people and for certain ...
Rupert Murdoch and News Corp have never been friends of the the Liberal Democrats or their leaders. In fact it has made a point of ignoring the party, making an exception only to smear Nick Clegg and his predecessors. At the same time he and his companies went out of their way to build relationships with Labour and Tory politicians in turn as the fortunes of the two parties varied over time. Now in the rush by these parties to distance themselves from the sinking ship that is News Corp one might imagine that mutual distrust between the Murdoch empire ...
The arrest of Rebekah Brooks has seriously hampered the ability of MPs to question her. Was it 'blundering incompetence' on the part of the Police, as Geoffrey Robinson QC has suggested just a few minutes ago on the News? Or could it possibly have actually been a rather clever move?
Liberal Democrats have hit out at the Tory-run county council spending at least £60,000 on new boundary signs as you enter the county. 'There was nothing at all wrong with the previous signs, which were actually quite dignified, bearing the county name and the hart,' said Lib Dem Resources spokesperson Cllr Malcolm Cowan. 'But they have been scrapped, replaced by some advertising man's idea of trendy, as "County of Opportunity". At a time when we are having to economise, this seems a strange priority.' Malcolm continued: 'It comes hot on the heels of learning that the county council failed to ...
On Saturday, I found myself in an all day meeting of the strategic body of a campaigning organisation, and I found myself thinking something that hadn't previously shown a fin in the ocean that is my political consciousness – is having policy spelled out to the nth degree really a good way to run a society? Indeed, how many people care about the details? I am a member of a political party, and therefore have more of an interest in ideas of governance than most. But, like most members of political parties, I have an awareness of our policies, rather ...
Karl Rove is not the most popular figure in liberal Britain and it may not be a surprise that The Telegraph has started to look at him for ideas to reinvent the Tory Party. However, there are some distinct similarities between what Mr Rove and the Lib Dems have done to increase their respective votes ...
Mon 18th
09:20Can someone ask Quentin Letts or Max Hastings if they know what a loaf of bread costs?
For everyone who missed it, here's a link to the ridiculous piece Quentin Letts wrote in (of course) The Daily Mail last week, criticising Nick Clegg for doing the school run. I imagined the world would largely dismiss it as utter nonsense. More fool me. I caught 2 minutes of the Andrew Marr paper review yesterday, only to heat Max Hastings endorsing the piece. 'I want the PM and DPM running the country, not doing the school run' he intoned Words fail me. No doubt Quentin and Max are bemused in the first place that Nick's kids are home at ...
When my niece Laura was a baby, my sister lived in Perth. Whenever I visited, I used to take Laura to play on the South Inch, a gorgeous green space in the city centre. It's a fabulous asset to a beautiful city. I was very concerned to hear yesterday when I went to the Perth Lib Dems' annual Strawberry Tea that someone has applied for planning permission to put a whopping great incinerator right next to the South Inch, on the shore of the River Tay. There are no words to describe how offensive I find this proposal. Not only ...
An Israeli General has come out against the terrorism Israeli settlers are performing against the Palestinians in the West Bank (Link). What I ask is how can we continue to support a regime that refuses to step in against this and still claim to have a 'War on Terror'? Israel has repeatedly ignored international law (the West Bank settlements are considered illegal under international law) and refuses to keep their citizens in check to protect the native population. Not only that but when the Palestinians strike back - they bomb them with advanced military weapons. We just sent troops to ...
(Reproduced from my piece on Lib Dem Voice) The resignation of Sir Paul Stephenson as commissioner of The Met is significant in a way beyond the obvious interpretation. As someone tweeted earlier, from their resignation statements, one might surmise that everyone who has resigned so far has done absolutely nothing wrong. However, the difference in the Paul Stephenson case is that everybody seems to be falling over themselves to agree. In the hour after his resignation I saw or heard statements from Boris Johnson, Kit Malthouse and Jenny Jones all lauding the honourable decision Sir Paul had made and in ...
We're getting deeper into yet another establishment scandal. Already, even generally objective commentators are lapsing into easy cynicism. Matthew Parris, for instance, is saying, "There's nothing new here. I don't understand why people are so shocked." This kind of worldlier-than-thou attitude isn't quite as calm and grounded as he'd probably like to think. It just means he himself is shocked that people are actually, you know, suffering the consequences of their actions. It's not over-the-top to react strongly to the phone hacking scandal, even if we all knew that kind of thing was going on. Getting riled by specific things ...
In the recent local and devolved elections, the Lib Dems polled around 16% of the vote. This was down around a third on the 23% the party polled at the last General Election. Lots of very hard working councillors lost their seats and as a result of this the party's local base has doubtless been damaged. Of course I feel desperately sorry for those people. Fighting against a national trend is very difficult and can feel like one hand is tied behind your back before you even get started. However what I wanted to focus on today is how the ...
Well, the 50th was going to be the final post but then things just happened; the trial of the tuition fees, the Arab Spring and AV etc etc. All such things demanding of a comment or two. Meanwhile, through blogging, I believe I have developed (or mined) my personal liberal narrative and (maybe) written more thoughtful posts with that narrative entwined. I still lag way behind those far more articulate bloggers of the Liberal tradition, whom I read avidly, and it seems like a good time to hang up the proverbial keyboard(?), to do rather more reading, with just the ...
Following the opening of the Riverside Nature Park, residents have pointed out the end for dog bins at the park. I have contacted the City Council regarding this and the Team Leader, Partnership and Regeneration in the City Development Department has responded positively as follows : "Thank you for your email which raises a matter that we have already been considering. We have agreed that dog bins should be provided at the car park and Invergowrie entrances to the Park and possibly one or two within the Park. The poles have been put in place and the bins are to ...
The Murdoch scandal. The sky is dark with chickens coming home to roost. Rebekah Brooks resigns and a day later is arrested. Les Hinton resigns. Further arrests are on the way. The noose grows tighter ever tighter around James Murdoch. Meanwhile Sir Paul Stephens resigns as the Met Police commissioner- inevitable sooner or later, but interesting that it was sooner. Some of the more excitable may say that Cameron himself is under threat, but in the political game of mutual assured destruction, he is no more guilty than most, and a lot less guilty than many. Tony Blair has probably ...
On Friday afternoon seven members of the AAP (Derwent Valley Partnership) went on tour to Durham in pursuit of information that might help them to better understand, and bring influence to bear upon, the new Academy and combined Sports Centre in Consett. Let's be up front. The site proposed for the new Academy is the wrong one, and that battle isn't over. But Consett will get a new Academy/Leisure Centre wherever it is built and local people need to play a constructive part in ensuring that it serves both the children and the community. This tour was a helpful, if ...
I was reminded yesterday of one of Gordon Brown's bigger gaffes as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the time when he sold off a huge chunk of the country's gold reserves at a rock bottom price. Wikipedia records that between 1999 and 2002 Brown sold 60% of the UK's gold reserves shortly before gold entered a protracted bull market, since nicknamed by dealers as Brown Bottom. The official reason for selling the gold reserves was to reduce the portfolio risk of the UK's reserves by diversifying away from gold. The UK eventually sold about 395 tons of gold over 17 auctions ...
Yesterday's big news that Sir Paul Stephenson, Commissioner of the Met police, has resigned has been reported as putting more pressure on PM Cameron. The reason - highlighted by Labour's Yvette Cooper - is the contrast between the Commissioner's 'honourable' action of resigning over his employment of the Deputy Editor of the News of the World compared with the 'dishonourable' action of PM Cameron who remains in post even though he appointed its Editor. However, senior policemen are almost as difficult to winkle out of office as dodgy politicians - witness how long Stephenson's predecessor held on despite losing the ...
To a Medical Center in Fresno | Easily Distracted "It became clear to me that as a matter of policy, the hospital was coping with a large number of local patients using its ER for ordinary medical care by passive-aggressive neglect. Unless you walked in with an immediately and obviously life-threatening condition, time would be your triage, not a medical professional. If you could endure waiting eight to nine hours, that was proof that your condition was sufficiently serious that you might need urgent care." (tags: ushealth) Nick Courtney's memorial service A sad occasion obviously but a lovely account. Look ...
Click here to take survey
... was really rather good. ( Spoiler cut for politeness, rather than any sort of coherence ) Yeah. I really liked it. And yes, I cried. Quite a lot. HP was my first big internet fandom. I might not be active in it any more, but it literally changed my life; so it was a big thing seeing the final film. And it was worth seeing on the big screen. I think the only one that comes close to it of the seven previous ones is PoA; but I don't think it would mean as much without having seen the ...
