Councillor Geoff Juby An accusation that was levelled at the local party this week for failing to attend an emergency council meeting about more problems with the new Bus station development. No one from the Liberal Democrat group attended. This does look bad, especially over a subject that has caught the Conservative led council with its pants down with an overspend on its pet project and continued poor planning. I agree that Councillor Juby should have been present, however it is conceivable that due to outside life getting in the way that none of our three councillors (out of 55 ...
Now before you all start groaning lets be clear on one thing. I will never win a LibDem BOTY and in all honesty (yes seriously) I don't want to. I like the fact that I sit on the fringes of ...
Not my words, but those of David Boyle and Simon Titley who have co-authored an alternative policy paper called 'Really facing the future' which has been published through the offices of Liberator magazine. It's certainly an analysis I agree with and have blogged previously about in context of the Lib Dems' response to the current NHS reforms. I don't agree with all of it - but it poses some significant questions for Liberal Democrats (and indeed all politicians) - this one is particularly apposite: Because there is another problem here, which lies behind the policy vacuum. It is that the ...
One of the criticisms of the Liberal Democrats in the Coalition was that we were too ready to agree to Conservative policies even the ones we are supposed to be completely opposed to like Tuition, or the harsher Austerity measures. At the Spring Liberal Conference Nick Clegg stood before the party faithful and promised that we as a party in coalition would assert ourselves and show that we were not the lapdogs who nodded along to every line that David Cameron and the Conservative leadership fed us just so we could get a sniff of power. Since then, and the ...
What's loosely termed the awards "ceremony" for the 2011 Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards has just drawn to a glittering close. As the last firework fades in Birmingham's night sky, I'm delighted to announce the winners: Best new Liberal Democrat Blog (started since 1st September 2010) A View from Ham Common by Richard Morris Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office (The Tim Garden Award) Stephen Williams' Blog by Stephen Williams MP (Bristol West) Best use of blogging/social networking/e-campaigning by a Liberal Democrat Julian Huppert MP's Twitter feed Best posting on a Liberal Democrat blog (since ...
Having weighed the new film against the television adaptation from 1979 and found it wanting, I had better show you a glimpse of the version I prefer. Here are Alec Guinness as George Smiley, Ian Richardson as Bill Haydon and a little bit of a splendidly pompous Michael Aldridge as Percy Alleline. You can buy the whole thing if you like the look of it.
Welcome to Birmingham, a city with a great, outspoken liberal tradition. The home of Joe Chamberlain, where Gladstone called for Home Rule in one of the most rousing speeches of his life, and where Lloyd George nearly lost his life when he spoke out against the Boer War. Now it's the home of those great modern day, outspoken liberals - John Hemming and Lorely Burt. I have spent the last few weeks criss-crossing the country, speaking to as many of you as possible, hearing your concerns and answering your questions. We did what Lib Dems do: discussed, debated, argued - ...
A somewhat shaky start to Lib Dem Conference saw conference reps deliver defeat to both sides in an argument about whether we should debate the current NHS Bill at this conference. A bad result for the Federal Conference Committee (FCC) (in this instance a proxy for the leadership) as a clear majority of those voting made it clear that they want a proper debate on the Bill. But also a bad result for those calling for the debate, as they demonstrated that they don't have quite the strength they need to force the issue. The debate was also marred by ...
The best thing about Nick Clegg's speech tonight wasn't the fact that he reminded all activists why we are different to the Tories. It wasn't even that he made little jokes about his Conservative colleagues. It was his tribute to ...
Here is the transcript of Nick Clegg's first speech to conference in Birmingham this evening. I particularly loved the tribute he paid to Andrew Reeves (in bold). Thanks have to go to Calum Jones for sending me the text straight ...
I know a lot of people were worried about Mickey as I was last night. It was and is a scary time that i have no desire to go through again. After taking him to the vet this afternoon, it transpires ...
What happened on Saturday in Birmingham at Liberal Democrat conference:
"Competence with a conscience" sounds like a good, comfortable narrative for the Liberal Democrats. But the voters don't seem to be buying it. Nick Clegg's narrative to market the Liberal Democrats and our role in government was summed up in his speech at the National Liberal Club in May. The speech marked the first anniversary of the coalition's formation. At the next election, we will say that we are demonstrably more credible on the economy than Labour, and more committed at heart to fairness than the Conservatives. I am confident that by showing we can combine economic soundness with social ...
I went to see the Dowager Lady Bonkers in hospital today. She has had a second knee replacement operation and is Terribly Well considering. On the way home I was very taken with this bus shelter across the road from the hospital.
Lynne Featherstone gave a powerful speech on her work as equalities minister this afternoon at Liberal Democrat Conference. I will print the whole thing below but one thing you should remember is the shocking statistic that rape and domestic violence is a higher risk for women aged 15-44 than Cancer and Malaria. Lynne is the minister in charge of dealing with this for women and girls overseas - and I'm glad she does because she clearly understands the issues. She talked about how important it was that women's rights are factored in when building the new democracies after the Arab ...
Conference – the Liberal Democrats have now been in Government for more than 500 days. And I know what you're all thinking. You're thinking – this is tough. And I know that it hasn't always been easy; and that at times the reality of this Coalition business is very tough. But that is the point. That is what we are here for. Because who are we – if not the party who makes the hard calls? We are the ones who opposed Iraq – when no one else did; Who championed the Green agenda – when no one else did; ...
Max Atkinson is running a prize competition on his blog to coincide with the party conference season: All you have to do is to suggest a PowerPoint slide (or PowerPoint show of no more than 3 slides) that any of the three main party leaders could use to impress the audiences during their 2011 conference speeches.Full details on Max's website. There are two good prizes - three if you speak Russian.
An attempt to suspend standing orders and allow an emergency motion on the Health and Social Care Bill was approved by a majority of conference representatives but failed to get the two-thirds majority needed (235 voted to suspend standing orders ... Continue reading →
Having not come to Birmingham (because, of course, I am not here), I did feel that I ought not to appear in the conference hall.In particular, I was not going to get involved with any debate on whether or not to suspend standing orders so as to allow Evan Harris to attempt to overturn the results of Liberal Democrat efforts to modify the proposed NHS reforms to reflect public concerns and liberal ideals.So, naturally, I was merely exercising my trick right shoulder and it was a simple coincidence that I was holding a delegate card with my name and photograph ...
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members responded, and we'll be publishing the full results in the coming days. Support for Coalition as high as ever LDV asked: Do you support or oppose the Lib Dems being in the Coalition Government with the Conservatives? 84% – Support 13% – Oppose 4% Don't know This is the third time this year we've polled our sample of party members to ask about attitudes to the Coalition. In ...
I've written most of this post on the train down to Birmingham for the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference. The timing of my travel meant that I missed this morning's consultative sessions, in particular the one on the local government finance. So this is my written response to the local government finance consultation paper instead. Posted online via the free wi-fi in the ICC. You can read the full consultation paper here Over all this is a pretty soundly based attempt at practical steps towards the kind of funding arrangments for local government that Liberal Democrats have long argued for. The ...
A double dose of LibLink love with two pieces to highlight. First, an op-ed from (Lord) Chris Rennard for The Guardian with a lesson from history for the Liberal Democrats: [Being in coalition] leaves the Liberal Democrats shaken by the drop in poll support but not entirely surprised by it. My view is that the drop in support should not be regarded as inevitable on polling day in 2015. In December 1996, the Lib Dems were suffering from too close an association with Labour and a poll rating below 10%. Analysis of the new parliamentary boundaries showed that the Lib ...
The Liberal Democrat Conference opens today in Birmingham with perhaps the most depressing talking shop ever put on a Lib Dem Agenda. It's the consultative session for the "May 2011 Election Review": a big drop in the popular vote; a major setback on local councils; a disaster in Scotland; a total and utter thrashing in the AV referendum. And it's the last that looks the most hopeless. Is electoral reform finished for good, or at least for a generation? Instead of endlessly debating what went wrong, there's one major change we can make right now to improve things next time: ...
Mark Pack speaking at the LibDem Conference today urged Liberal Democrats to lobby any members of the House of Lords known to them to encourage such Peers to support a fully elected upper house. Mark pointed out that we were the Liberal DEMOCRATIC Party. Well I'm sorry Mark. I can see nothing relentlessly democratic in electing a replica of the Commons. Whatever form of proportional voting is used - and the experience of AV is still a raw wound - one might expect a re-run of the tribal voting that has characterised our so called democracy for decades. It was ...
It's been quite a journey – but today as this post goes up – I am announcing in my keynote speech to Liberal Democrat conference that in March, this Government will begin a formal consultation on equal civil marriage for same-sex couples. This would allow us to make any legislative changes before the end of this Parliament. We will be working closely with all those who have an interest in the area to understand their views ahead of the formal consultation. The consultation will only cover civil marriage for same sex couples - not religious marriage.
Two interesting political developments yesterday. The presidential race in the Republic, having lost a lot of its sparkle when David Norris was forced to pull out, and again when Fianna Fáil failed to persuade one of their celebrity options to stand, is now heating up again. Not only is David Norris now trying to get back into the race, not only is Fianna Fáil now embarrassed by Tipperary senator Labhrás Ó Murchú who is determined to run his own backwoodsman bid, but it now seems that Martin McGuiness will stand for Sinn Féin. I can't believe that he will win, ...
Visit to Haematology Outpatients at King's, following a blood test. Platelet count was 588, a bit lower than 4 weeks ago, but still above the normal range of 133 to 332. White blood cell count is low and haemoglobin well below normal, but the consultant said it wasn't practical to treat multiple aberrations of blood chemistry simultaneously. I find that difficult to believe, but didn't have time to query it because Jamie was coming round at 13.00 to deal with our network problems (which he solved). The myeloproliferative disorder I have, which s described as essential thrombocytosis, may be symptomless ...
As the Liberal Democrat conference begins this weekend, a lot of thinking, and talking, will be happening about what direction the party should take while in government. Nick Clegg has been working at developing a modern liberal narrative and more needs to be done in this area. If the party is going to rebuild its electoral base it needs to be clear about what it stands for, what policies are needed to implement what it stands for and how it communicates those policies. One way to start could be with the individual. There is a commonly held view that rampant ...
The Liberal Democrat Conference opens today in Birmingham with perhaps the most depressing talking shop ever put on a Lib Dem Agenda. It's the consultative session for the "May 2011 Election Review": a big drop in the popular vote; a major setback on local councils; a disaster in Scotland; a total and utter thrashing in the AV referendum. And it's the last that looks the most hopeless. Is electoral reform finished for good, or at least for a generation? Instead of endlessly debating what went wrong, there's one major change we can make right now to improve things next time: ...
Congratulations to everyone involved in the new Five Islands School at Old Town on St Marys, Isles of Scilly. The school opened its doors this week. It really is an exceptional school and a real step forward for the islands.
[IMG: dont do it] Yes plenty, I just notice that according to Blogger Dashboard, my last posting was number 1500, after estimating a word count at around 675,000 or the hours 2250 assuming I spend an hour and a half on each "masterpiece". Of course a rational appraisal of all this might, suggests an obsessive personality, who in their right mind would devote 90 plus days of their last five years to blogging, well in my defence I'm not a train spotter, and I don't go fishing (why spend hours getting cold and wet when you can go to Tesco's). ...
Today I posted over at Dale & Co: The global financial system continues to convulse. The latest shock to the system is the exposure of an alleged $2bn fraud at UBS. Grave concerns about the external regulation of the financial system are reinforced by equally serious concerns about the internal regulation of investment banks. And, ...
Sat 17th
13:45
"In government, a thorn in the Tories' side" - James Landale's alternative Lib Dem conference slogan
'In Government On Your Side' is the official slogan of the Lib Dems' autumn conference, which officially starts today. But the BBC's James Landale has proposed an alternative – and I'm rather taken with it: In government, a thorn in the Tories' side The suggestion comes in his pre-conference assessment here. It's a fair-minded take that recognises the bruising year the Lib Dems have endured, but also acknowledges why the mood in Birmingham will be more upbeat than much of the media was probably expecting (or hoping). And for two very good reason, which are (in order of importance, I ...
TweetWhen we used to debate in Womens' Studies, people often complained about 'feminism' being refered to as a genderised movement, that it should be 'equalism' or a similar constructed 'ism' to define gender equality. This is why Gay Marriage comes under Feminism in my mind. Feminism is a Venn of gender equality, sexual preference equality and society un-impacted by discrimination. Feminism is a campaign to correct all of these areas. By equalising marriage and gay marriage, as Lynne Featherstone MP Equalities Minister has announced today will happen under the coalition, we are seeing a progressive shift in equalities. Currently marriage ...
... this site would have come 62nd in the Total Politics list of Top 100 Lib Dem Blogs. As it is, the party leader just edged me out for that high-profile, coveted spot, and I had to settle for 63rd. (And he probably didn't even tout for trade.) However, I well-and-truly trounced the Deputy Prime Minister in the race for Top Lib Dem Blogger, with a Top 10 placing. (9th if you must know.) Better luck next year, Nick. Seriously, many thanks to those (I guess it must have been plural) who voted for me or this blog. And do ...
I have become aware of a few old constituency names which have been revived by the English Boundary Commissioners in their proposals. One is Liskeard, in Cornwall. The proposal is for a county seat called Liskeard, including Saltash, Looe, Fowey and Lostwithiel. So this, I think, is different from the old borough constituency of Liskeard which existed from 1295 until 1885. But it still bears the same name. Helen Duffett made me aware of the resurfacing of Wanstead and Woodford, in London, which existed as a constituency from 1964 and 1997. Beverley in Humberside/East Riding of Yorkshire existed as a ...
I've seen a couple of online references to the attempt by some opponents of the NHS reforms to have their emergency motion debated by Conference. The reason it was turned down was because our rules say that we can't debate the same issue in successive years. That's fine when we're in opposition, but not when we're in Government and things are changing all the time. The NHS issue has moved on since it was debated in March. The NHS Bill before the House of Lords is not the same bill but there are still concerns with it. Personally, I think ...
The excellent Conal Kelly has sent me updates for the elections in the 26 local councils of Northern ireland: Antrim, Ards, Armagh, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Banbridge, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Castlereagh, Coleraine, Cookstown, Craigavon, Derry, Down, Dungannon, Fermanagh, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, Magherafelt, Moyle, Newry and Mourne, Newtownabbey, North Down, Omagh and Strabane. He has also sent me pages on the more distant Westminster elections of 1970, 1966, 1964, 1959, 1955, 1951, and 1950. All good stuff.
A few weeks ago I wrote a piece about the battle for control of the Electoral Reform Society. The results of the Electoral Reform Society Council election have since come out and they show a clear victory for the 'reform' slate, eight of whose 15 candidates got elected. Just four of the existing nine council members were re-elected (the Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer and Michael Meadowcroft, who topped the poll) with the other three successful candidates also being in favour of reform. There had been talk of a legal challenge to the elections, centering on whether those given free membership ...
So I, personally, am the fourteenth best Lib Dem blogger, and my blog is the seventeenth best blog, according to those who voted in the Total Bollocks Willy Waving Awards. This puts me in the slightly embarrassing position of having beaten my favourite minister of state in both charts - sorry Lynne :( Am really glad to see Caron second only to Lib Dem Voice and Count Packula in each chart. I hope this is a good sign for the Botties tonight. I've been nominated for best post in that, but I don't expect to win. Both Neil's and Alex's ...
[IMG: Lib Dem logo] It's my first full strength, week long autumn political conference, where I shall be amongst my fellow Liberal Democrats, free to talk politics without fear of bring the conversation to a grinding halt. I'm looking forward to it. The anticipation has already had me blogging fairly extensively as I try to internalise all the thoughts I've had since I joined just over a year ago. It's a slippery slope, it seems, from suspicion of politics to addiction. Lean into the curves and make a splash, I say! Curries and lunches and video shoots have been arranged. ...
The observant watchers of this blog will notice that the day before yesterday it had its 10,000th visitor. As it was my third wedding anniversary, I was spending time with my wife. Considering this blog was started only eleven months ago, in less than a year that's pretty fantastic! By the time this is published ...
Sat 17th
10:50
an abuse of power, the action of a bully......Chris Davis on Lab leader of Merseytravel
Ainsdale councillor Haydn Preece has hit out after Ainsdale's Station Road was flooded on Friday night and Saturday morning. " This has been a persistent problem and last weekend was the worst Ainsdale residents, shopkeepers and shoppers have had to endure. Moreover the flooded areas created a road hazard as cars veered to the centre of the road to avoid mini lakes over eight inches high. This is not a one off, it is happening all too often and I have requested our highways and technical services to take a serious look at this unsatisfactory and dangerous situation. Shoppers parking ...
Nick Clegg's interview in today's Independent is rather more subtle on tax than the headline "I won't let Osborne cut 50p tax" suggests. For in fact the story goes on to say: Mr Clegg made clear that the Liberal Democrats would back abolition of the 50p rate in the long run only if it is not raising much revenue and if it is replaced by new taxes on "unearned income". These could include a 1 per cent annual "mansion tax" on homes worth more than £2m, a land tax, and restricting tax relief on pensions to the basic 20p rate. ...
Really Facing the Future has just been published on the Liberator website. We have written it as an alternative to the Liberal Democrats' policy development agenda, Facing the Future (PDF): this was published in August 2011, and intended to set out the party's values, highlight the main challenges and summarise policy development priorities for the remainder of the current parliament - it will be debated at party conference this coming Monday morning. We believe that Facing the Future fails to face the future. It lacks political imagination, it lacks a coherent analysis of the challenges we face and it lacks ...
I just wanted to write and thank everyone who voted for me and even nominated me in the first place. I am sincerely very grateful and was not expecting to receive any form of accolades. As it is I came 52nd in the top 100 Liberal Democrat Bloggers in the UK and... the Gingerliberal blog spot was awarded 34th best Liberal Democrat Blog!!! I continue to be awed and shocked as well as exceedingly grateful. Thanks a lot.
Considering how infrequent my postings here have been over the summer months, I was surprised and delighted to learn that this blog has been ranked at the dizzy heights of Number 41 in the Lib Dem Blogs category of the Total Politics Annual Awards . I would like to say a big thank you to ...
I have lost count of how many Liberal, Lib Dem and Young Liberal Conferences that I have been to over the years. They were all memorable (at the time) but over time pass into obscurity leaving only a warm feeling ... Continue reading →
Out with a little less fanfare than usual this week have been various categories in the Total Politics Blogger League Tables, including the top Liberal Democrat blogs: 1 Lib Dem Voice 2 Caron's Musings 3 Liberal England 4 Andrew Reeves' Running Blog 5 Stephen's Liberal Journal 6 Mark Pack =7 Liberal Vision =7 A Scottish Liberal 9 Cllr Fraser Macpherson 10 Mark Reckons And the top Liberal Democrat bloggers: 1 Mark Pack 2 Caron Lindsay 3 Andrew Reeves 4 Jonathan Calder 5 Stephen Glenn 6 Olly Grender 7 Mark Thompson 8 Julian Astle 9 Stephen Tall 10 Fraser Macpherson Lovely ...
The Independent write Clegg has turned disaster on its head which offers an assessment of many strengths in Nick Clegg: he regularly highlights distinctive contributions from his party, so much so that some Conservatives worry that any so called progressive policy is attributed to the Liberal Democrats and more rightwing MPs start to complain publicly ...
It has been announced on the YatePeople website that the temporary Tesco store in Yate Shopping Centre will close at 4pm on Sunday, 16th October, a week earlier than planned so that the site can be cleared and car park restored before the new Tesco Extra store opens at 8am on Monday, 24th October.
I'm being forced to become a walking stereotype thanks to the Coalition. One of the "crimes" LGBT people are accused of by political homophobes is that we are never satisfied, that when we make one advance we always want more. The Government plan to legalise same-sex marriage, after yet another consultation, and yet I'm still not happy. I'm not pressing for more than I've ever demanded before, I'm just being consistent. A Home Office spokesman said that the consultation on reforming the marriage laws would only cover civil marriage for same sex couples and not religious marriage. Ministers have ruled ...
Liberal Democrats can reasonably claim to have been the architects and cheerleaders of the NHS. However, we now run the risk of being cast as the office juniors and apologists for the architects of its demise. I used these words when I addressed the Spring Conference in Sheffield this year; during the debate which soundly castigated the Government's controversial Health & Social Care Bill and which precipitated the unprecedented 'pause'. Though the media didn't give us credit, two thirds of 'unfettered' (by Ministerial or other office) Liberal Democrat MPs rebelled in last week's debate and votes on the Bill. In ...
I'm not going to get to Birmingham until tomorrow afternoon, so I'm going to miss the debate on Conference Accreditation at 9am tomorrow. This is the speech I would have made if I were there. If you think it's useful, please feel free to help yourself to it. Conference I'm here today, not because of my constitutional right to attend Conference, but because Greater Manchester Police have deemed that I'm not a security risk. They are right. But that's not the point. The Federal Conference Committee has given the Police the right to determine the extent of our political activity ...
Following on from the previous post I thought I'd blog about my evening. I was trying to meet up with fellow Lib Dem Conference folk who arrived today but couldn't find them but I had a fall back option. Before I tell you what that was I'll let you know that up by the conference venue I was accosted by a prostitute who asked me if I wasn't to indulge in any sexual services. I politely declined. So just putting the warning out there folks that the prostitutes are in town thinking that they can make some money from the ...
I blogged a while ago about the application for an off licence on Garston Old Road at the corner of Stormont and by the park. The licensing committee will be deciding on this at a meeting at the end of September I'll be going along to argue against this. If you want any information, please e mail me at paula.keaveney@liverpool.gov.uk
The Jack Allen/waste plant saga has taken another turn. The story has been covered in the Liverpool Post and Echo and on Radio Merseyside as well as in e bulletins from me and from the South Liverpool Residents Group. But for those who haven't yet seen it this is what's happened. Jack Allen is going away! The reason it is pulling out of the plan to build at Stalbridge Dock we are told is because of a failure to get the contracts it needed to run the plant. After all there is no point building something if you then can't ...
So here I am. I am sitting in a hotel room in Birmingham on my own watching whatever crap that is on my TV that doesn't get many channels. 24 hours ago I was in bed at home and I had zero plans to be here but things change. Just after midnight last night I was informed that I was up for Lib Dem Blog of the Year and that it would be great if I could make it up to the star-fuelled glitter black tie event that is the ceremony. I may have added in some adjectives in there ...
It is difficult to write about what happened at the Gleision Colliery over the last two days. I have no mining background, I knew none of the men who tragically lost their lives nor do I know their families. I do not live in the close knit communities where they have their roots and yet the deaths of these four miners has profoundly affected me as, indeed, the tragedy has impacted upon the consciousness of the whole Welsh nation. The days when tens of thousands of men were employed in the South Wales mining industry are long gone, and yet ...
I had an e mail the other day about whether developers are being allowed to change their plans for the rest of the Cressington Heath/Cressington Grange development. (Actually some people were keen on there being some changes). A couple of planning applications have come in from developers which go some way to answering the question. Firstly there is one about the bit that's along Dock Road and Garston Way And the other one is about the bit to the South of Lowestoft Drive
Stockport Council has launched a three-month consultation on parking across the Borough. Do we have the right car parks in the right places? How does the growth of private car parks in the Town Centre (e.g. in the Peel Centre, Sainsbury's and ASDA) affect things? Is the pricing structure right? What about on-street parking, residents' parking, disabled parking, cycle parking and parking enforcement? The Council is being up front about the need to keep money from car parking coming in. The money from car parking not only covers the cost of running the car parks themselves but also contributes to ...
After a lot of very hard work the mySociety team (the people behind other successful websites such as TheyWorkForYou, WhatDoTheyKnow, ElectionLeaflets, etc) have just launched a new website that aims to allow users to report problems with their journeys on public transport. If you'd like to make use of the new service it can be found at; www.FixMyTransport.com
From Sheena Wellington : On Saturday 17th September, the Friends of Wighton's monthly cappuccino concert in Dundee will be performed on harpsichord by the organist of the University of St Andrews, Tom Wilkinson. Tom Wilkinson joined the University of St Andrews as University Organist and Director of Chapel Choirs in 2009. Born in 1985, he studied at St Mary's Music School, Edinburgh, going onto become Organ Scholar of Truro Cathedral, Cornwall. In 2004, he took up the Organ Scholarship at The Queen's College, Oxford, and graduated with a first-class degree in 2007. In the same year, Tom took the Fellowship ...
I don't want to seem ungrateful to those who voted (especially those who voted for me) or for Total Politics for organising this year's blog awards. But they're a bit of a mess, aren't they? The aim was admirable - to recognise that some people now blog in many different places and that some blogs are written by a wide range of people. Iain Dale's own new group blog, for example, could hardly be said to be a one man effort, and so the awards are trying to treat it differently from this, which is very much a solo enterprise. ...
When I visited the Milford Haven Port Authority a few weeks ago I was intrigued by the picture of the Great Eastern in the board room. I had not realised that Isambard Brunel's colossal steamship was linked with Pembroke Dock. I also learned how hazardous it was building ships like this. As Wikipedia records: Construction of such a massive ship involved millions of hand-driven rivets. An estimated 1,000 workers were hired to comprise 200 "rivet gangs" to get the job done. Because someone small had to squeeze inside the narrow space between the double hulls, young "bash boys" were hired ...
David Laws is starting to make something of a trek back to rehabilitation, starting today with an article in the Sun. In the article he sets out his stall that it 'would be a disaster if the Lib Dems were simply to evolve into an internal Opposition.' Whilst on first reading and on instinct I reacted badly, on reflection, Laws is kind of right. Within the Article, Laws talks about having to set the right tone at the beginning in government, showing that coalition could work. This I entirely agree with. He goes on to say that it is right ...
When I decided to see the new film of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy today I was determined not be to begin my review by saying that it was not as good as the book or the TV series. But... It's not as good as the book or the TV series. The film has many strengths and I would urge you to see it, but there are too many clunky lines and too much is made obvious. The makers seems to think we need to see a murdered body at regular intervals to remember that the Soviets are the baddies. The ...
Some interesting connections this week. Here are Bombay Bicycle Club at this year's Glastonbury with Shuffle - a strangely folksy evocation of the Rezillos 'Destination Venus' (which was my first Friday Favourite). Bombay Bicycle Club feature Jamie McColl on guitar - Jamie is the late Kirsty McColl's son. Kirsty singing 'Days' featured in a post back in December last year about cover versions that are better than the originals. I also wonder whether Bombay Bicycle Club are named after the Edinburgh Indian resaurant chain of the same name.
The results are in for the Total Politics 2011 Lib Dem Blogs and Solution Focused Politics has made it to number 35, which came as a big surprise for me considering it was based on votes. So a big thank you to anyone who voted for this blog, and please get in touch or leave ...
Ahead of the keynote conference speech from Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone on Saturday afternoon, the Government has announced another step towards making civil marriage available to same-sex couples. A public consultation on how best to do this will start in March next year, with a strong hint of legislation then following in this Parliament: "I am delighted to confirm that in March, this Government will begin a formal consultation on equal civil marriage for same-sex couples. This would allow us to make any legislative changes before the end of this Parliament" said Lynne Featherstone. Religious marriage will not be covered ...
