Much concern this week at the news that GMP has spent £100k on artwork for the new Police HQ in Newton Heath. This summer, I spoke to a number of civilian police staff concerned about their future (some wanted help filling in forms in a bid to keep their job). The worry and uncertainty was palpable, but they accepted that the authority was cash-strapped and cuts were necessary. Imagine my dismay when I read that the Force had found £100 k to decorate their new HQ. There were immediate echoes of the criticism levelled at Manchester Council last year when ...
Like London buses, Tory / Liberal Democrat disagreements are coming along all bunched together at the moment: Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has criticised "climate sceptics" and others who he argues are decrying the UK's potential for renewable power ... His comments are being interpreted by some as a riposte to Chancellor George Osborne who is believed to be more sceptical about the investment needed. (BBC) Vince Cable rejects proposal to abolish unfair dismissal laws: Business secretary said plan devised by strategist Steve Hilton was unnecessary and unlikely to improve labour market flexibility (The Guardian) In order to safeguard the NHS, ...
As a member of the Management Board of 'Unlock Democracy', I thought that I should take this opportunity to endorse the Counting Women In campaign, and ask you to help, by signing the e-petition calling on David Cameron to keep his word. He pledged that, by the end of his first administration, one-third of his ministers would be women., i.e. there would be at least forty female ministers out of one hundred and nineteen, as there presently are. And I think that he needs to be held to that. In fairness, it isn't just about the Conservatives, it's about the ...
The number of signatures on the online-petition has now passed the 700 mark with at least 400 more people signing the paper version. Have you signed yet? The petition link is available here; http://noto25percent.com If you'd like to sign the paper-based petition the Liberal Democrats will be in the markets of Cambridge and Ely this Saturday if you can come and visit us. We are encouraging people to download, circulate, and return the paper petition forms wherever they can. This is a cross-party effort supported by members of the Trade Unions, as well as Councillors from across the political spectrum; ...
The number of signatures on the online-petition has now passed the 700 mark with at least 400 more people signing the paper version. Have you signed yet? The petition link is available here; http://noto25percent.com If you'd like to sign the paper-based petition the Liberal Democrats will be in the markets of Cambridge and Ely this Saturday if you can come and visit us. We are encouraging people to download, circulate, and return the paper petition forms wherever they can. This is a cross-party effort supported by members of the Trade Unions, as well as Councillors from across the political spectrum; ...
Wed 26th
22:17
One's a master spy, the other an Oxford scholar, yet neither can use a standard reference book
The recent conclusion of my time as a perpetual student means that I can now occasionally read books purely for pleasure, not as part of my studies. In particular, I can read the occasional novel, an indulgence largely foregone these last few years. But perhaps because of years of studying obscure monographs and critiquing their arguments, I find myself doing the same with novels - reading them against the grain and searching for the weak link in the plot that undermines the rest of the story. A case in point is the spy thriller Restless by William Boyd. The plot ...
And if we don't, we can expect them to get much less effective and much more expensive. It's time to call a halt to inappropriate systems, huge centralisation by IT and the marginalisation of the ability to make relationships with clients. It also means smaller-scale institutions:
It may look older, but Smeeton Westerby church was not built until the middle of the 19th century. The site it occupies is situated between the original settlements of Smeeton and Westerby, which makes the village feel more like one place today. The Victoria County History says: "A large arch which is incorporated in the west wall of the nave suggests that the addition of a west tower was contemplated at some future period." That may well be so, but some Victorian church architects were fond of effects like this arch, which can be appreciated only from a distance. At ...
TweetThe debate around unfair dismissal legislation is gaining in interest, but do nothing but a sideshow to resolving any real problem that exists. Lee Chalmers writes a strong piece for Lib Dem Voice observing that often unfair dismissal down to capability grounds is because of poor managers and inability to identify training needs. However, this ...
This book - available on download only at http://www.wonderfulbook.co.uk/ - has one of the more peculiar disclaimers one is ever likely to read: The contents of this book are entirely fabricated and should not be believed, not even the bits that say they are facts. All quotes by persons living or dead are not genuine and are intended for entertainment purposes only. They should not be taken as suggesting or reflecting the opinions then or since of anyone named in this book or concerned with the production of Doctor Who at any time, or even of the author of this ...
The City Council's Scrutiny Committee met this afternoon. I raised questions on a number of issues, including : * Residential parking permits and ensuring that systems are robust against fraud, misappropriation and error. * Performance of Pay on Foot arrangements at the Greenmarket Car Park, in advance of the car park payment system being extended to the new car park in East Marketgait. * Community initiatives to communicate Winter Maintenance arrangements for the forthcoming winter. * Possible changes to architects' fees arrangements and the effect on council income and capital projects. * Progress on shared services with other local authorities ...
[Elsewhere] The Conservatives on Europe: A Dictionary - Milena Popova (tags: eu ukpolitics ) In five years' time, the Union will be no more A Scottish Labour supporter on the inevitability of independence. (tags: scotland ) How To Ruin Someone's Life For No Good Reason Billericay Gazette behaving like scum. (tags: ) Funny Ex-Yu Album Covers A sight for sore eyes! (tags: music yugoslavia funny ) An Puc ar Buile: I read the news today, oh boy ... "When the Irish people vote for Seán Gallagher for President next week, we'll be electing the most nakedly unsuitable object of forelock-tugging ...
TweetIn the wake of Qaddafi, there seems to be far more fear, misapprehension and preparation for carnage that there was during his life. As I have commented the number of times, supporting one side in the civil war can never end well. The death of Qaddafi shows by far the worst traits of this war ...
This morning, I had the pleasure of speaking with over 20 residents from the Tullideph area at a meeting I organised at the Tullideph Sheltered Lounge to discuss local issues. It was a a very useful 90 minutes at which numerous concerns were discussed - including bus services, winter maintenance, roads condition and bin collections. And a lot of banter too! I have a 'wee list' of issues to follow up on behalf of residents that are already in hand.
I wrote a few days ago about a polite and decorous parliamentary row that took place between two Liberal Democrat MPs David Heath and Sir Alan Beith. While the source of disagreement was about the powers of select committees it took place against the background of the debate about the use of 'hand held electronic devices' in the chamber of the House of Commons. I largely took the side of Sir Alan in that row. I was critical for David Heath for displaying the conservatism of a government minister – but I am pleased to find out that in contrast, ...
Lewes Lib Dem councillor Ian Eiloart writes about his experience of having a stroke. Peter Black pronounced irony dead after the Daily Telegraph complains that Herman Van Rompuy wants to set up a United States of Europe "with Britain left on the sidelines". "Do you feel the need to identify with or be loyal to some geographical entity?" asks Jock Coats. "I choose Oxford though as it's of a size where when you wander into town you are almost bound to see someone you know and can talk to. Not too big, not too small. Not in the sense that ...
"Could the pro-European Lib Dems swallow some reduction in Brussels power after all?" asks a Daily Mail website headline this evening. And the article beneath goes on to say: But are there signs that the Lib Dems may be shifting somewhat? In fact, Clegg and his former leader Lord Ashdown are now speaking of 'rebalancing' our relationship with Europe and seeking reform of certain 'intrusive' directives. It's all semantics but, in the end, couldn't 'rebalancing' mean much the same as 'repatriation'?But that has always been Nick Clegg's view (and mine, come to that). Reviewing his pamphlet The Liberal Moment at ...
The number of signatures on the online-petition has now passed the 600 mark with at least 400 more people signing the paper version. Have you signed yet? The petition link is available here;http://noto25percent.comIf you'd like to sign the paper-based petition the Liberal Democrats will be in the markets of Cambridge and Ely this Saturday if you can come and visit us.We are encouraging people to download, circulate, and return the paper petition forms (attached) wherever they can. This is a cross-party effort supported by the Trade Unions, Labour, the Greens, UKIP, and many Independents so there are two versions attached ...
Last November (2010) development charity ActionAid published a report claiming that SABMiller, the world's second-largest beer company was avoiding paying millions of pounds worth of tax in India and the African countries where it makes and sells beer. The report was called Calling Time: Why SABMiller should stop dodging taxes in Africa. However SABMiller, who posted profits of nearly £2bn last year and who are listed in London, "completely rejected ActionAid's interpretation of its business structure". ActionAid claimed that the company had routed profits through tax-haven subsidiaries which had the effect of depriving developing countries where they brew and sell ...
Wed 26th
19:52
What was David Cameron thinking when he spoke to the Liverpool Daily Post on Hillsborough?
Luciana Berger, Labour MP, for Liverpool Wavertree has crossed my radar before - and not in a good way. So, my ears pricked up when I heard her dulcet tones ask the first question at today's PMQs. She demanded an apology from David Cameron for remarks he was supposed to have made about the Hillsborough disaster. According to Hansard, Berger asked: Yesterday it was reported that the Prime Minister had compared the families of those who had died at Hillsborough to"a blind man, in a dark room, looking for a black cat that isn't there",and had complained that he was ...
Cross-posted from Liberal Democrat Voice Today was the fiftieth anniversary of Prime Minister's Questions. And it was a fairly typical session. As always, it was in two parts. Part one: Lots of jeering, cheering, knockabout, winding-up and prepared lines exchanged between the PM and opposition leader. Part Two: Generally hum-drum but important questions from various back-benchers, largely heard in earnest silence. The bit that most people will see will be the short bit on the telly, which will be a few seconds of ya-boo politics. In itself, that is a good piece of democracy in that it highlights the weaknesses ...
Today was the fiftieth anniversary of Prime Minister's Questions. And it was a fairly typical session. As always, it was in two parts. Part one: Lots of jeering, cheering, knockabout, winding-up and prepared lines exchanged between the PM and opposition leader. Part Two: Generally hum-drum but important questions from various back-benchers, largely heard in earnest silence. The bit that most people will see will be the short bit on the telly, which will be a few seconds of ya-boo politics. In itself, that is a good piece of democracy in that it highlights the weaknesses of the government and the ...
So, today Angela Merkel has warned peace could be at risk as a result of the economic crisis spreading through the Euro zone. Has anyone over the last few weeks noticed an erie parallel with the opening chapters of Cauldron, a Larry Bond book from the early 90s I'm not seriously suggesting war in Europe could happen, I'll leave that to Angela, but I wonder if Mr Bond is planning to update his book by replacing Eastern Europe with the South.
SOUTHPORT/SEFTON LIB DEMS CONDEMN CALL FOR ELECTED MERSEYSIDE MAYORA report was published last week co-authored by Tory heavyweight Lord Heseltine (former Deputy Prime Minister) and Sir Terry Leahy (former chief executive of Tesco).Michael Heseltine was dubbed "Minister for Merseyside" in the 1980s, following his efforts in the aftermath of the Toxteth riots, and Liverpool-born Sir Terry Leahy was Chief Executive of Tesco from 1997 to 2011.The independent report "Rebalancing Britain: Policy or Slogan? Liverpool City Region - Building on its Strengths" was commissioned by Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron.***********Liberal Democrats in Southport and Sefton have welcomed aspects of the Report ...
Prior to my grandparents' enforced departure in the 1930s, my mother's family had lived in Germany for many generations. I therefore yield to no-one in my fondness for (in descending order of importance) German beer, food and culture (and let's not forget the wine). I see Germany as having responded commendably well to the legacy of the Holocaust and the other evils committed by Germans in the Nazi period. I get why hard-working Germans would resent being asked to stump up for Greece's debts. But, in the good years, hard-working Germans did very well out of a European economy of ...
For too long the Lib Dems have been on the back foot over tuition fees. For too long we've accepted the Labour line that we have somehow betrayed the youngsters of this country and ruined higher education. For too long we have been passive and quiet celebrating about what amounts to a great achievement for such a small party. Today is the day I say no to Labour lies. Today is the day I stop accepting lectures, won't you join me? It's worth noting that what set me off was the amount of crowing with the know it all tone ...
This post originally appeared on 26th October on Liberal Democrat Voice: It's official. Liam Fox is set to receive a severance payout of £17,207 for quitting his post as Defence Secretary, and that hefty wedge is due to drop into his bank account on 30 November. That's not idle speculation or even what I picked up after reading some newspaper report or other. It's what a Ministry of Defence official personally confirmed to me yesterday. I asked a Freedom of Information Act request about it only last Monday, and the answer appeared in my inbox only six working days after ...
Durham's Cabinet declined to answer my question at full council today. The constitution gives the right to any member to put down a question to be answered at full council provided that three days notice has been given. That's so that there is time to gather information for the answer. Today Councillor Bob Young, portfolio holder for the environment, simply declined to answer my question and said he'd answer tomorrow at Cabinet. There's nothing in the constitution to allow that. There's no precedent for a refusal to answer. Apparently this administration will just make up the rules as it goes ...
The next South Area meeting on 7th November will include a discussion on police priorities. The meeting's at the Cherry Hinton Village Centre and open to everyone. It starts at 7.30 and we anticipate the policing discussion will begin by 8 p.m. You can view an agenda for this meeting on the City Council website, as well as the police crime statistics and reports on the last few months. The police come to the South Area meetings once every two months to put forward priorities for the next period and hear views from the public, including suggestions for new priorities.At ...
Nick Clegg Cotton Toilet Seat Cover from Amazon
Wed 26th
16:01
A Budget for Europe: creating European added value from European Union expenditure (part 1)
So, where were we? Ah yes, the cuddly European Liberal Democrats had produced a rather fluffy preamble. However, in fairness, preambles are like bunny rabbits, they're not intended to scare you, they're intended to reassure. So, let's look at what the key issues are... The European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party Congress convening in Palermo, Italy on 23-25 November 2011: Notes that:As a result of the economic and financial crisis, EU member states are implementing a range of austerity measures in order to reduce their public debt;Although member states are in a period of austerity, for the majority this has ...
Various disability organisations and blogs are reporting the disturbing news that the DWP is apparently considering reducing Employment Support Allowance payments (the main form of support for sick and disabled people) while claimants are appealing their assessment decisions. Now, given that the DWP's own figures say that it takes on average 28 weeks for an appeal to progress from arriving at the DWP to the first appeal tribunal hearing, this means that sick and disabled people could routinely face a 7 month period where they don't receive the support they need. This wouldn't be a problem were it not for ...
Wed 26th
15:58
Dee Doocey writes... Questions now must be answered over the Met's record of undercover policing
Last week, it was revealed that an undercover Metropolitan police officer, Jim Boyling, had been arrested and tried for a public order offence under his cover name, Jim Sutton. Yet at no time during the trial did he reveal the fact that he was using a false identity. At the time, in 1996, he had been posing as a member of the non-violent, pro-cycling 'Reclaim the Streets' campaign. At the trial, Boyling would have given evidence under oath about who he was and what had happened - while maintaining a false identity. He had allowed himself to be arrested, charged, ...
For the last few months Police Community Support Officers have been receiving training for powers to enable them to issue fixed penalty notices for traffic offences. Introduced as a response to calls for the Constabulary to take action against antisocial motoring, and to enhance the impact of PCSOs on community safety, these powers are now being rolled out across the county. Initially 51 offences have been identified for which PCSOs will be empowered to issue non-endorsable Fixed Penalty Notices which carry a fine of £30 and are attached at Appendix A. PCSOs will also be able to issue Endorsable Fixed ...
No posts for a few days so I thought I would catch up with the first dozen edition of my 'Random Thoughts' posts featuring a few name checks of people who have done cool things on the internet recently. I was really pleased to see the excellent Islington Councillor Tracy Ismail profiled in Liberal Democrat Voice's Local Liberal Heroes series. I ran a Committee Room from her home during the 2006 local elections and she was very tolerant of my minor explosion of panic when we had a significant computer failure half way though the day. As a novice candidate ...
In all financial transactions there are credits and debits. For the last few years there have been a lot of debits in Greece and the other, so-called, PIIG states. The converse has been that there have been a large number of credits in Germany. Germany is not a paragon of fiscal rectitude- indeed it was Germany that first softened- by breaking altogether- the financial criteria by which the members of the Euro-zone are judged, but which they now insist must be applied strictly to other countries. Germany has amassed its credits by benefiting from a fixed exchange rate with the ...
As is customary in my family, any major news event (especially one in the Arab world) is first alerted to us by a text or call from my mother. While neither of my parents are party political, politics has permeated every hour of our family life for a long as I can remember. These days, usually as a result of either BBC World News or Al-Jazeera being the TV channel of choice at all times. My father is currently operative as the EU head of 'mission' (in as much as one can exist) in Libya and so we have been ...
I spent this morning visiting the new Quarries development at Hyvots in the South of Edinburgh. This new development has been built by Hart Builders for Dunedin Canmore Housing Association for 58 older people. Today was the formal opening performed by the new Housing Minister Keith Brown. The last time I met Keith was on election night 2001 when I was the Liberal Democrat Candidate for Ochil and he was running Labour a close second for the SNP. My campaign manager was a guy called Willie Rennie who doubled our vote and made me look really good as a candidate! ...
I have shamelessly filched this from Willie Rennie's Facebook fan page with the aim of encouraging you to "like" it if you haven't already. It's quite an interactive environment, with discussions, polls, pretty pictures and lots of information about what Willie's been up to. And for what it's worth, I'd actually back Willie's sons against him on any computer game you might care to mention. Twiddling knobs and waving about controllers isn't really his thing. Anyway, this is Willie's piece on the SNP's plans for independence to win in the referendum even if it comes second. Professor John Curtice of ...
The Hornsey Journal reports: A council magazine has been scolded by a spending watchdog for flogging "party political views" at the expense of taxpayers. Auditors Grant Thornton has now ordered Labour run Haringey Council to change the wording it uses in Haringey People – a magazine sent to residents six times a year – to stop confusing fact with its political stance. The action by the district auditor comes as the opposing Liberal Democrats persist with their campaign against the publication, which sets residents back almost £145,000 a year. Lib Dem leader Cllr Richard Wilson said: "I was very concerned ...
I'm left distinctly underwhelmed by this Vince Cable story frankly. I was all geared up to wade in and it's just such an anti-climax. After all the hype of Cable as a tax dodger, avoider, evader and possibly invisible ninja I read through the sun article and find this (later on of course, the later something is in an article the less attention people pay to it): "They said an error was discovered by his personal accountants in January while his tax return for the previous financial year was being finalised. The accountants immediately alerted HMRC officials" Now I'm a ...
Conventional wisdom says that the Tory backbench rebellion on Monday night bodes ill for David Cameron. That might well be in the case but sometimes things turn out differently, especially when everyone expects a certain outcome. Potential Tory voters who are flirting with voting UKIP at the next election may now reconsider. The size of the rebellion, partly brought about by Cameron's imposition of a three-line whip, sends a message that the Conservative party is Euro-sceptic and proud. Its leader made clear he is in sympathy with their aims but feels now is not the time. This sends a message ...
Over on the Guardian's Comment Is Free, Lib Dem peer Lord (Paul) Tyler has a piece on the (not particularly successful) campaign by 38-Degrees to lobby members of the House of Lords over health reform. Here's a sample: As a peer who received many 38 Degrees-inspired communications in the runup to the debate over the NHS bill, I can say with some confidence that their lack of influence was strongly linked to the unduly polarising approach they took to this issue. They picked the wrong battle, and the wrong argument. Their battle was essentially on whether to kill the bill ...
So, I'm somewhat annoyed after having to read two bullshit, inaccurate stories in the media yesterday. The first is all the stuff about the fall in the number of young people applying to university. Now, aside from the fact that we haven't reached the deadline for applications yet, the main annoyance is the way that not a single news story mentioned the real fall in application numbers. It's very simple and it's not rocket science. If we compare the figures from this year to the same time in 2009 (we have to ignore 2010 due to the distorting effect of ...
No fan of CCTV myself I have to say Thanet councils announcement that they will be cutting by a quarter the time these things are monitored is a master stroke, instead of Thanet's crooks, low life & scum, having to guess when someone's watching, TDC have let it be known that the cameras will be unattended at...... no doubt a press release will be issued later. As much as I believe in open government you would have thought that they could have at least kept the rascals guessing.
One of the best things about Prime Minister's questions is that not everything can be scripted. Of course, the whole of Wednesday morning is devoted to preparing answers. But in the exchange with the Leader of the Opposition, the Prime Minister has to respond somewhat spontaneously. And in those moments one gets a true insight into the Prime Minister's thinking. Gordon Brown famously revealed his superhero alter-ego during one PMQs, exposing his self-image as a great statesman, striding the world clearing up financial turmoil from New York to Frankfurt to Tokyo. His risible arrogance led to a predictable bout of ...
I recently wrote about the future of liberalism. Some might argue that classical liberalism belongs under the umbrella term libertarianism and not liberalism. Perhaps it doesn't matter what terms we use as long as we understand what we are talking about. However, libertarianism appears to cover a range of views: market anarchists, anarcho-capitalists, classical liberals, small State conservatives, minarchists and voluntarynists. What brings this disparate group together is support for property rights, the rule of law and the market. Some would rather the State disappeared while others accept the need for a State but would like limited government or a ...
Wed 26th
11:53
As if by magic: how to show that public opinion matches your view of the BBC, whatever it is
Over on the YouGov website, Peter Kellner shows how choosing the right question wording can get the public to come up with whatever answer you like on the BBC's TV License Fee – and it doesn't even require the use of outrageously loaded questions. You can read his piece about the impact of subtle wording changes on poll findings here.
Sorry - this one's a bit of a process story, but it helps to explain just why so many council services are being cut in Cornwall in early autumn. The Council has been making great play of the fact that it 'went early' with its budget last year and chose to cut deep in the first year to protect budgets in later years. Council Leader Alec Robertson is filling the airwaves with claims that no other local authority is in the same position as we are. Both the 'go early' and the 'pain now, relief later' strategies are legitimate options ...
Yesterday, Peter Bingle wrote his final musing on The Dispatch Box. Peter began writing his blog post in 2009. I have read almost every word he has written as his wit, insight and enthusiasm are addictive. You don't always have to agree with him and not all his predictions have turned out to be correct, not yet anyway, but his blog has always been a must read in my view. At times he has been spot on about an issue and sometimes one might think he isn't and then it turns out he is. I will miss my regular morning ...
The May 2011 electoral reform referendum is not a happy memory for Britain's electoral reformers, which makes this book from two long-standing electoral reform campaigners surprisingly positive. As the title indicates, their view is that the overwhelming No vote does not signal the death of electoral reform in the UK. In part the optimism comes from the gory details it gives of the appalling mistakes and mismanagement in the referendum Yes campaign. This was not a superbly organised push for electoral reform that got defeated; the weakness of the campaign gives some hope for a future if, as the authors ...
Cllr David Elderton said there was a petition and invited the petitioner to address the planning committee. The petitioner introduced himself as John Harris of 1 Castle Drive. He said when the original planning application had been approved he had been away for a long period. He had listened to the council officer and had ...
There is little doubt that we are facing significant problems in the housing market. Most obviously, problems of access and affordability. And there is little doubt that we must be heading towards a housing statement from the Government. Reports from think tanks and lobby groups - each trying to exert some influence over the direction ...
The Telegraph reports today that a leaked paper advises the Government to consider changing the law to make it easier to dismiss ineffective workers without risk of being sued for unfair dismissal. The report's author, Adrian Beecroft, a venture capitalist, apparently believes that Britain's employment laws are a serious factor in affecting the success of companies and that freeing managers up from having to consider unfair dismissal claims would encourage growth. He claims: The rules both make it difficult to prove that someone deserves to be dismissed, and demand a process for doing so which is so lengthy and complex ...
Councillor Eddie Boult said he had been on the Site Visit. He said that there were two plots and did the second plot have planning permission? Matthew Rushton replied that the adjacent plot had planning permission for a similar development, which had been approved in 2009. Approval for planning permission was proposed by Cllr John ...
Yesterday I visited the South Edinburgh Local Office in Captain's Rd. The waiting area at the Captains' Rd Office has been transformed into a mini library and I was given an extensive tour of it by the local Libraries Team who are rightly proud of the various uses it receives. As is my custom I did check how often some of the books had been booked out and can reveal that Margaret Thatchers biography had been taken out just once which is significantly fewer than the number of times that it had been borrowed from the Prison Library! I was ...
Advice hub Cambridge Citizens Advice Bureau and has 16 touch screen kiosks giving advice on a range of issues, including housing, employment, debt and benefits. The kiosks make it easier for people to get advice, by providing it where people are, and in a variety of languages. Nine of them are earmarked for Cambridge City, funded by Cambridge City Council. There are kiosks at Addenbrooke's Hospital and the City Council's Mandela House amongst other locations, and the CAB is looking for some more places in the city to put kiosks. They are visiting the City Council's South Area meeting on ...
I do not regret paying my access fee to the FT website. This morning there are two excellent articles on the Euro crisis from the two regular Wednesday morning columnists: Martin Wolf and John Kay. It has helped clarify the way ahead for me. Mr Kay comes in at high level to give an overview of the crisis. It is not comfortable reading for supporters of the Euro project like me, but, as usual for this author, pretty much spot on. The main problem is not that the currency area lacks appropriate institutions at the centre, but that local institutions ...
I've thought for some time that Glasgow South West MP Ian Davidson is the wrong person to chair the Scottish Affairs Committee of the Westminster Parliament. Any Parliamentary Committee is there to hold the Government to account and so its chair must be capable of ensuring that evidence is heard and conclusions made in a credible and fair manner. It's hard to do that when you have a huge chip on your shoulder about the SNP. Yes, they can be darned annoying, their constant picking of fights with institutions on the basis of location rather than efficacy is tiresome and ...
In the 80s there were two sets of Two Davids that happened to influence my life. The first everyone should have a good guess at were the Lords Steel and Owen who through the 80s influenced my politics so much that one of the first things I did on leaving Northern Ireland to go to higher education was to join the Liberal Democrats. The second set of two David's are less well known but had an equally life long effect on my life. They were David Fletcher and David Geary. The former first took me for Junior Boys Brigade taught ...
Nibley Lane is expected to be closed from 9.30am to 2.30pm on Thursday 3rd November. This is to allow the road to be cleaned.
Wed 26th
09:29
More and more believe cuts are not necessary in current shape and form: Experiments which show this ...
This Government, and by association the Lib Dems, will be judged on the economy and more specifically the cuts. Opinion on the cuts has always been divided but as we are now fully signed up to the cuts, they have to be seen to be good for the country in the long run if we ...
Originally the City Council was joyously shouting about its plans to help provide 50 mortgages to local people, via a collaborative scheme with Lloyds Bank, which would see the local authority cover the cost of the deposit, so long as applicants were working/earning enough money to pay the monthly repayments etc But more recently, the Council seems to have gone slightly quiet.....especially after it was discovered that the scheme could NOT be focussed solely at city based applicants, which means people from London or elsewhere, for example, are also now entitled to apply for the said mortgages. Commenting, Liberal Democrat ...
It's official. Liam Fox is set to receive a severance payout of £17,207 for quitting his post as Defence Secretary, and that hefty wedge is due to drop into his bank account on 30 November. That's not idle speculation or even what I picked up after reading some newspaper report or other. It's what a Ministry of Defence official personally confirmed to me yesterday. I asked a Freedom of Information Act request about it only last Monday, and the answer appeared in my inbox only six working days after it was asked, which is record quick time in my experience. ...
I know I shouldn't. And thankfully, I haven' yet. But just sometimes I'm tempted to walk into a local council communications department and shout, "Idiots! Idiots! You're all idiots!". Here is why, courtesy of a short speech I gave on the fringe of the last Liberal Democrat conference: (By the way, do watch to the end to see the slightly bizarre collection of related videos that YouTube offers up. Me and R.E.M., so often thought similar... almost as often as me and Robert Redford.)
After all the excitement of Monday's Tory revolt on Europe it takes Nick Clegg to put the views of the Euro sceptics into some context. According to today's Telegraph the Deputy Prime Minister scorned the demands of the Conservative backbenches: "Eurosceptics need to be quite careful for what they wish for, because if they succeed - and they won't succeed, as long as I'm in government - to push this country towards the exit sign, let's be clear: that [what] will be damaged is British families, British businesses, British jobs." Personally, I am proud that the Liberal Democrats remain such ...
My French is non-existent but I am told that the question was 'has Monsieur Berlusconi done enough to satisfy you?' If that wasn't the question then it should have been.
And so, it's goodbye to National Express East Anglia, and welkom to Nederlandse Spoorwegen, who have won the new Greater Anglia franchise. The only catch is, the franchise is for... twenty-nine months, starting from 5 February 2012 (yes, only 101 days of NXEA to go!). In their bid, a series of improvements for passengers during the franchise period has been promised, including better station and ticket facilities and measures to improve passenger information. There will be a text messaging service to keep passengers informed if service disruption occurs will be introduced, and new information desks will be provided at major ...
Alan and I spent the morning walking round the areas of what used to be council housing in the days when such a thing existed in Stockton. Doing it with a Tristar officer, the PCSO and some Stockton Council officers means that even when a problem is spotted that doesn't relate directly to a Tristar property we have people with us who can do something about it. So pavement parking, a couple of
As others have regularly published the lists of how many items of casework are recorded per councillor by Reading Borough Council, but have not done so for some time, I thought I should ask for an update. With the answer to the Freedom of Information request came the inane instruction that they cannot be published except with the express permission of the Head of Legal Services of the Council. That is ridiculous, so I'm publishing them here. There is not very much of interest to report. I would however highlight the following:- A sudden spike in the workrate of Cllr ...
