So the Feltham & Heston by-election is finally over and we can all stop speculating. What happens now is the typical spin you expect with by-election results. Labour are very careful in ensuring that the message they intend on delivering is that the result was a damning judgement on the Coalition and the path they ...
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, the leader of the Lib-Dems on Broxtowe Borough Council. Happy Christmas to all our readers. This will be the last edition until the new year and so I hope that the festive period is everything that you hope it will be. 1. The Tram The big news this week is undoubtedly that the tram has got the final go ahead from the Government. The contracts are now all signed and work will begin next month. In the first few months the programme is primarily ...
This is Smokey, who claims to be the world's loudest purring domestic cat. She was signing her book in Waterstone's earlier today. We get all the celebrities here in Market Harborough.
HRH The Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward) came to Yate on Tuesday 13th December to visit the Armadillo Youth Cafe and Venue. Despite a storm which delayed his helicopter flight, the Earl spent a long time talking to the young people and the organisers behind the venture. There was some good coverage in the newspapers - check out the reports on the Gazette and Evening Post websites. The Armadillo has its own website where photos of the visit will appear in the near future (click on the Cafe icon, then Royal Visit) The purple-walled building is now a distinctive feature ...
Cameron-having burnt his boats with the mainstream centre right parties in Europe-turned up to the Euro summit with no allies. In order to stop a Tobin/Robin Hood tax ( read the report from Stamp out poverty here)he has damaged Britain's long term interests.* My Lib Dem MEP has issued the following statement: David Cameron was this morning accused of relegating Britain to the second division of Europe.Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies claimed that by wrecking agreement between EU countries in Brussels the Prime Minister had ensured that a two speed Europe would develop.He said: "Far from keeping Britain strong, Cameron ...
Simon Hoggart devotes the greater part of his column in today's Guardian to an assassination of Christopher Hitchens' character. Well, it's a free country and in a way his choice is appropriate. As Hoggart points out, no one was keener on attacking other people's idols than Hitchens. And, with a characteristic prissy expletive, Hoggart does allow Hitchens one virtue: But he could write. Heavens, he could write.And that is where the problems start.Because Hoggart goes on to observe: I can claim some tiny credit; in one of his later Vanity Fair columns, written under the death sentence, he generously said ...
Alex Barker and George Parker – Barker and Parker – of the Financial Times have written a superb article narrating the genesis of Britain's go-it-alone move at the Brussels summit. I like the priceless quote from a diplomat on the state of the preparations for the 26 country pact: It is a bugger's muddle You can read the full FT article here but you will need to be registered (free for 10 articles a month). David Cameron at the European Council's Brussels summit: photo credit: Some rights reserved by European Council [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
On the Northern line, returning from the National Portrait Gallery exhibition on early actresses. It covered the period from 1660 to 1800, which excluded all the Kembles except Sarah Siddons. A great pity they didn't borrow the portrait of Roger Kemble, which the family subscribed to restore, from the museum at Bath. [IMG: Posted by Picasa]
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Norwich has paited some 17" double yellow lines. Can we compete? Full story at the BBC
Debate in the Lords last Monday on Saudi Arabia http://bit.ly/ukn116 Its not a subject frequently discussed, even though Saudi Arabia is an absolute hereditary dictatorship where there is no freedom of expression or assembly, no freedom of religion, harsh repression of women, widespread ill-treatment of migrant labour, arbitrary application of a particular variant of the Shari'a law, and frequent use of capital punishment. We need to pay far greater attention to the use of Saudi oil billions to spread their pernicious ideology throughout the rest of the Islamic world.
I have been really grumpy these last few days - for lots of justifiable but thankfully minor reasons in the scheme of things. Today, however, is when excitement starts and will hopefully reign for the entire Festive Season. I am not talking about the election of Johann Lamont as Labour leader - although good luck to her as she tries to get that lot in order. I still think Willie Rennie is by far the most effective leader who will continue his knack for catching the SNP napping - but then I would say that, wouldn't I. The glittery delights ...
Imagine the outrage if someone said that the British Government is "timid" in the face of pressure from the UK's "large Jewish population". How unpleasant, then, to read identical comments about the UK's "large Arab population" The UK doesn't actually even have a "large Arab population"; I assume that this person was referring in confusion to my country's Muslim communities, which largely have their origins not in the Arab world, but on the Indian sub-continent. To accuse the Government of lacking the "courage" to offend the country's "large Arab population" is as offensive as it would be to accuse ...
Oh joy! Oh rapture! I have been put out my misery! For a week now I have had one of the Sky guide Christmas background tunes stuck in my head. You know...it's one of those little tunes which play quietly in the background while you choose what programme to watch next. Well, this one got seriously under my skin. But help is at hand. All the Sky guide background music is on a special website here and lots of the tunes are on YouTunes if you search for "Sky EPG music". And here is the Sky EPG Chritsmas tune #1 ...
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Reading East's hapless and irrelevant MP has not had one of his better weeks. His bizarre call for Parliament to waste time debating 'good taste' in film (see triggered by a viewing of the 'Iron Lady' biopic, does nothing for political debate, nor for his constituents. Is he advocating censorship? Or is he really that out of touch with his constituents and the reality of life in Reading East? Ironically, all he is likely to achieve is a small boost to the viewing figures of the much-hyped film when it is eventually released. ...
Residents of Bury are being urged to take part in their local Zero Waste Competition to be in with the chance of winning prizes worth up to £150! Environmental charity EMERGE is searching for individuals and groups to become Zero Waste Champions and reduce the amount of waste they send to landfill to as close to ZERO as possible...in one month! If you have a passion for the environment and recycling, then this is the challenge for you. Households in Greater Manchester send 1.1 million tonnes of rubbish to landfill every year- that's a massive half a tonne each! Yet ...
I was not surprised that a week passed after my correspondence with Belgian rail without my hearing anything from them. So I sent the deputy spokesman another message on Thursday, regretting that their colleagues in customer service did not seem to share my understanding of "urgency" and "rapid treatment". Ten minutes later I got a phone call from a bright young woman who said that they would ask their colleagues in Leuven to hold the Oud-Heverlee train for the Brussels connection, but adding rather pessimistically that they had no guarantee that their colleagues in Leuven would actually do this. Of ...
As another way of keeping in touch with local residents, Werrington and Gunthorpe Liberal Democrat councillor Darren Fower has started posting videos on YouTube. Take a look - just Click here!
A year ago today the young Tunisian itinerant fruit-seller Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself outside the municipal offices in the southern town of Sidi Bou Zid. He had reached the end of his tether after months of harassment and humiliation at the hands of the police and the authorities; little could he know that ...
Out of hours work at Heaton Park Metrolink stop T4GM's contractors are currently undertaking improvement works on the Metrolink stops on the Bury line. They will be carrying out essential work at Heaton Park Metrolink stop outside our normal hours of construction. For safety reasons, this work can only be done while the tram line is closed. Work will take place overnight from 11pm on Wednesday 21st December to 6am on Thursday 22nd December, 2011. Some of our overnight work will require low level lighting and involve use of construction tools and vehicles. These works will inevitably cause some noise. ...
In a speech at Oxford Christchurch to mark the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, Mr Cameron out lined that Britain, as a Christian nation should turn to the Bible to help combat Britain's moral collapse, he also went on to say; We are a Christian country and we should not be afraid to say so. Let me be clear: I am not in any way saying that to have another faith - or no faith - is somehow wrong. I know and fully respect that many people in this country do not have a religion. And I am ...
The government has signalled it is to ban all forms of skydiving in the wake of more than a dozen deaths in the UK linked to the activity in recent years. "It is a dangerous thing to do and we need to send a message to people that is is not acceptable." a government spokesperson said. "There is no such thing as a safe way to skydive and we need to protect our children and communities from its potentially deadly effects". Ministers have asked the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Sports to review the category that skydiving is placed ...
Friday: From Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar Day 16: Conversation with the Clone Pilot
Tory MP Rob Wilson is quite wrong to call for a Commons debate on the film The Iron Lady (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-16216556). Such a debate would be a waste of Parliamentary time and money. The House of Commons makes our laws and is not a phone-in radio show. I have not seen The Iron Lady and I accept that some people don't like its portrayal of Baroness Thatcher's later years, but what is to be achieved by debating that in Parliament? What is intended to happen as a result of such a debate? Are we now Thailand, where insulting the monarch (lese-majeste) ...
Sat 17th
11:22
Council (Wirral Council) 12/12/2011 Part 5 Agenda Item 6 Matters Requiring Approval By The Council, ...
Agenda Item 6: Matters Requiring Approval By The Council The Mayor asked for agreement of items (i) Minute 175 (Cabinet - 3/11/11) - Provision for Inflation 2012/13, (ii) Minute 198 (Cabinet - 24/11/11) - Insurance Fund Budget 2012/13 and (iv) Minute 211 – Council Tax Base 2012/13. Items (i), (ii) and (iv) were agreed. Items (iii) Minute ...
There's been much coverage on the EU treaty, Cameron's veto and Clegg's disappointment, but for all the coverage, little detail, little proper journalism and it has left the public in the dark. Polling shows that people are generally pleased that the British PM 'stood up for British interests'. Ask the same polled public 'But what does it mean?', 'What were these interests?', 'What was so
From an interview the Liberal Democrat Foreign Office minister Jeremy Browne gave the Evening Standard this week: I think there is a danger that we are defined by a relatively small set of issues that are relevant and significant but do not give a rounded picture of what the Liberal Democrats are in government in order to achieve. As he rightly says, there's a danger in the events of 2011 that the party ends up leaving just that impression: It would be a mistake for the Lib-Dems to come to be known in the public minds as the party that ...
It's December which means for those who have them, it's time to get out those chocolate advent calendars! But for those of you who, like me, don't do such things anymore (and indeed for those of you who still do!), I thought I'd give my own unique little twist on this festive time of year with my Musical Advent Calendar countdown of my Top 25 favourite Christmas songs! I'm blogging a song a day, culminating with my favourite on Christmas Eve. So let's continue on our seasonal countdown... Cole's Musical Christmas Advent Calendar - Day 17! Today we have my ...
Sat 17th
09:32
I don't like Thatcher, I've never liked Thatcher, I've never voted Conservative and I never will - b...
As someone who lived through the Thatcher government and disagreed with virtually everything she did. And for that matter had my school milk taken away from me by Margaret Thatcher when I was just 3 years old I am possibly one of the least likely people to support the idea of her having a state ...
There is a youtube channel Idowish12 which includes a lot of films of Birmingham's past.For example:and
Well, in a word, no. Tim Farron seems unlikely to undergo such a radical transformation any time soon, and rightly so. However, I believe strongly that politics is ill-served by the streams of invective which are often directed at controversial figures, and that applies as much to Margaret Thatcher as to anyone else. Specifically, in the past I have had some concerns about Tim Farron's comments on the Iron Lady, most notably in his Autumn 2011 Conference speech. I was therefore absolutely delighted earlier today to see his Lib Dem Voice piece, Sorry Dave, but you're no Mrs. T..... I ...
Just as I have argued that the British veto on a new European Treaty has not isolated us within Europe, so it seems it must it be pointed out that those on the other side of the argument need to calm down and start acting like adults. Nick Clegg has felt it necessary this week to chastise the French Prime Minister for his rhetoric and that of his government, in baiting the credit rating agencies to take their revenge on the UK. French prime minister Francois Fillon the head of the French central bank had suggested Britain was a candidate ...
Here's your starter for ten in our weekend slot where we throw up an idea or thought for debate... This week saw the revelation in the Independent that there are now 326 former MPs who hold Former Members' Passes. The passes allow them access to bring guests into the House of Commons and book restaurants with family in the Palace of Westminster. The Independent raises worries that former MPs may be using these passes to further there lobbying careers. Former speaker Michael Martin introduced the scheme to allow former MPs to keep up with friends in Parliament but should former ...
Earlier this year, I asked the City Council that the pavements in Perth Road in the shopping area be resurfaced where they are in poor shape - particularly on the south side between Seafield Road and Shepherd's Loan. The Council agreed to resurface the stretch from Step Row to Shepherd's Loan and targeted for this work to take place in October. The Council has since advised me : "The scheme was originally proposed to start in October after the holiday period but due to additional works at other ongoing Council schemes: Waterfront and Dykes of Grey. We did not have ...
Meanwhile, in the land of the free......Nanny bans cakes and pop at school Christmas parties. From CBS Boston Students are being told to leave the Christmas cookies, cakes, candy bars, and soda at home and to bring fruits, unsweetened juices, popcorn and raisins instead. But it's ok because the Superintendent in charge of the school district is there to reassure us "We aren't trying to take the Christmas out of Christmas. We're not trying to take the enjoyment out of children's lives Yes you are. And the scary thing is you don't even realise your doing it! I like old ...
Road safety officers at Cambridgeshire County Council are urging motorists to avoid drinking and driving over the Christmas period by taking the taxi instead. Around 3 per cent of all injury accidents in Cambridgeshire involve drink drivers. In 2010, 1100 people failed breath tests - 121 of these over the Christmas period. Previous Christmas campaigns have asked drivers to consider how many people's Christmasses could be ruined if they kill or injure anyone as a result of their drinking and driving. However, research suggests that it is the personal consequences of drivers' actions that have the greatest impact on their ...
Maybe it is the nostalgia of no longer having to battle the London West End crowds to get to work, or even to get about work in the run up to Christmas, but when Chris Martin mentioned the lights on Oxford Street in last year's song I sort of did get all teary eyed. The people I worked with were a good bunch and we usually had a good let down the hair evening on a Sunday when we shut up the shop earlier together as a Christmas do. So today's offering is of course Coldplay
One of four Sheila Mackie paintings I've worked to return to Consett from the vaults at County Hall will be officially unveiled at Consett Library next Thursday at 2.00 p.m. A Heritage Trail will also be launched showing where Sheila's work can be found. It was in March that this site recorded the return of the first of the county's paintings and I'll be delighted when the process is complete. That requires final agreement with Shotley Bridge Hospital. It's taken time, but I have been very grateful for the ongoing support of the Policy and Communications team at Durham who ...
(For parts one to five of the good doctor's investigation, click on the Doctor Watson Investigates tag). I was utterly confounded! "Miss Travers," I responded, trying to control the tremor in my voice, "surely you must remember our meeting only this morning?" "You must be mistaken, sir," she replied, in a voice that was noticeably ...
The last 3 days have been some of the most enjoyable in my life. Despite being a boring introverted person, I ended up socialising quite a lot (to the detriment if not annihalation of any homework strategy). I made some friends who I honestly think could be some of the closest of any, yet this
Thursday: Is this REALLY "The Prisoner"? I'm not sure it's even TELEVISION! Daddy Richard, however, thinks it's AWESOME. information The Prisoner appears in a tale from his life as a secret agent. The eponymous "girl" is impossibly modish in all-white attire and all-white make-up, stringing the Prisoner along through near-fatal escapades while he pursues her father, a mad scientist with a literal Napoleon complex, pastiching in passing "The Avengers", "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.", "Mission: Impossible", "James Bond", "Sherlock Holmes", Hitchcock and, um, "Danger Man" aka "Secret Agent" making "The Girl Who Was Death" possibly the single most Sixties thing ever! ...
