The Arab Awakening has been an emotional experience for many people in North Africa and the Middle East; I confess I too wept on 11 February when the announcement finally came in Cairo's Tahrir Square that Hosni Mubarak had stepped down and a great roar went up from the crowd, who were just finishing their ...
David Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party conference has had a mixed reception from political commentators. I thought the most interesting bit came at the very end of the speech. We can be a country where people look back on their life and say: I've worked hard, I've raised a family, I'm part of a community and all along it was worth my while. We're too far away from that today but we can get there. It's not complicated, but not easy either - because nothing worthwhile is easily won. But you know, we've been told we were finished before. ...
382 British service personel have given thier their life in active duty. Their average age is just 26. Each one leaves behind a family devestated by the loss - all of which can, if they so choose, access help and support from the Royal British Legion. 382 reasons to support the British Legion's poppy appeal this year - lets help them pass the £36m they raised last year.
Details of this planning application can be found by following this link: The case officer is Geoff Whitington - please email comments and objections to him at geoff.whitington@lewisham.gov.uk, and don't forget to copy us in at foresthill@lewishamlibdems.org.uk
HAT TIP... Regular readers of this blog will know how much I adore Dick Puddlecote's blog . No matter how bad it gets, he always makes me smile. Yesterday's post is a particular peach. In it, he hypothesises what food stuffs may be banned if "call-me-liberal-Dave" does elect to go down the same FAT TAX route as Denmark. Never mind taxing butter and cheese.... "...avocados appear to just miss the cut, but cashews fall under the tax. So do salmon, eggs, and dark chocolate". (I was so sure I had heard that dark chocolate was good for you?). He also ...
At a well attended Area Forum for West Wirral tonight, Cllr Jeff Green revealed that himself and Cllr Tom Harney (Leader of the Lib Dem councillors) have called in the Labour Cabinet decision of the 22nd September not to award the PACPSE (Parks and Countryside Spaces) contract. I'll write up more about the West Wirral ...
Well folks. Last night I was presented with some chocolate brownies. It's not often cooks for me (and the understatement of the year awards goes to...) and I had in all honesty forgotten that I was being cooked for but wrapped in tin foil were two lots of chocolate brownies. The person who baked them for me said that she may enter the Great British Bake-Off (not sure if she was being serious here or not) but either way she wanted a review of her product so I thought I'd do it very publicly. [IMG: Chocolate Brownies] Chocolate Brownies Pulling ...
What a man. The world has lost one of the best innovators to have ever lived. He changed all of our lives. Where would we be today if he never existed? What it means for Apple Inc as a company will be debated but he'll live on in their products, old and new. Click here to view the embedded video.
I recently received an email from a disabled woman named Hannah who is very frightened about the impacts of the Welfare Reform Bill (of which the changes to the Employment Support Allowance are a substantial part). Since the passing of the motion on ESA at our autumn conference there is a tendency to view the issue as sorted. Unfortunately this is not the case as the bill is still going through the lords and constant pressure is vital to ensure that the necessary changes are made. And, as this email reiterates, the Lib Dems are now the only hope for ...
Last night, the world lost a visionary and a genius. His name was Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs was the visionary behind Apple Inc. The products of his magical mind include the groundbreaking MacIntosh, iMac, iPod, iPhone and iPad. He was behind the first and the best animation studio in Pixar. He changed the way we
The Cotswolds were the scene for some of the best Liberal Democrat and worst Conservative local election results in May, with the Tories losing 10 seats. A local newspaper has got hold of an internal Conservative post-mortem: The document reveals concerns within Cotswold Conservatives that the organisation is seen by voters as: "toffs legislating for toffs."... Concerns were also raised about the impact of the cabinet's links to Cotswold Media, which is run by cabinet leader Cllr Lynden Stowe (Campden-Vale ward) and also employs Cllrs David Fowles (Hampton ward) and Susan Jepson (Campden-Vale ward). You can read the full story ...
The Cotswolds were the scene for some of the best Liberal Democrat and worst Conservative local election results in May, with the Tories losing 10 seats. A local newspaper has got hold of an internal Conservative post-mortem: The document reveals concerns within Cotswold Conservatives that the organisation is seen by voters as: "toffs legislating for toffs."... Concerns were also raised about the impact of the cabinet's links to Cotswold Media, which is run by cabinet leader Cllr Lynden Stowe (Campden-Vale ward) and also employs Cllrs David Fowles (Hampton ward) and Susan Jepson (Campden-Vale ward). You can read the full story ...
This apparently isn't new news however it has only come to my attention because of Wikipedia's noble stance of temporarily (for now) shutting down their Italian website. If you now go to their site (http://www.wikipedia.it) you get redirected to an excellent message explaining the decision (English version here). The key paragraph(s) relating to the legislation ("DDL intercettazioni" - Wiretapping Act) they are protesting against are: "This proposal, which the Italian Parliament is currently debating, provides, among other things, a requirement to all websites to publish, within 48 hours of the request and without any comment, a correction of any content ...
The Defence Management Journal website has excerpts from a forthcoming interview with Nick Harvey, defence minister and Liberal Democrat MP for North Devon: "I think that emphasis on working with European partners is something that very much strikes a chord with core Lib Dem approaches. I think the emphasis on doing everything in accordance with UN Resolutions and proper legal cover, is something that Lib Dems are, to some extent, custodians of. We were critical of Iraq on that basis. "There are not, I think, gaping philosophical chasms between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats on the day-to-day business of ...
Lots has been written about the cat that did, didn't, did, didn't help stop someone being deported. The best analysis and summary I've seen of what the legal system really decided in the case and on what basis is the one over on the UK Human Rights blog. Well worth a read. But if you want a short version: the Home Office messed up by failing to follow its own rules. A cynic might suggest the cat provides a rather convenient alibi...
Lots has been written about the cat that did, didn't, did, didn't help stop someone being deported. The best analysis and summary I've seen of what the legal system really decided in the case and on what basis is the one over on the UK Human Rights blog. Well worth a read. But if you want a short version: the Home Office messed up by failing to follow its own rules. A cynic might suggest the cat provides a rather convenient alibi...
There is so much common ground on which Ron Paul supporters and leftie liberal types can stand on, that it boggles the mind that they haven't joined forces to move the United States in a direction they could both state was better than the current status quo. I've always said, my dream 2012 ticket would be Paul/Kucinich! Item 1: Executing US citizens I am aghast at the laid-back way many Democrats have accepted President Obama's decision to order the murder of an American citizen. The Salon puts it well in it's article "Execution by secret White House committee". It's almost ...
My most recent column published in the Ham & High today. The political party conference season is always a time when politicians naturally turn to thinking and talking more to their internal audience – the party members who turn up to fill the halls when they speak. With a coalition government it also means we therefore hear more about issues where the two parties in government disagree, especially those issues on which party members feel passionately. And so the talk of human rights at both the Liberal Democrat and Conservative Party conferences - same topic, but very different talk, at ...
I was very critical last year when I felt Sefton Labour Leader Peter Dowd opted out of the budget process and licensed his group just to campaign against the cuts. Many thought that they gave the impression that if Labour had been in control of the Council things would have been different. This year as Leader of the Council Cllr Dowd has stepped up to the crease and published a list of spending cuts he wants the council to consult on. This is the responsible thing to do. These will be difficult decisions. Some, when the economy is stronger, we ...
Labour publish their cuts for Sefton Cllr Tony Robertson the Lib Dem Leader on Sefton Council said in response to the Labour led Council publishing a list of cut backs for consultation, "It is local residents who now have to pick up the tab because the last Labour Government allowed the deficit to run out of control. They borrowed an eye watering £150 billion in their last year in office. Labour and their banking mates got us in this mess. Last year, when the Lib Dems led Sefton Council, Labour refused to behave responsibly and said that they would have ...
I shall leave it to my colleague Tony Robertson to give you the full story
Few government agencies are as necessary as the HSE – and few create so much annoyance with fatuous interventions. Clearly, there is a tricky balance to be struck but unfortunately the government's latest proposal is heading in the wrong direction. A "fee for intervention" proposal is currently out for consultation which closes on the 14th October. ...
I was watching Mark Lawson's interview with Rob Brydon when I heard that Brydon impersonated Ken Bruce, doing his show on April 1st. I hadn't heard this before, so raced to YouTube where I found this hilarious recording of the event. Apparently people were emailing in asking "Ken Bruce" if he was drunk. Unfortunately, I have always found it difficult to listen to the Ken Bruce Show except for a few minutes. As soon as he says the word "Popmaster" I lose the will to live and switch over. Coincidentally "Popmaster" is the key "motherlode" word that Brydon uses to ...
It's probably unlikely – but possible. Former Godfather's pizza CEO, Herman Cain has done well recently in a few polls. He won the GOP straw poll in Florida and is currently ranked second in the Sunshine State (this yank terminology is really starting to flow with me, isn't it?!). In a Quinnipac poll this week he was second in the Republican race, within the margin of error behind Mitt Romney. He may appeal to many conservatives, now that Rick Perry has been a bit damaged by poor debate performances. However, his organisation is a bit patchy and many look upon ...
People I know have today been coming out with sentiments like "fuck Steve Jobs in the ass" and "he was monster who preferred fashion before function", and it's pissing me off. All this bitterness is awful. Yes: he may have used the Foxconn factory despite what he'd learnt about it (along with Dell, Sony and HP, I might add). He may have quite rudely snubbed his fans to their face. You may not like the design of his products, the cliché of a Starbucks filled with MacBooks. You may simply think that Macs are sub-par and overpriced. No matter what ...
A lot of talk today in the media from Kent council on a fresh investment panic, I guess they have found themselves once again wishing they hadn't invested money in a foreign bank, apparently ten mill is deposited with the Belgium bank Dexia, which is currently being bailed out by the French and Belgium governments. The only worry I would have, is that the "confidence" expressed by the council is not just so much waffle and that they will get our money back, baring in mind similar ebullient remarks, were made when, Icelandic banks went tits up, so far considerably ...
Herts Highways are under fire again - for ending the road repair season with 20% of planned works not carried out on the grounds it was too cold to continue, just as we had the hottest late September in a century. Stephen Giles-Medhurst, the LibDem spokesperson on Highways and Transport, said 'You don't know whether to laugh or cry. We were recently told that the season for laying tar had finished because it was too cold. 20% of planned works were missed and damaged roads will have to wait till next spring. Yet the weather has been as hot as ...
Jeremy Browne and LDFI Chair Gavin Stollar As the 2011 party conference season recedes into history, you might be interested to know more about the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel (LDFI) fringe meeting that took place at the Lib Dem Conference in September. Jeremy Browne MP, Lib Dem Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, was among the speakers. Picking up an LDFI leaflet, Mr Browne said: "It says 'The Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel are strongly committed to a two-state solution, with Israel living in secure borders, free from the threat of terrorism alongside an independent Palestinian ...
It's hard to express how dehumanising the stereotypical Conservative nutter's resistance to human rights can be. I try to be sympathetic to the bedwetting paranoia that appears to drive it. It can be a dangerous world, after all, and everyone has something they wish were a bit more predictable. But then some muppet comes along and exploits that paranoia, and so taints the entire notion that it's just human nature to seek to protect one's own. Theresa May seems to be the latest Tory seeking to be that particular kind of brave and straight talking good egg, one to whom ...
Today is the anniversary of the infamous Billy Goat ejection and resultant curse from the Chicago Cubs Wrigley stadium in 1945. On being ejected, apparently due to his goat eating other sports fans hot dogs, Billy Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Tavern, declared that "them Cubs ain't gonna win no more"! The Cubs lost the World series they were playing in and have never made it back. Only in America! I have pasted a link to explain the surreal happenings and also to give an indication as to how superstitious baseball players are. The bit I like was that ...
It was quite a surreal sight but one which I was nevertheless quite touched with when I watched this BBC News piece yesterday. Lord Ashcroft awarding an Honorary Doctorate to Kylie Minogue?! Not even in the scripts of Neighbours could you have considered such a thing possible. But this wasn't Ramsey Street. No, this was Anglia Ruskin University where the 43 year old superstar was recognised for her work in promoting breast cancer awareness with an Honourary Doctorate in Health Sciences at a ceremony in Chelmsford. Kylie was already a beloved celebrity but the way in which she valiantly fought ...
Having read through next Thursday's Cabinet agenda I noticed the report (which is item 36 on the agenda) entitled Introduction of New Procedure for Allocation of Blue Badge Parking for Disabled People. In the interests of openness, I'll declare at this stage that although I don't hold a Blue Badge, my wife does. If the ...
The Kenyan environmentalism Wangari Maathai, who died last week, was not just one of the great pioneers of the new economics - which puts people and planet first - she also started out as a candidate for the Kenyan Liberal Party.
Much has already been written about the environmental and road safety implications of Phillip Hammond's plan to raise the speed limit on motorways to 80 mph. It's been correctly argued that the increase will lead to a rise in serious accidents and carbon emissions, but hardly anyone has so far looked at what economic effects ...
It's quite safe for me to say, without Steve Jobs, I couldn't do the work I do. Lets get one thing straight, I don't use a Mac at work, however without Steve, the software I use wouldn't exist. For an ... Continue reading →
I'm not an Apple fanboy as many seem to be, but I certainly recognise that Steve Jobs' vision has had a major impact on how we live our lives today. I've never owned a Mac, and don't yet have an iPad, but I do make good use of my iPod which was given to me as a leaving present by my colleagues when I left the Campaigns Dept. a few years ago. It's clear from reading the obituaries that Steve Jobs wasn't perfect, and that he was very aware of this, but his drive and innovation deserve recognition. This was ...
Britain is the new Japan; not in the technological sense, but in the reality of a lost decade of growth. Government, correctly, has dealt with deficit and protected the national credit rating – at a cost. Quantitative easing is not a wise tool, far from it, and is very dangerous to control when started. Japan, ...
I came to County Hall this morning for a meeting of the Communities OSC but, on the completion of that committee's business, I wandered down the corridor and crept into the back of the Council Chamber to watch the proceedings of the Strategic Planning Committee. The lion's share of that agenda was taken up with ...
The Guardian write David Cameron's no Obama, but then he is British in which they give an analysis of the leaders speeches at this years party conferences and they have some nice things to say about Clegg: Clegg also put on a good show, efficiently extinguishing the circle of flames his party have burning around his feet. ...
Yes, it's true. A violent criminal was saved deportation because he successfully argued that without him around there would be no-one to water his pot plants. Oh, and he had a cat too. OK, I made that all up although one cannot rule out the possibility that a story like this will be on the front pages at some stage. But this does show the ridiculous level of debate that human rights in this democratic country has sunk to - especially when even our Home Secretary has to resort to a kitty story to play to the crowd. Cats don't ...
Thu 6th
12:53
'A party conference without party members' - Tim Montgomerie on the Tory party non-gathering
On Conservative Home, Tim Montgomerie paints a pretty dire picture of the Tory party conference: ...there were hundreds of empty seats at the back of the hall for Cameron's speech. I've never known this before. In previous years it's been standing room only. In the early years of Blair's premiership the Labour Party organised overflow events in cinemas so delegates could watch the leader's speech. ...I was told by Tory HQ that only 4,000 of the 11,500 people attending the conference were grassroots members. One Conservative minister actually claimed that the number was closer to 2,000 than 4,000. Matthew Parris ...
So Sarah Palin has decided not to run in 2012 for the Republican nomination to run against President Obama for the White House. This wasn't a surprise to most considering the likelihood or her winning was low but it was greeted with disappointment around the twittersphere last night – mostly from people like me who saw her running as spicing up the field and making it semi-interesting. The 2008 democratic race was fantastic with the ebbs and flows of the campaign from Hillary's stunning third place in Iowa to her dazzling late comeback in New Hampshire to the Super Tuesday ...
So, Sarah Palin is going to spend her time with "God, family and country" over the next few years. After "much prayer and serious consideration" she won't be running for President. Cynics might say that this is less to do with divine intervention and more to do with the fact that she's no longer the poster girl of the batty American right. She knows she would not win the nomination against Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann. I suspect she has her eye on the nomination in 2016, potentially slugging it out for the White House against Hillary Clinton. ...
As I sit here waiting for my counselling sessions to start up again and watching the world go by without my playing a part in it, I find myself thinking about Steve Jobs and the impact that he made on ...
(Source: Getty Images) It has already almost gone beyond parody: Vladimir Putin's spokesman actually said, when Putin was compared to Brezhnev, that is was GOOD! Brezhnev, far from being a brutal and doddery old autocrat, was actually a very positive leader in Russian History. Well compared to Putin, he certainly is: Brezhnev is now dead and can do no further harm. No wonder that there are now quite a few Putin jokes doing the rounds, my favourite is: The Federal Guard Service protecting Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dimitri Medvedev arrests an activist who is handing out leaflets on ...
Thu 6th
12:31
Were you one of those that predicted Labour would be divided in Opposition? Well you were right all ...
Since the Labour party entered Opposition in 2010, many commentators have remarked upon their surprising resilience, unity and seeming desire to leap back into Government at the next election. This is, to put it simply, a facade. The Labour party is currently deeply riven. Not between Blairites and Brownites (that's bubbling away beneath the surface for now). Not between Social Democrats and Socialists (that's been put to bed for another decade, surely?). This isn't an issue of ideology, this is an issue of optimisim. See, there are currently two major schools of thought within the Labour party. The first is ...
TweetThere has been a subtle thread through Western politics recently, with more and more reference to female political aspirers. Christina Odone, quoted in the ipaper, observes that "the two most impressive politicians of the moment [are] women". She is talking of Yvette Cooper and Theresa May. Yvette Cooper is a long time idol of mine ...
Cornwall Council has made a huge improvement in conducting assessments for people with disabilities getting home adaptations. We are now only taking three times as long as our target. Disabled facilities grants are made to people who need significant adaptations to their homes because of physical disabilities - either the homeowners or a member of their family. Adaptations might be downstairs bathrooms, walk in showers or wider doorways. There are two phases to the works. The first is an assessment by an Occupational Therapist. The target here is 45 days and, in the last quarter, Cornwall Council brought their performance ...
Like millions of others, I was awakened this morning by the alarm on my iPhone. I stumble downstairs and fumble with the coffee machine – and as always launch the BBC News app to see what's going on. Therefore I like countless others learned of Steve Jobs' untimely passing on one of the iconic devices that he was responsible for. It seems fitting. I am a self confessed technology fan. I have always loved the latest gadget. Apple products polarise opinions, but you cannot deny their importance. The iPhone embodies technology for non-geeks. Like so many of Jobs' brain children, ...
One of the questions that ambitious politicians often struggle to answer safely is, "Do you want to be leader of your party / Prime Minister?" Answer 'yes' in some form and journalists will line up to write stories about party splits, pending leadership challenges and the like. Answer 'no' and many will not believe you – whilst also quietly filing away the answer to quote back at the politician at an embarrassing later date. The Bigger Book of Boris (an expanded version of the earlier Little Book of Boris) shows Boris Johnson's political skill with humour in his answer to ...
One of the questions that ambitious politicians often struggle to answer safely is, "Do you want to be leader of your party / Prime Minister?" Answer 'yes' in some form and journalists will line up to write stories about party splits, pending leadership challenges and the like. Answer 'no' and many will not believe you – whilst also quietly filing away the answer to quote back at the politician at an embarrassing later date. The Bigger Book of Boris (an expanded version of the earlier Little Book of Boris) shows Boris Johnson's political skill with humour in his answer to ...
This week's Cambrian News has reported on this story in which two Ceredigion Councillors have been overpaid £11,787 in expenses over the past 11 years. The report notes that the overpayments have been paid back and that a shake-up of the allowances system should ensure that such errors are not made in the future. However, because neither Councillor has been named, it does cast a shadow over the remaining Councillors on the Council. I know for example of one Councillor who has already been upbraided in the street by a local resident, accusing him of over-claiming on expenses to which ...
Britain's history curriculum is about to return to the past. Michael Gove's plan to change the way this important subject is taught in our schools "smells of Whiggery; of history as chauvinism", according to Professor Tom Devine. In the first of a series of two articles, I will look at the Whiggish side to Gove's vision of history. The Liberal Democrats are the political grandchildren of the Whigs, but we don't need to share their interpretation of history. At the heart of Whig history is a sort of teleological view of the past, imagining that the 'story' of Britain is ...
Thu 6th
10:15
Data which shows UK riots were nothing to do with a moral collapse and were even to be expected
Much political capital has been made out of the summer riots with differing parties making differing pitches to a similar electorate. People have been left wondering who is right and have concluded that the only way to base their decisions is through their own feelings or intuition about what it right. But it does leave ...
In rote and rhyme and rattles In small mimes and giggles and stumbles These first games played out In baby pink and blue Then a hopscotch of summers Stretched out over gardens and pavements Beaches and street corners Chased through recs and littered lanes Older then and the games change No more french skipping, cat's cradle and jacks Now cards and the roll of the dice All hopeful glance and wishful dalliances A whir of bikes and skateboards Until the rules No longer drawn in chalk upon the pavement Change and a new game emerges Casino neons and smoky glare ...
[IMG: parking meter] The long trailed Shepway Parking Strategy has been released and agreed by Conservative Shepway District Council Cabinet. As long predicted by the Liberal Democrats in Shepway, the plan proposes new on-street parking charges in many locations across the district. Lib Dem Folkestone West County Councillor Tim Prater said: "As the Liberal Democrats had been predicting for years, this strategy seeks to put in place new on-street parking charges across Shepway. In Sandgate, for example, they are seeking to put in charges on the seafront, Esplanade and short-term pay-and-display parking on the High Street, Military Road, Enbrook Road ...
The digital world is destroying traditional media business models as people find news via their friends and then expect to read it for free. So goes the widespread lament about the future of British (and international) journalism. However, Nic Newman's latest report for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found a much more positive position for individual journalists doing their day to day work. His research found many concerned about the future of news organisations' business models but also that social media means, "news correspondents and columnists are gaining new authority and influence through their expert use of ...
Have you used the Stockport mobile breast cancer screening units in the last six months? If so, please take a few minutes to complete this online survey. Local residents may recall we've had a problem getting the mobile unit back into Cheadle – something for which the different sides are blaming each other, so please take the opportunity to remind the powers that be that you would like to have the opportunity to be screened locally.
Presumably to side track us from the normal Conservative bull . In the last week or so I've heard that Tories are to change planning laws on the advice of the construction industry, hardly the most trusted sector of British industry, government department s are to, did I hear this right give away land to developers?, and withdraw human rights. Cameron wants us to clear our person debts which according to him will just require the British Bulldog spirit, just as well since much of my money is going to to pay down the debts of irresponsible and probably crooked ...
This post was originally written last night as "Might Sarah Palin run as an independent?". Er...no. She's finally put an end to all the fun/agony/both (delete as appropriate) by announcing she won't run in 2012 in any shape or form. It's easy to say, in retrospect, but this decision became inevitable the moment she stood down as Alaska Governor in the middle of her first term. That was the moment she chose to be a political celebrity rather than trying to be a serious politician. Perhaps Sarah Palin could be called John McCain's greatest mistake. It all goes back to ...
Do you want to know if your camera is being switched off? Check it out here. The County Council is planning to decommission 141 CCTV cameras across the county and what to know your views on CCTVV. The full list is here. The ones planned to go in this area are two at The Civic Centre on Medomsley Road, one at Derwentdale Court, one at the junction of Ritson Road, Kings Road, one at the Front Street Community Centre in Leadgate and one at Moorside Cemetery. If you've got any comments please email them to CCTVconsultation@durham.gov.uk
Wedding and civil parntership fees up by 27% from 21 October in Labour led Southwark council for non statutory fees. 27%! This during the week the Labour council leader proclaimed his adherence to traditional values. So why is he effectively taxing weddings so much more? The council report studiously avoids stating percent increases. It also doesn't include all London authorities in its comparisons. It does state that they should charge sufficient fees to cover costs "The cost of service provision has therefore also been a consideration in arriving at the proposed fees" and adhere to the Medium Term Resource Strategy ...
This morning's Independent relates the desperate scrabble by David Cameron's spin doctors to retrieve an embarrassing situation that they themselves created. They say that it must have been a bad moment for David Cameron's chief spin master, Craig Oliver, known affectionately to the hacks as "Crazy Olive", when he saw the headlines in yesterday's papers demanding "Pay off your credit cards for the sake of the economy": It was based on what journalists had been briefed that the Prime Minister was going to say in his speech - a pearl of prime ministerial wisdom that coincided with new official figures ...
Way back, in the olden days, if you wanted to find out what was going on in the world first thing in the morning, you had to wake up, get up, go downstairs and switch on the telly. Actually, scratch that. Way back, even deeper in the mists of time, you had to switch on the radio. There was only stuff on the telly that early in the morning if there was an election, or the US President resigned. And it's not really that long since personal computers were quite complicated to operate. All // and *.* and : and ...
Back in June, I mentioned the outcome of a consultation exercise undertaken by Friends of Magdalen Green on possible new BBQ tables for the Green that would help prevent damage to the Green from disposable BBQs that can burn the grass. With thanks to the Environment Department of the City Council, earlier this week, the new BBQ tables were put on site on the Green. One was very slightly damaged in transit, but I am assured by the council that the minor repair it requires will be carried out soon.
Did you know that electric car owners have free parking right across Stockport Borough – in our car parks and on-road meter parking. Vehicles have to park legally, but there's no need to buy a ticket at the car park. Stockport, along with several other places in Greater Manchester should shortly have recharging points for electric vehicles too. I believe the plan is for electric car owners to be part of a membership club which allows them to use the points to recharge.
A few days ago, we warned residents of thefts from cash machines in Cheadle & Gatley. The Police are now telling us that five arrests have been made in connection with the thefts, and ATM crimes are down. However, the Police are rightly reminding residents to remain vigilant when using cash machines.
Last month, the Abertay Housing Association sheltered housing in the Paton's Lane area (Paton's Lane, Baltic Gardens and McGonagall Square) was 30 years old. With thanks to Angie Stevenson, Scheme Manager, here's a couple of photos from the 30th Anniversary Party. Angie adds, "Everyone had a great time celebrating this happy occasion!"
The Human Rights Act was a "Bill" that was passed by a "British" government confirming our "Rights". So why does it need replacing? At the recent LibDem party conference, party leader and Deputy Prime Minister (important to balance those two roles here) Nick Clegg stated that the Human Rights Act (HRA) will remain on the statute book whilst he is in government. As party leader he is bound by the policies he leads (as well as being personally committed to them) and as DPM he has to balance his wishes, against those of the Conservative party and coalition as a ...
Today's Courier highlights a statement from St John's High School Parent Council Chairperson Katy Dundas and from Monsignor Ken McCaffrey, Church Representative on the Education Committee, about the continuing unsatisfactory travel situation facing over 40 West End pupils at the school, following the withdrawal of the 4S bus service. As I indicated in the Courier, there is a real need for the council to act on this matter to ensure there are proper bus arrangements for the St John's pupils. The points made by Mrs Dundas and Mgr McCaffrey about the current situation are completely valid and it is imperative ...
It was not many pages into this book before I realised it was the basis of a Monty Python sketch, and after that I began to have problems taking it seriously. Yes, it's intensely and often beautifully written; but I kept feeling that Paul Morel, the viewpoint character who represents Lawrence himself, just needed a good slap. His relationship with his mother is too close to be healthy; he has two girlfriends and treats them both badly; and he ends up facing a lonely future (though of course it's still rather early days as he is only in his mid-20s). ...
The 10:10 campaign, dedicated to helping people reduce their carbon emissions, is currently developing a new project called "Solar Schools". This new project allows individuals and businesses, for as little as £5 each, to sponsor new solar panel installations for their local primary or secondary schools. In the words of the founder; "The idea is simple: we help schools get their own solar panels by giving them tools to raise money from the local community. This cuts their carbon emissions, generates long-term income via the Feed-in Tariff and provides a brilliant educational resource for the pupils." The beta project is ...
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're currently publishing the full results. Fix the economy, protect the environment – those are the priorities for government according to Liberal Democrat party members in our latest survey. Perhaps most surprising in the results is the high showing for improving public transport, appearing above health and schools, most likely reflecting people's views about the current relative state of those different public services. LDV asked: On ...
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're currently publishing the full results. Fix the economy, protect the environment – those are the priorities for government according to Liberal Democrat party members in our latest survey. Perhaps most surprising in the results is the high showing for improving public transport, appearing above health and schools, most likely reflecting people's views about the current relative state of those different public services. LDV asked: On ...
One of my first thoughts about the fact that Steve Jobs died yesterday of pancreatic cancer is that I'm sure Andrew Reeves would have used the fact that he too lost his dearly beloved mother to the same disease as a really from the heart plea for people to donate to research into one of the most virulent types of cancer that there is. How am I so sure, because he chose the day that was his mother's birthday earlier this year to get married to someone else he loved immensely, his dear husband Roger. He even mentioned his mother's ...
Making West Edinburgh a safer and cleaner place to live is the aim of a new community safety postcard being launched tomorrow (6 October). The postcard highlights the successful work of the West Community Safety Forum and how members of the public can raise issues of concern. Achievements in recent months have included regular joint Police and Council patrols to deal with broken glass and dog fouling close to the play area at Clermiston Park, engaging with young people by liaising with schools, and working with parents to respond when antisocial behaviour is identified. Other initiatives have included raising awareness ...
[IMG: RIP Steve Jobs]
It's been a while since I posted a poem (how many times have I said that on these pages?!) so it's about time I posted another. I first came across Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold when I was studying for my Highers some 20 years ago. Fortunately years of learning poetry for elocution lessons (as well as memorising Bible passages for Sunday School) meant I was able to remember enough of it to use it as the basis of my answer for one of the essay questions in the exam. In the intervening years I have occasionally come across it ...
I haven't blogged a lot at all in recent weeks. The reason for that is more than obvious. For the first time in a long time, I simply don't have anything to say. I sit here going through the ...
People may love or hate Apple. But one thing that everyone can agree on is that Steve Jobs was a visionary. He may have lead the way with Apple products but everyone else is trying to keep up. Touch screen technology on phones is now seen almost as standard, and I was working in the industry in the last 10 years when colours screens and cameras first came in a the new innovation. We know think nothing of reading our books on electronic books, they started with the iBooks. The iPad has lead the way to tablet technologies. Items the ...
Kris Brown, who stood as a Labour candidate in May, has joined the Liberal Democrats. Kris stood for Labour in Maghull and until recently worked for Sefton Central Labour MP Bill Esterson. Kris has already been out campaigning for the Lib Dems. Cllr Tony Robertson, Sefton Lib Dem Leader, has the full story here.
As an occasional cricket fan I was saddened to hear of the death at just 52 of Graham Dilley. Dilley was integral in that amazing summer comeback by England in 1981 against the Aussies and as is usual on these occasions the Telegraph's obituary does the honours. Jonathan Calder reckons the next Ashes series was his finest hour.
