Yesterday I suggested that Grant Shapps and others ought to read Herbert Spencer's "The Sins of Legislators" about the folly of overburdensome legislation in regard to his proposal to create an imprisonable offence of subletting your council house. However there's a more important issue in that great essay (touched on also in his Social Statics) about housing. No doubt most of my readers will be at least passing familiar with the work of Charles Booth who mapped out the extent of squalor in London's Victorian urban slums. From the horrors of his report arose, partly at least, the Liberal reformists, ...
It doesn't seem that long since I was celebrating the success of passing my first module of my degree with The Open University. Now it is less than a month until I start the next course. I will be studying Rules, rights and justice: an introduction to law (W100). This course provides an overview of a ...
The Democratic National Committee is starting to pull together some clips of the Republican candidates. In this one, they feature five "Mitt Fits". There's no doubt about it, old Willard Romney has quite a temper simmering under that neatly coiffured, smiley exterior: [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
A meal out with a few friends to celebrate the a friend's engagement is only redeemed by the craic and cute lads... What happened the food and drink? Read more to find out.
Mon 2nd
21:39
'Neil Monnery for Westborough Ward' - It has a ring to it don't you think? It's official. I'm standi...
Oh if either of my politics tutors could see me now. Ten years after taking my A-Levels and somehow getting a passing grade in my A-Level politics exams I have just got off the phone with Cllr Paul Collins having accepted his invitation to stand for election in the 2012 in Westborough. I had options both in the East and West of the town but this is how it is going to go down. It hasn't been an easy decision. In fact quite the opposite. It has been a decision that I have wrestled with for over a month now ...
The debate continues and I am delighted that Don Foster signed EDM 2292 which advocates the need for a full impact assessment on the technique before it is allowed in the UK. Here in B&NES the concern is on the possible consequences to the thermal waters of Bath if fracking is allowed in the Mendips. HYDRAULIC FRACTURING (FRACKING) (No. 2) That this House believes a moratorium should be placed on onshore and offshore exploration, development and production of shale gas via the withdrawal of UK Petroleum Exploration and Drilling Licences at sites utilising hydraulic fracturing (fracking) processes, at least until ...
For years, right-wingers have kept their indignation levels bubbling away at an enjoyable level by inventing myths. Labour councils want to ban Christmas and nursery rhymes; the European Union wants to ban everything else - unless they plan to make them compulsory. These stories are usually false and liberals often take great pleasure in demonstrating this. But we have our myths too. I expect you are outraged at the way the Sun ran a countdown to Charlotte Church's 16th birthday - the point being that it would then be legal to have sex with her. Except that, as a post ...
Continuing a fine annual tradition, it's time to lay down a few markers for the coming year. It's going to be a busy one, methinks... Starting at home, with yet another boring prediction, the Coalition will last the whole year. Get used to it, Labourites. It ain't going anywhere. The Lib Dems will take a ...
Here's hoping it's a great year for the constituency.
An article in tomorrow's Guardian will claim that talks are planned between Tory Eurosceptic MPs and centrist Liberal Democrats to see if a common agenda can be formed on Europe. The newspaper says: The talks, involving mainstream Eurosceptics opposed to an EU membership referendum, had been planned ahead of David Cameron's decision to wield a UK veto at the EU summit in December, leading to a public split between the two coalition parties. But the Tory sceptics are determined to revive the plan insisting a section of the Liberal Democrat parliamentary party are desperate to avoid the label of Europhiles.Without ...
Further to my earlier post today about the UK's priorities in Europe, I would like to highlight an article from the Guardian's website. Mainstream Tory Eurosceptics and Euro-Cautious Lib Dems including David Laws are having meetings to find a common ground on the EU to create a coordinated coalition European policy. This is perfectly shrewd. The trouble with the European narrative is that in the UK, is that the extreme right is framing the debate in terms of for and against.. If people come to believe that leaving the European Union is just common sense, then the Lib Dems will ...
There have been a lot of disquieting rumours flying around the past few days that some LibDem parliamentarians and other senior figures in the Party are considering finding common ground with Conservative Euro-sceptics (or Europhobes, as they ought to be called). If true, this is a dangerous development, though I suspect it has been exaggerated in ...
My Voice colleague Helen Duffett has already published the final round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere of 2011 here. Our Golden Dozen deliberately eschews posts published on this site: its aim is to share the link-love around. But for those who are interested — not least the Voice Collective — here are the most-read posts published on LibDemVoice during 2011: 1. Opinion: However unfair it is, Chris Huhne should step down Simon McGrath | Published 22nd May 2011 2. Chris Huhne's election expenses: once again, nothing to see here, move along By Mark Pack | Published 25th May 2011 3. ...
Tim Gordon, new Chief Executive of the Liberal Democrats, starts this week, and I wish him the best of luck. His inbox will be filled with all sorts of things of greater or lesser importance, but here are the items I'd be placing at the top of the pile:- 1. Greater role clarity. The Liberal Democrats have a number of issues about roles being duplicated. These include defining who acts as the principal spokesperson for the Party, and who is in charge of defining the message. Let's take these in turn. The constitutional role of the President includes being the ...
Candidate Barack Obama was my political storyteller of the year back in 2008, my first year of blogging. But President Barack Obama has been nowhere near as gifted a communicator and, with the American economy still spluttering and the Democratic base disillusioned, he faces a tough battle for re-election in November. The election is still a long way off, but right now, the fractious and fragmented race for the Republican nomination candidates, the way it looks like a freakshow, and GOP activists' reluctance to rally behind "moderate" contender Mitt Romney, seem to be Obama's best hope. Last month, however, we ...
So another year has gone by. The one abiding memory I have concerns the riots in Ealing. The rioters' behaviour was shameful. We must not forget the loss of life caused in the Ealing riots. But we also need to reflect and individually, and as part of the Council, to ensure everything we do helps as many people as possible and reduce the suffering of others. The economic state across Europe may not be what it was but things will improve. My New Years Resolution is to continue to shop and eat local in Ealing. I was watching the news ...
Next week, 9th January, my new job begins. And so too does my new daily commute, starting with the 6am bus, lasting some 4.5 hours each day. That's a lot of time to try and fill productively. Some of the time I can occupy with reading and writing — a mix of work and pleasure — but other times I'm going to be too zonked to do anything but sit back and listen... so what I'm looking for are suggestions of the best podcasts to download. Here are my current podcast subscriptions... They're all pretty predictably politics, culture, media and ...
Over on the LSE's British Politics blog, The Voice's Mark Pack has been explaining why commentators speculating about a snap general election have got it wrong: Fixing the date of the next general election (and future ones) outside the control of the Prime Minister was a central part of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition agreement because it was a way of guaranteeing the five-year deal. Otherwise the risk for the smaller party is that at any point the larger one can suddenly pull the rug out from under an agreement and call an election. No doubt it helped sweeten the pill ...
David Maclean, political correspondent of the Leicester Mercury, explains why the Freedom of Information Act is vital to his work. Max Atkinson presents 12 video clips that he used last year to illustrate points about the art of making a political speech. Why are carrots orange? Slugger O'Toole explains. On ZD Net, Violet Blue looks at the relationship information technology has with depression, suicide and Asperger's syndrome: "My hope is that in reflecting on the losses so many of us have suffered this year, we can take a close look at what makes tech and the startup world a prime ...
Mon 2nd
16:53
Labour need the Liberal Democrats to survive 2015 to make sure we don't have permanent Tory governme...
With 2012 being another important year of elections across the UK, with local elections in England, Wales and Scotland it could be a very difficult year for Liberal Democrats. Although it's difficult to see that the results in 2012 could be as bad as 2011. However, possibly because it suits the two-party consensus, the Labour ...
Firstly, can I wish you all a Happy, Peaceful, Prosperous & Healthy New Year As far as I know there is only one meeting scheduled at Blyth Town Council this week. Planning and Development Committee, Thursday 5th January , 6pm at Ebor House The press and public are allowed to observe proceedings, but I would remind you that we act in a consultation role, we do not grant (or turn down) applications. However, we , as a Town Council, will listen to any representations made to us, and if we agree send those comments to Northumberland County Council as part ...
One year on from what remains, for many Liberal Democrats, the most traumatic decision yet taken by the coalition, the FT (via an editorial in the newspaper) has provided its assessment of the policy. Here's what the newspaper says on the policy itself: Many academics and students continue to grumble about the move to charge undergraduates for their tuition costs. But governments looking for ways to reduce their outgoings should consider raising such charges - so long as they do it fairly, as the UK has. It is a big concern that high college fees - and the fear of ...
Senior Youth Worker with a local authority £27,000 at age 27. NVQ Level 3 in Youth Work or L4 Certificate Working with Young People Could develop by gaining a NVQ Level 5 in Working with Young People qualification or a degree in the same or similar subject which would lead to a professional qualification. Leading to Team Manager for a youth team. Salary from £28,500 to £35,00p.a. Alternatively Youth Offending Officer in the Probation Service, helping support young offenders or those at risk of offending. Would need to gain a Certificate of Effective Practice early on. A qualified Youth Offending ...
Edward Carson by Anthony Terence Quincey Stewart My rating: 4 of 5 stars Having not known much about the leader of the Ulster Unionists at the time of the formation of Northern Ireland, I found ATQ Stewart's book extremely interesting. There were particular stories stories of Edward Carson which I found amusing. ...Carson had on ...
Thank you so much to everyone who voted. Full details can be found on the C4 News website here, including a quote from me. Thanks Everyone. It's good to know Mohamad Al Bouazizi is not forgotten. Update Here's a video of why Mohammad Al Bouazizi has been so influential from C4
I posted a comment this afternoon on the Too Liberal blog arguing in favour of a long-term strategy to reform the EU from within. Too Liberal was highlighting the large Euro-sceptic presence within the Lib Dems, and called for the party to take on an EU policy similar to that the Tories are presently advocating. I agree that the EU comes with a number of balls-and-chains attached, but I believe the boons outweigh the negatives, which can be diluted with time and European expansion, provided Britain is willing to play the game. The EU's constitution was conceived as a compromise ...
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The Salmond That Slipped Through The Net Joyce McMillan in the Scotsman on "perhaps the most formidable incumbent politician in Britain, one who had defied the odds to win a stunning electoral victory, largely by offering an optimistic world-view that no other party could match." (tags: ukpolitics scotland ) Elections improbability — Gazeta.Ru Statistical analysis of Duma election results shows how artificial United Russia's success was. (tags: elections russia ) Maltreating victims may condemn us to the folly of repeating the past « Slugger O'Toole Anne Travers speaks out. (tags: northernireland ) The Xinjiang Procedure | The Weekly Standard "Beijing's ...
The Campaign Corner series looks to give three tips about commonly asked campaign issues. Do get in touch if you have any questions you would like to suggest. Today's Campaign Corner question: I'm standing in May and not sure what matters most – my website, having a blog or both? Ignore most of the advice people give you: You'll find lots of people who have very strong views about the pros or cons of political blogging despite having very little knowledge on which to base them. To sort the bad advice from the good, a handy guide is simply to ...
Seems that Labour, despite their apparent support for electoral reform and better democracy (yet failed to spend anything substantial on the AV Referendum in May) are complaining that Labour will be the worst hit because of "Westminster Government's plans" to alter constituency boundaries following the Boundary Commission's proposals. Despite the fact that the Boundary Commission is a statutory
Luis Súarez was only born in 1987 by which time I had been supporting his current team for 13 years. However, I am not a Liverpool fan who will sit idly by when they are wrong! On Saturday the Football Association released the report behind their decision to ban the player for 8 matches and fine him £40,000. It makes horrific reading in this day and age. I remember watching Match of the Day in the 70s when players like Viv Anderson and others who followed were the subject of racial abuse from the terraces and even their own fans. ...
The people who read the Daily Mail are really quite awesome. You wonder if these people know anything about the world or whether their whole view of the world is formed thanks to what they read in said newspaper. I was pointed towards a piece entitled Is a super-volcano just 390 miles from London about to erupt? which is the ideal Daily Mail type story. The super-volcano bit interested me but the 390 miles from London bit seemed a bit desperate – but hey – you gotta do what you gotta do eh DM? So anyway I read the piece ...
It has certainly been a memorable start to 2012! I had decided before Christmas that I would propose to Alyson on New Year's Day. 2011 has health-wise, been a tough year all round for us so I decided that the perfect way to begin a New Year was to look forward and not back and what better way of doing that than by proposing marriage?! We've been together now for 2 years and a week (since Boxing Day 2009) and you know when friends and family are constantly asking when will there be an announcement that in the eyes of ...
The Iowa Caucus tomorrow kicks off the race to select Presidential Candidates the polls are saying that Ricky Santorum is gaining on Mitt Romney and Ron Paul in what is statistically as three way tie (while the other Republicans are polling low). However, what many are asking is what is happening over at Hamburg Inn #2 in Iowa City. It has been held since the 80s and replicated in The West Wing. Here is a look at a report from the 2008 Election Campaign Caucus when both fields were wide open. But what of 2012? Well Hamburg Inn #2 has ...
On 16th December Councillor Alan Jarrett the deputy leader of Medway Council and Portfolio holder for finance wrote in "Party People" (in the Medway Messenger) about proposals concerning Medway's care homes; Balfour Centre, Robert Bean Lodge, Platters Farm and Nelson Court. Councillor Jarrett stresses that the council is trying to create value for money and; Ensure that Medway Tax payers get even better value. Ok. I get that. As a tax payer I expect the local authorities to make periodic reviews, after all you don't want a Wasteful council that rashly spends the tax payer's money on white elephants... However ...
Condolences to my Macedonian friends on the sad but not hugely surprising news that Kiro Gligorov, the first president of independent Macedonia, has died at the age of 94. He had a remarkable political career, beginning as a rising star among Tito's Partisans during the Second World War, serving as Yugoslav finance minister in the 1960s, and as speaker of the Yugoslav federal parliament in the 1970s before emerging from retirement at the age of 74 to become President of Macedonia, in its first multi-party elections, in 1991 and then steering it to independence that year rather more peacefully than ...
Members of the South Werrington and North Gunthorpe FOCUS Team receive complaints throughout the year about the issue of speeding along certain roads and streets in this area. Therefore, to help grasp a better understanding they've now launched a poll on their dedicated Facebook page! Please take a couple of seconds to cast your vote as to Which road has the biggest problem with speeding? To Vote CLICK HERE: http://on.fb.me/SpeedingSurvey
The Prime Minister has received, along with his party, enormous political support for vetoing the proposed new EU treaty. In October 2011, before the veto, 49% of the public would vote to leave the European Union according to a Guardian/ICM opinion poll. British voters are rather nonchalant and interpret membership of the Union with great ...
I've been trawling around YouTube and found clips from a TV series I used to enjoy as a child – Lost in Space. The series ran from 1965-1968 in the US, and, I suspect, a bit later and longer over here. It was notable for wonderful performances by Jonathan Harris as Dr Zachary Smith and Bob May as the robot. Jonathan Harris went on to have a very full career mainly as a voice artist. He was the voice of Manny the Praying Mantis in the Circus scene in A Bug's Life. Here's a clip from Lost in Space which ...
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog. Here's an excerpt: The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 21,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 8 sold-out performances for that many ...
Catching up: Day 2 In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you did not create. Drop a link to your post in the comments. See if you can rec fanworks that are less likely to be praised: tiny fandoms, rare pairings, fanworks other than stories, lesser known kinks or tropes. Find fanworks that have few to no comments, or creators new to a particular fandom and maybe aren't well known or appreciated. Appreciate them. For the first two, you need to be a member of the TGS LJ comm - sorry about that, but ...
I'd forgotten what a pernicious security loophole chocolate opens up on our computers. It's only disappointing to see to that in the three and a half years now no-one has demanded a ban on chocolate as the only way to secure our internet against paedophiles, the Mafia, internet pirate, the Chinese and the WI.
For more about this challenge, go here. I am not promising to post every day, but I will try to do as many as I can. Day 1 In your own space, post a rec for at least three fanworks that you have created. It can be your favorite fanworks that you've created, or fanworks you feel no one ever saw, or fanworks you say would define you as a creator. Drop a link to your post in the comments. Since "fanworks" for the purposes of this challenge expressly includes meta, I'm linking to three of my meta posts: A ...
The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that's fine, we're grateful for people taking the time to read the site. You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are four simple ways: 1. Let us have your tips for stories. Perhaps there's something outrageous going on in your local council? Or you're an expert in a particular area and have spotted a story other people have missed? Or ...
Today's Western Mail article in which former Heritage Minister, Rhodri Glyn Thomas argues that Plaid Cymru has gone backwards since 1999 and desperately needs to find a new way of talking to the voters is nothing new and is so self-evident that it is hardly worth talking about. What makes the article worth noting is the comments from an anonymous Labour source at the end, who virtually urges Plaid Cymru members to vote for Leanne Wood in their forthcoming leadership contest. It is a rambling, almost stream of consciousness contribution that sounds like it was based on a phone conversation ...
No one would ever choose a "conviction doctor". So why do we accept a "conviction politician" in charge of schools? Not since Keith Joseph have we had an Education Minister who could make me as angry as the present incumbent. Everyone is entitled to a view on what schools need – after all, we all went to one – but I've yet to to come across any evidence that Michael Gove has knowledge or experience beyond that. What he does have, however, is a position in which his personal whims can have an apallingly destructive effect on schools and their ...
Further to my article last month about the falling masonry concern at the former McCheyne Memorial Church at the Perth Road/Shepherd's Loan junction, I have been in contact with council planning officers regarding this. There has been a degree of activity at the church by representatives of the owner (who is London-based) and the City Council's Conservation Officer has updated me as follows: "Having visited the site and met with the owner, I can advise that the current works relate to repairs as a result of a burst water mains within the vestry. The repairs include replastering a number of ...
2011 I feel like 2011 was my first year of serious running. I started out the year training for my first half marathon, dealt with some injuries, was practically pathetic about running over the summer, jumped back in after the Bar, and ended the year training for my first marathon! I set three new PBs in the 5k and PB'ed by 11 minutes in my second half marathon. And, frankly, I'm awfully proud of myself. It was also a big year, personally. I graduated from law school, studied for & passed the New York bar exam, moved to Seattle and ...
With 2012 being a Leap Year, we are given February 29th to balance the Calendar Year with the Solar Year So, let's use the extra day for helping a cause, be it volunteering, helping out at a charity, or however, but use it for something constructive. I haven't decided how to use it yet, but it will be doing something away from the normal, giving something valuable such as time to a cause or a charity. I challenge you to do something similar, and to invite your friends and colleagues to do something similar. If you work, try persuading your ...
Fairly recently, my roommate asked me if I'd promise to stay with her if she signed up for a 5k. So, that's how we ended up mostly walking a 5k on a beautiful day around Magnuson Park. Seriously, I was soaking up the Vitamin D. We did opt for the "dry" version that didn't involve us leaping into the lake at the end. So, now roommate is talking about doing a 5k every month and starting to hit the couch to 5k plan pretty hard. Hurrah for starting the year off right with the most beautiful sparkly polar bear long ...
So, there's this big hoo-ha that Subletting council houses could become criminal offence with the possibility, so either the Guardian or Grant Shapps, it's not clear which, that "penalties could include fines and possibly imprisonment" because "the rules were too weak". What a load of nonsense. It's a breach of a contract. If your contracts are too full of holes, people are going to find them and exploit them. Just tighten up your contracts and enforce them. Nobody else gets to put people in cages over a breach of contract. Only if you are a government with a monopoly of ...
