As some of you will now while at Kingston I ran the 3000m steeplechase. This blogpost marks the 3000th blogspot on this blog. So I'm taking 1 blog post out of each of sections of 300 blogs that chronologically make up the time line of this blog. From 1-300 2 July 2005- 8 March 2006 My Day in the Media Scrum the tale of my rather unusual task one day in the Dunfermline and West Fife by election, but the day that saw the start of Charles Kennedy's rehabilitation as a public figure as he campaigned for the man who ...
...that's my view of the 10 Liberal Democrats who put their name to a Guardian letter supporting the frankly bonkers Compass think tank's 'plan B'. The plan is crazy - calling for a UK tobin tax on banking transactions. It also calls for rises in benefits to help those on 'low and middle incomes' and additional quantitative easing (presumably on top of that just announced by the Bank of England). And finally for an end to all public spending cuts and job losses. And the report is unspecific about how much this would cost - but presumably it would be ...
The Royal British Legion is an organisation that cares about more than just veterans of war, especially those of World War I and World War II. What is does is provide financial, social and emotional support to those who have served or who are currently serving in the British Armed Forces, and their dependants. Therefore for Laurie Penny aka Penny Red has written something that make my blood boil over on the Stop the War Coalition website. Calling it the "hypocrisy and showbiz of red poppy day". Now I do have family who fought and some died in the First ...
Building on the record high settlement for Manchester schools, the government have announced yet more money going towards pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds through the pupil premium this year. Manchester is set to receive almost £11million extra for its schools through the pupil premium this year which is £1,292,704 more than originally expected. This year's Manchester School spending has gone up 5.8% compared to last year with additional money from the pupil premium meaning the difference in budgets for 2010/11 to 2011/12 is an additional £18,346,306. Manchester local authority will receive the fourth largest pupil premium in the country and this ...
TweetThe placement of foreign aid from the UK is a strange subject. When our economy thrives on goods produced at abysmally low wages from other countries, one can consider British aid to be a meagre attempt at compensation. A patronising and implicit one. Proposals by David Cameron to reduce foreign aid the countries that abuse ...
Chancellor George Osborne confirmed to me at today's Treasury Questions that the Coalition Government is cracking down on various tax avoidance schemes. The Treasury team of ministers answer questions from MPs each month. As co-chair of the Lib Dem Treasury and Business Parliamentary Committee I always ask a question. Today I highlighted the tented occuptations ...
TweetSt Paul's is as divided as the country over Occupy London. Despite Occupying London Stock Exchange being so-called "Rebels without a clue", around half of the UK public agree with the vague message that bankers bonuses are extreme and the government handling of economic crises are at best unfair and a worse scandalous. The right-wing ...
I felt quite emotional listening to Margaret Magnusson as she talked to Good Morning Scotland yesterday about the death of her father, the broadcaster Magnus Magnusson in January 2007. You could hear the pain and shock still in her voice as she talked about his rapid decline. You see, the disease that killed him was Pancreatic Cancer, known as the silent killer because by the time you know you've got it, it's most likely too late. It's what took the life of Apple founder Steve Jobs last month. Margaret talked about the slow rate of progress in curing this disease, ...
Tue 1st
20:29
The Beards of George McClellan, Horatio Seymour and Horace Greeley: a correction and retraction
Nine years ago today, I set up a web-page on my site describing the history of facial hair in US Presidential elections. On that page I stated that Horatio Seymour, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate in the 1868 election, "sported only modest sideburns" and that Horace Greeley, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate in the 1872 election, "had only sideburns (his high collar looks a bit like a beard but this is an illusion)." I also stated that there had never been a Presidential election where more than one candidate had had a "proper" beard. A former Commissioner of the New York City ...
I've had a rather busy October and as such my time blogging has been rather on the light side, so here's a short version of my take on a few things I wanted to write about but didn't get round to (each of which deserved their own post): Col Gaddafi Probably the biggest piece of news I failed to comment on was the capture and death of Col Muammar Gaddafi. Mark Cole is spot on when he says that it is easy for us to judge sitting in our "comfy sofas" thousands of miles away but I can't help the ...
Yesterday's Guardian had a story about a review of university admissions published by Ucas - the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. It began: The process by which hundreds of thousands of teenagers apply to UK universities favours the rich, the organisation that co-ordinates degree applications has admitted. In a review of university admissions published on Monday, Ucas acknowledges that the current system gives an unfair advantage to pupils at private schools. These pupils are encouraged by their teachers to apply to institutions well ahead of the official deadline and, for some courses, applying early gives students more of a chance ...
Tue 1st
19:58
John Leech MP calls on Government to take those on National Minimum Wage out of Income Tax altogethe...
Manchester Withington MP John Leech has put down the following Early Day Motion in Parliament; That this House welcomes the commitment of the Coalition Government to increase the personal allowance to £10,000 by 2015; recognises that increases in the personal allowance have already taken hundreds of thousands of the lowest paid tax payers out of paying income tax altogether and that further increases in the personal allowance will benefit all taxpayers, but benefit the poorest taxpayers more as a proportion of their income; welcomes the recent increase in the minimum wage to £6.08 for adults over 21, which translates into ...
A couple of Fridays ago, an ill-timed local party meeting almost prevented me from making it to possibly the most significant cultural event of Reading's year – the St Mary's project, where the old Minster was taken over by a range of artists for a programme of installations and musical recitals, including the world premiere of a choral piece by Raymond Yiu. [IMG: One of the many images of Reading residents projected onto the Minster] St Mary's Project This all forms part of the Whitley Arts Festival, which continues for another week, featuring the Whitley Arts Trail – art installations ...
The New Statesman website has a selection of recent parliamentary punch ups from around the world, complete with videos. Sadly Britain's most notable contribution to this genre took place in 1893 - before the age of moving photography. And my hero J.W. "Paddy" Logan, Liberal MP for Harborough 1891-1904 and 1910-16, was at the heart of it. As I once wrote in a House Points column for Liberal Democrat News: On the night of 27 July, as he waited for the throng to clear, Logan crossed the chamber and sat down truculently beside Carson on the Conservative front bench. Hayes ...
Okay so that lasted all of a few hours! Yes I get it i'm a flake. I'm sorry for the hysteria and attention! So having posted a blog (Which said higher forces made disappear) I was informed it was possible to transfer my membership to another local party. So i'm going back to Winchester, where I joined and where hopefully they'll accept me back with open arms! This also means I can get involved still, despite a geographical problem, I'm sure there'll still be plenty for me to do! I also note that my resignation has caused quite a debate ...
Schools in Chorlton have now been allocated their share of the Pupil Premium cash. The Pupil Premium is a key manifesto pledge by the Liberal Democrats and is intended to tackle the inequalities that can blight the future of a disadvantaged child. The determination of the Lib Dems to ensure that every child has as equal a start in life as humanly possible has seen this pledge being delivered in the face of tough economic conditions. If we are to break the cycle of deprivation and benefit dependency that is now in its third generation we must do all we ...
After last weeks little punch up in the Italian Parliament The New Statesman is carrying a list of top parliamentary punch ups. Sort of puts PMQs into perspective! You can see them here
The decision by the Greek Prime Minister, George Papandreou, to submit the Greek austerity measures to referendum could be seen as a reassertion of democratic control over the relationship between Greece and the rest of the Eurozone. In a way it is a laudable expression of the democratic rights of the Hellenic Republic. In practice, the two or three months of uncertainty that will result, before any referendum can take place, look like being a Greek revenge upon the rest of the Eurozone. The fact is that the markets will most likely deliver a verdict long before the Greek people ...
..... was not the finest piece of political literature ever produced and it should never have got anywhere near the official Twitter account our our leader's Facebook page. I know that lessons will be learned and more robust procedures put in place to make sure that things are properly signed off and seen by a selection of people before they go out. The people who designed it are original, creative, bright, clever, funny, good people, but on this occasion they pushed a boundary a bit too far. If you have never made a mistake in your life, then go ahead ...
The sun shone. Mediterranean waves broke gently against the beach. Small children made their way from school, bags on their backs. There was no shelling. It was a nice afternoon in Gaza, and I could see the sea from my ... Continue reading →
[Originally posted at Liberal Democrat Voice, 01/11/11] The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offender Bill has returned to the House of Commons this week. The problems with the Government's proposed Legal Aid reforms have been apparent for a while. Some people will see their access to justice seriously curtailed, while the courts are likely ...
I mentioned the closure of Fen Lane in passing a few days ago, and it has subsequently been brought to my attention that the proposed diversion has a slight flaw. Whilst the notion of using Church Lane to get from St Mary's Church to Jacks Green Road is an interesting one, the lack of a bridge over the A14 dual carriageway is a bit of a challenge. I'm told that the wooden bridge closed to vehicles might be a bit tricky too... Ros has suggested that the ladies and gentlemen from Highways might like to check the route before the ...
The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offender Bill has returned to the House of Commons this week. The problems with the Government's proposed Legal Aid reforms have been apparent for a while. Some people will see their access to justice seriously curtailed, while the courts are likely to silt up with inexpert litigants-in-person. The chances of any money being saved - when considered in the round - are limited. In this context it is good to see reports that Liberal Democrat MPs Tom Brake and Mike Crockart are tabling amendments to seek to address some of the most egregious ...
Vigeland sculpture, Oslo Last weekend my wife and I went to Oslo, to visit my brother and his partner (who is a local). It wasn't my first visit to Norway, but the first time was on a tour. Norway comes up periodically in conversation here in the UK, especially as a country that does well outside the EU. What to make of it? The first thing to say is that Norway is a spectacularly beautiful place. The weather was mostly dull when we were there, but we had sunshine on Saturday, rendering beautiful views of a totally calm Oslo Fjord. ...
Local Liberal Democrats have expressed surprise and concern at a recent study which showed that East & North Herts Hospital NHS Trust appeared in the highest band for hospital mortality rates. Looking into the figures, they have discovered that, according to one method of calculation, East & North Herts showed up as joint second worst NHS Trust out of 147 Trusts across England, coming in the top band when actual mortality rates are compared with what would be expected. The Trust runs the Lister and QEII hospitals, as well as treating over 5,000 patients each year in the Mount Vernon ...
Councillor Sue McGuire is on the move - to keep updated with her blog posts and on-line activity please click here to visit her new site.
Cornwall Council is trying to close 114 public toilets across Cornwall. But in at least one case they are actually being paid to keep those toilets open. My colleague Nigel Pearce has uncovered emails which show that when Bude Foyer toilets were opened less than a year ago, the site developers paid the Council £75,000 towards cleaning and maintenance costs. With the annual costs of these toilets estimated at £6,000 per year at present (a sum that could, according to a council officer, be massively reduced), that amount should be enough to keep them open for at least twelve and ...
The Guardian reports today that "Economic plan failing, grassroots Lib Dems say in first sign of revolt" . Well, hardly. It's a letter in the Guardian stating that a handful of Lib Dems back the somewhat flawed Compass Plan B. (Hardly Lib Dem 2010 manifesto btw). Still, the Guardian letter does have some impressive signatures..... "a group of senior Lib Dem figures and former parliamentary candidates"... hmm...Prof Richard Grayson, Ruth Bright, Linda Jack, Margaret Phelps, Nick Rijke, Prof Stephen Haseler, Simon Hebditch, Dr Jo Ingold, Cllr Ron Beadle and Cllr Stephen Knight. Err hang on were these not the very ...
Cornwall Council would be in line for an income boost of almost £2 million per year once the Government enacts their proposal to allow councils to do away with the council tax discount for second homes. At the moment, second homes in Cornwall receive the minimum discount allowed by law - 10%. There are about 14,095 properties in Cornwall for which a second home discount is claimed and the total discount is around £1,972,000 per year. This change is long-standing Lib Dem policy and is being enacted because the party is now in government. Of course the final decision as ...
I spent the weekend at a spa hotel outside Algiers at the Second International Solidarity Conference with the Sahraoui people, which drew two or three hundred participants from countries as diverse as Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Ethiopia, France, Lebanon, Mexico, Namibia, Russia, South Africa and Tunisia. The Algerian TV and other media wee there in force, ...
Cross posting from LGBT Lib Dems NI There is an article in today's Irish Independent on Sunday that you just wonder how on earth did it get published. It is almost as if the opinion writer Eamon Delaney was preparing a piece just in case David Norris instead of Michael D. Higgins had been elected President. The first paragraph tells you enough that this isn't going to be an LGBT friendly piece: "As the cliche goes, some of my best friends are gay. I used to live in a very gay area, the West Village in New York. Indeed, enjoying ...
Well over 2000 homes are empty in Southport. Some have been left vacant for years. Whilst out canvassing on Sunday resident drew our attention to two such homes and several others are known to me. This issue impacts in several ways: neighbours get very upset when they are striving to keep the property in good order when there is a neglected house in the street there is a health risk from neglected properties from vermin, decaying structures etc worst of all someone else is deprived of a home -especially when we have such a severe shortage new homes are being ...
I've been a bit slow on following up on the latest on the Margaret Moran saga but we have now got a date for her trial. I'd noted before that Moran was due to appear last Friday at Southwark Crown Court to face 21 charges of fiddling her expenses to the tune of around £80,000. In the end she didn't appear in person but a brief hearing set a provisional trial date for 18 April next year. A further pre trial hearing will be held in December.
I've just got the very sad news that Olver Harris died yesterday. Olver had suffered a stroke a couple of months ago and had been in a nursing home since then but it is still very shocking to think that he won't be with us any more. Olver was first elected more than fifty years ago. He claims it was when he was playing football outside a parish council meeting. The meeting wasn't quorate and the chairman came outside to ask him to sit there to make up the numbers. I'm not sure how true that was (Olver liked his ...
The number of prisoners serving indeterminate sentences has rocketed since the 2003 Criminal Justice Act introduced the IPP (Indeterminate Sentence for Public Protection). Within four years of its introduction, over 5,000 such sentences had been passed despite original government projections of just a few hundred. To the horror of many liberals less than 2% of such prisoners have ever acheived parole and hardly any gained release at expiry of their sentence tariff. Most MPs will be familar with cases of constituents where IPP prisoners have served well in excess of their tariff and yet appear to have little prospect of ...
David Cameron follows the tradition set by many of his predecessors today in criticising the bear pit that is Prime Minister's Question Time. The Telegraph reports on the Prime Minister's interview with Grazia magazine in which he attacks the "gladiatorial, testosterone-charged" atmosphere of the occasion. He describes it as the most "unpleasant-looking thing that I have to do every week": "It is confrontational, adversarial and quite difficult to be anything else unless you want to get completely squashed by the other side," he said. "I think that sometimes you can come across in a way that you don't mean to, ...
ConservativeHome have undertaken a poll on how popular Conservative and Lib Dem ministers are with the Tories which makes for interesting reading. Nick Clegg is no longer seen as one of the Tories and appears near the bottom along with Ken Clarke, while Danny Alexander makes it higher than many Tory MPs. So Nick Clegg has ...
Hat Tip: This is surely an event not to missed? Stuff David Haye vs Wladimir Klitschko ... This is Mark Littlewood face-to-face with David Laws MP. It promises to be THE interview of the year. Yep that's right ... David Laws has agreed to meet Mark Littlewood for what promises to be a splendid evening of cross examination and inspection.. We can't wait.. WHERE: IEA, 2 Lord North Street, London, SW1 (door on Great Peter Street) WHEN: 22nd November, 6.30pm HOW TO GET A TICKET: email iea@iea.org.uk WANT MORE INFO: go to the IEA website
Press release from the Diocese of London website: The Chapter of St Paul's Cathedral has unanimously agreed to suspend its current legal action against the protest camp outside the church, following meetings with Dr Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, late last night and early this morning. It is being widely reported that the Corporation of London plans to ask protesters to leave imminently. The Chapter of course recognises the Corporation's right to take such action on Corporation land. The Bishop has invited investment banker, Ken Costa, formerly Chair of UBS Europe and Chairman of Lazard International, to spearhead an ...
Today's announcement that Suffolk County Council will transfer all of its library service into the care of a newly created Industrial and Provident Society (IPS) is merely the latest stage in the efforts of local Conservatives to wriggle off of the hook created by them when they announced plans to slash and burn the county's libraries under the leadership of the late and rather unlamented Jeremy Pembroke. Whilst the devil is in the detail (as so much is with Suffolk County Council), the numbers are interesting. The IPS will cost about £600,000 to set up, but will save about £2.5 ...
What prompts the title of this post is a recent and disappointingly brief statement by Jenny Willot in her capacity as Co-Chair of the Lib Dem parliamentary committee on the Department of Work and Pensions. In it she says the following: "The Government, assisted by Professor Harrington, have made great strides towards improving the WCA but it's important that we go even further. "The WCA has been so poor for so long and many sick and disabled people have been terrified by horror stories about the way Atos work and some of the ludicrous decisions they have made. We need ...
This is the first time I have been moved to write a blog post on the Greek debt crisis and for good reason. I have always refrained from commenting on the situation, unless directly asked to, as despite being ethnically Greek (half Greek to be precise), I have never lived there and cannot legitimately claim to be anything more than a 'plastic bubble'. However, my family does lives there, several of my friends do work there and I do follow the situation closely from the relative comfort of my laptop every day, so I definitely do have an opinion. The ...
Seeing as my last name starts in G there is surprising a dearth of bands of singers beginning with the same letter in my record collection, I don't own any of Stephen Gately's solo stuff, I do have a little Peter Gabriel, However, on one compilation album is an anthem by an artist with not one but two Gs that just has to be the pick for this week.
Tue 1st
12:20
Corporate Governance Committee (Wirral Council) 26th October 2011 5.00pm (Committee Room 1) Part 2
The Chief Executive Jim Wilkie said it had been commissioned before Anna [Klonowski]'s work. He said that in the clear light of Anna's report that there were important connections and this was an opportunity for the committee to give its view. He asked if it is correct and if not correct they would bring it ...
From today's Guardian: We write to express broad support for the Compass Plan B proposals reported in the Observer (30 October). We are Liberal Democrat members who have campaigned hard for decades in national and local elections. We have also engaged in our party's policymaking. For both reasons, we take seriously the policies on which we fought the last general election, in particular the belief that the Conservatives' economic proposals would have dire consequences. In May 2010, our party signed up, through the coalition agreement, to a series of policies against which it had recently campaigned. But out of responsibility ...
I've just got back from the licensing committee discussing whether or not to allow alcohol sales at 206 Greenhill Road (that's the shop on the corner with Caithness Road). Despite considerable objections from residents (including letters and a petition) the committee decided that the shop WILL be able to sell alcohol. We know some people will be disappointed at this as residents have been pointing out all the potential problems. It's clear also that you don't have very far to go in that area to buy alcohol already! I spoke as did other Councillors and we made all the points ...
Report by Prateek Buch As detailed in a letter to the Observer, the campaigns group Compass has helped piece together a Plan B to boost the stalling economy, having declared the Government's Plan A to have failed. I was at the ... Continue reading →
It's certainly one of the most ill-considered, misguided, offensive, juvenile and plainly idiotic political stunts ever attempted by a mainstream political party. As a Scottish Liberal Democrat member and activist I am frankly appalled that we have resorted to such shameful gutter politics that reflect badly on our leader, Willie Rennie, and the party as a whole - as well as Scottish politics more generally. This attempt at satirical humour at the expense of First Minister Alex Salmond is misjudged to say the very least. But it is also deeply offensive, irresponsibly indulging in scaremongering of the worst type and ...
When I was a younger man I would have welcomed the Government's new measures. Those who commit crimes will have their benefits cut. Seventeen year old Chris would totally agree. "Hear, Hear!" he would have said briefly looking up from his Star Wars cards. He was a little more right wing than I am with an immovable belief in the letter of the law and his superiors. He was the voice that wanted to see martial law declared during the riots, deployment of live rounds against the Student protests... He was thoroughly odious person at times - I'm no longer ...
Earlier this year, when I was Lead Member for Adult Social Care I led changes to the Council's Eligibility Criteria for Adult Social Care to 'Substantial' and 'Critical'. I did this to ensure that adult care would be available for people who need it now and in the future - putting social care in Reading on a sustainable footing. These changes were approved by the Council in March. You can read the full background to this decision - which was far from easy - here. As I said at the time: "My priority from now on will be focussing on ...
This is my fourteenth monthly round-up of blog figures for anyone who is remotely interested in who reads my little blog. These stats for the month of October come courtesy of google analytics. Calming Down As with September, October has been a relatively quiet month. My output for the month of 20 blog posts is my lowest since last November when I blogged 19 times and one less than my total for last month. In September, I had a total of 4,218 absolute unique visitors to my blog (up on my September total of 3,636 but down on my May ...
Here is a comprehensive view of classical liberalism by historian Stephen Davies from Learn Liberty.
Tue 1st
10:55
Opinion: "The first £10,000 you earn tax-free"? Not unless we act on National Insurance
At Conference, Danny Alexander repeated his view that the personal allowance for income tax should be raised beyond £10,000, saying: In the next Parliament, I want us to go further; our aspiration should be that someone working full time on the minimum wage should pay no income tax at all. An income tax threshold of £12,500 – think what that would do to work incentives, think what it would mean for basic fairness. Let's put that on the front page of our next manifesto. The idea certainly seems popular within the party. But remarkably absent from these discussions is any ...
In the past i have not been much of a fan of Halloween. Having marauding hoards of children running around the streets knocking on doors asking for sweets has always, to me in the past, been a nightmare. But last ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP has announced that former leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell MP will chair the Home Rule Commission, set up to develop a blueprint for Home Rule in Scotland. The party's Scottish conference in Dunfermline last month voted to establish a Commission to look at a settled distribution of powers between London, Edinburgh and local councils. Sir Menzies will join other Liberal Democrats to set out a long-term vision for a strong Scotland within the UK and powerful local communities in every part of Scotland. Commenting on the announcement, Mr Rennie said: ...
I noted yesterday's announcement of millions of pounds of funding to buisinesses went almost unreported in this region. However, one north-east recipient of funding struck me as particularly worthwhile, Jarrow Brewery. Although a small north-east based brewery they have a reputation nationally for excellent beers. I hope that the money will allow them to expand their market into other regions, as well as allowing further staff to be taken on. All I can add is ..........."Cheers"
This years's Heroes and Scarecrows night will be 19th November. An evening of music to celebrate and remember the great Alan Hull ( of Lindisfarne) the night is at the Magnesia Bank, North Shields. Doors Open 7pm. Confirmed guests are :- Steve Daggett * ( of the later Lindisfarne incarnation ) Tom Mitchell * ( son of Billy Mitchell) Simma and the Three Ring Circus Dave Hull-Denholm & Ian Thonpson Craig Johnson Tickets are £10 each from the Magnesia bank, or there's a Facebook group to contact the organisers. All proceeds will go to Children in Need If it's anything ...
TweetGreece's referendum proposal has a multifaceted approach. It could be the ultimate filibustering in a political endgame. It could be to prevent a civil war akin to middle eastern neighbours. It could be petulance and defiance of being 'owned' and 'ruled' by the EU. It could be lunacy and it could be genius. Filibustering. Greece ...
As Tim Leunig pointed out last week, housing plays an important role in most people's concept of social mobility, a point highlighted in Stephen Gilbert's piece over the summer recounting his own personal circumstances: Last year I was probably the only MP to be elected while still living with my parents. Of course, I'd moved out of home and, like many others, had to move back again. It's a symptom of the fact that housing policy in the UK is in crisis. We have millions of people languishing on social housing waiting lists, first-time-buyers priced out of the market and ...
A rather persistent hoax has been floating around blogs, Facebook, and Twitter recently. The "warning" alleges that a company put a flier through your letterbox claiming that they were unable to deliver a parcel – and that you need to contact them on 0906 6611911. Apparently this will immediately charge your phone £315. Before we go any further, this "warning" is a hoax. The original scam was closed in 2005! So, why is this propagating now? One reason that I can find is that this misinformation is being spread by Surrey Police. [IMG: Surrey Police Hoax Email] When people normally ...
So here it is, my bleary-eyed visage on a clean-shaven Day 1 of this year's Movember challenge. Over the next thirty days I and many thousands of others will be attempting to grow something daft and faintly unsettling on our top lips as part of the annual funding and awareness drive for prostate cancer research. ...
I often find that returning to the UK for a rare visit is a rather sobering experience. The difficulties the government faces seem exposed in sharp relief when you have been away for a while. This trip was a little different. Yes, it is all to obvious that the physical infrastructure needs investment: but despite potential future problems, Crossrail is being built- and the tunnel portal, close to Paddington station is well underway. Above the ground, Heathrow's new terminal is also now taking shape, and flying over London, the Olympic stadium gleams above the winding river Lea. The giant Shard ...
By James Graham I am delighted to announce that, as of this week, I am coming back to the fold of the Social Liberal Forum as its Head of Political Strategy. For those who don't know, alongside Richard Grayson and ... Continue reading →
Last time, I looked at the areas where European liberals sense that Europe has, potentially, a greater need for action. Today, it's time to look at the 'wish list'... Calls for:An end to the blame game that sees "Brussels" made the scapegoat for things that national politicians do not want to take responsibility for;National and European politicians to openly talk about and promote the good things the EU has achieved and how European money has helped to improve the lives of people at all levels of society;Bless... the day that politicians stop blaming something far away that has little ability ...
Local Liberal Democrats have expressed surprise and concern at a recent study which showed that East & North Herts Hospital NHS Trust appeared in the highest band for hospital mortality rates. Looking into the figures, they have discovered that, according to one method of calculation, East & North Herts showed up as joint second worst NHS Trust out of 147 Trusts across England, coming in the top band when actual mortality rates are compared with what would be expected. The Trust runs the Lister and QEII hospitals, as well as treating over 5,000 patients each year in the Mount Vernon ...
I recently mentioned that an initial meeting to hopefully form a friends' group for the recently opened Riverside Nature Park will take place in the Education Centre at the University of Dundee Botanic Garden at 6pm on Wednesday 23rd November. There's now a poster available to advertise the meeting - all local residents welcome :
Residents and community groups are being asked for ideas about how trees in St Albans City and District can best be protected and managed and their numbers increased. St Albans City and District Council's Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee has set up a special Trees Task and Finish Group to identify practical, cost-effective ways to protect trees in the district and to promote their planting. The group wants to hear from residents with any views on how the district's trees can be managed to ensure their protection and on how community initiatives, such as the Council's current tree warden ...
[IMG: Cintra Avenue Trees 31 October] I was really proud yesterday evening when my constituents Colin Eastman (pictured) and Annette Juckes attended a meeting of Reading Borough Council's Cabinet to quiestion Cllr Tony Page, Labour Lead Member for Strategic Planning and Transport on the fate of well-loved trees on Cintra Avenue and Warwick Road. I have been working closely with local residents Colin and Annette in recent weeks. They have both actively supported our local campaign which we launched over the Summer to get the Council to take extra care of these special trees. I encouraged them to come along to a Council meeting ...
Oh no! That's pretty f...d up. By the time I'd been living in Canada for a few weeks, I'd found out enough about the police, to decide that it was best not to seek their assistance, even if I saw a crime was being committed. I might make an exception if human life was at ...
