I suffered an attack of generosity this morning. Last night I made some sweet mince pies, using sweet mince meat I also made myself. At 9am today (after an early start feeding the poultry and goats), I had a meeting with Gateshead Council's Chief Exec and at 10am I was at cabinet. The mince pies were well received at both meetings. Only one Labour councillor at cabinet made a sneering comment.
Tomorrow, the House of Commons will vote on UK air strikes in Syria. It started on that fateful November night in Paris where 130 innocents lost their lives, the story has dominated ... Continue reading →
This really isn't about the Lib Dem position on Syria but more about the hysteria from the membership about our position. This evening Nick Clegg (this is apparently another bone of contention) announced/was on Sky News and said that the Lib Dem MPs would be backing the government proposal to join with our allies in bombing on ISIL targets in Syria. I'm in a strange position here as I essentially have no position on what we should do because I quite simply do not have enough information to form a considered opinion. What I do know is these MPs have ...
This has just come through from Tim Farron: The decision every politician dreads is whether or not to send brave servicemen and women into military action in defence of our country. When the Government asked MPs to support extending airstrikes into Syria in 2013 to target Assad, I refused to provide that support. I was not convinced at that time our intervention was properly effective, nor that it would be backed by a diplomatic effort to establish a lasting peace or prevent more suffering than it caused. In response to that deep-rooted scepticism last time, I wrote to the Prime ...
Arthritis fatigue is... fatiguing. So links. Power Pop Criminals has its annual Christmas mix up. These are always good. The Humble SFF Bundle looks very good Bombing Syria Considered Stupid I Was Never Able To Accept My Son's Autism Until I Monetized It Through Blogging (Clickhole) An utterly fascinating piece on Dave Sim and Glamourpuss [...]
John Lanchester is the author of the novel Capital, which is currently being dramatised on BBC One. Here he is interviewed about London's housing crisis, its social impacts and its consequences for ordinary citizens who can no longer afford to live in their capital city. Whoops!, Lanchester's nonfiction account of the financial crash, is well worth reading.
Two new blogs appeared on the LibDemBlogs aggregator in October. Thanks to Ryan Cullen as ever for sending me the details. John Rodgers devotes his blog to the Healey area of Rochdale and Lib Dem campaigns there: The Pond is a little Jewel. It's a lovely asset for the community but the Council needs to spend some money to sort the walkway round the pond as it's very loose and possibly dangerous. The Geese seem to be having a good time though. Swallow of Liberty, written by Ben Powell, has seen only three sporadic posts. Yet it has already quoted ...
Following Tim Farron's five tests and as I predicted, Liberal Democrat MPs will be supporting the proposal to extend British airstrikes from Iraq to Syria: Former Deputy Prime Minister @nick_clegg: UK should be part of multilateral airstrikes https://t.co/iCIoTKHzqR — Sky News Tonight (@SkyNewsTonight) December 1, 2015 Nick Clegg: Lib Dems should help our neighbour It is interesting to note that in his comments Nick Clegg has highlighted the importance in making up his mind of the fact that France asked for help – as an internationalist and a pro-European, responding to a request for help from a European neighbour naturally ...
Photo: Andreas Trepte "The real case against the party leader, that most Labour MPs know in their hearts but dare not say openly, is not that a Corbyn government is unlikely, but that a Corbyn government would be disastrous." Peter Kellner gets it right on Labour and Jeremy Corbyn. Ian Cummins endorses a study suggesting that Work Capability Assessments are linked with an increase in suicides. "It is no coincidence that the notion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights is spreading globally at the exact moment that old boundaries are collapsing in the era of the digital revolution, ...
Former Deputy Prime Minister @Nick_Clegg: sets out why @LibDems think UK should be part of multilateral airstrikes: https://t.co/DBowrFAPXr.— Darren McCaffrey (@DMcCaffreySKY) December 1, 2015 It is a horribly difficult decision, but I think this is the right call. And I am pleased that all eight (count 'em of our MPs will be voting the same way. Nick Clegg explained some of the thinking behind this decision in an interview with the Yorkshire Post today. I wonder if his prominence today reflects an acceptance that he should have accepted the foreign affairs post he was offered when Tim Farron became leader? ...
This illustrates the reason why the problem of the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary remains unsolved. The parties agreed beforehand that they would accept the decisions of the Boundary Commission, but Ethiopia reneged on the decision by the EEBC to demarcate the boumdary by coordinates, and the international community including the UK let them off the hook by saying that "there should vbe a dialogue between them about the border". This would imply that after all, the EEBC's determination was not final and binding, and that it could still be adjusted to suit one of the parties. The only way to break the ...
Sky Sources: Liberal Democrat MPs will back airstrikes in #Syria — Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) December 1, 2015 We will keep you updated. Nick Clegg has confirmed this Former Deputy Prime Minister @nick_clegg: UK should be part of multilateral airstrikes https://t.co/iCIoTKHzqR — Sky News Tonight (@SkyNewsTonight) December 1, 2015 He said that Tim Farron had led the debate and that on balance it was best to back the international effort. There is the "tantalising prospect of a more coherent approach to this awful civil war...we should play our part in being co-author to a solution in that part of the ...
I've always been an individualist. No matter what political question I've considered, my response has always been heavily influenced by my belief that individual rights and freedoms are very important. I'm no purist, I'm willing to concede they aren't the be all and end all, hence why I've always preferred the term liberaltarian rather than libertarian. My beliefs that people do need a "safety net" and that being nice is a virtue caused me to side with the centre-left generally despite my support for free enterprise. I value social freedom over economic freedom (even if it has been hard to ...
Sorry to say that I pretty much bounce off Jones' prose completely - I remember really enjoying the novella version of Bold As Love, but found both the extended version and White Queen rather tough reading. The same was true here: the identity confusion between several of the main characters confused me too, and I just wasn't really sure what they were trying to achieve. No doubt this reflects my own concentrations levels more than the quality of the prose. I'll say one thing though: Jones had characters whose concept of gender was completely and pronoun-wrenchingly different from that of ...
Tue 1st
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Shropshire Council planners have responded to my article "Local planning is dead in Shropshire"
In my article on the decision to approve 215 homes off Bromfield Road last night, I said that I would be asking a question at the full Shropshire Council meeting on 17 December. This morning, the head of legal and democratic services said my question could not go to council. It should be answered by [...]
A Labour Party leader who heads a party apparently a long way from gaining power. A Labour Party leader who sets out his political vision for a socialist state, and strongly believes in unilateral disarmament. A Labour Party leader who opposes taking action against extremist aggression overseas. A Labour Party leader who finds his party deeply split over his foreign policy approach. All sound familiar? Well the good news for Labour, if not for Jeremy Corbyn, is that when this played out last time in the form of George Lansbury it turned out pretty well for the party. The trade ...
Now call me an old misery guts if you like but I am not sure that Christmas decorations going up in November or early December is all that great. You see they look good but by the time we finally get to Christmas haven't we heard just a few too many Christmas songs and seen too many decorations? The way we are going Christmas will soon last 2 months, if we are not there already! Anyway enough of my muttering, here's a little bit of Lydiate Christmas for you as the lights on the holly tree (yes you read that ...
[IMG: Local Business for website] A fortnight ago, ALDC released our latest campaign pack "Campaigning on Small Businesses". The pack includes a small business survey, leaflet and letter materials, and online campaigning resources. For access to all of ALDC's current Campaign Packs, join us here. Small businesses are not just important local employers and the engines of both local [...]
Please take a look at the latest newsletter from The Library In The Gardens, (Botanic Gardens), which is full of fantastic news of their progress.
Living on the Leeds Liverpool Canal gives Sheila and I a keen interest in the by-centenary of our local canal. [IMG: WP_20151201_14_57_09_Pro] Click on the photo to enlarge it A group of people interested in promoting some celebrations around the 2016 by-centenary of the completion of the canal have come together in the Maghull, Lydiate and Sefton East Parishes area generally. Below seems to be what is being planned for at an early stage, so please note it could all change. The actual by-centenary is in October 2016 but, I assume for better weather reasons, the local celebrations will be ...
Last night I was at the National Liberal Club for a meeting organised by Liberal International British Group (LIBG) on Israel and Palestine, addressed by the former British Consul General in Jerusalem, Sir Vincent Fean. Since retiring from the diplomatic service, Sir Vincent has been an eloquent advocate of the Palestinian cause, in particular calling [...]
[IMG: Timequake(Vonnegut)] Timequake, Kurt Vonnegut's last novel, is an odd thing. The story is ostensibly about the world having to relive the years from 1991 to 2001 all over again, with full memory of everything we did during that time but unable to change any of it because we don't possess free will. The book itself is about that story, but also about Vonnegut's attempts to tell that story and ends up folding in on itself to become as much a story of his life as it is a fiction. It's an understandable mess because why the concept is a ...
Just a week ago the Liberal Democrats leadership set out five conditions before the party will support any military intervention in Syria. Those conditions and the context in which they were made can be read here. For clarity though they are set out below: 1) Legal Military intervention must follow an international legal framework. We believe this has been provided by UN Resolution 2249 which urges members to take "all reasonable measures" to defeat ISIL. This is the instrument with which all those opposed to ISIL have the means to coordinate military action to defeat them, including regional actors on ...
The signs are clear in this document: the public is not going to be allowed much of a role in defining the public good The eagerly awaited Nurse Review of UK Research Councils has just landed. It arrives at a critical juncture, as decisions are made about overall UK public sector research funding and about the status and role of the institutions that will be responsible for spending the allocated budget. In that context it is to be expected that the review focuses on the nature, importance and impact of research, and on high-level adjustments to the current system. The ...
In a landmark essay to mark the relaunch of the British Science Association, Chief Executive Imran Khan argues that science is too important to be left to scientists alone No-one should feel the need to apologise for not being a scientist. And yet when I tell people I work for the British Science Association (BSA), embarrassment is a common response. "I don't really understand science", I hear. "Oh, I'm more of an arty person", they say, or, "the last time I did science was at school". Such embarrassment is misplaced; not liking science is fine. The real concern is when ...
[IMG: my tech buddy] Some of Cheadle's oldest residents have gone back to school in a bid to learn computer skills for the very first time. Using computers and tablets may be a part of everyday life for some people, but for Eileen Jensen, 81, and Audrey Park, 90, using a computer is something they could never have imagined upon leaving school in the 1940s. So in order to keep up with today's digital savvy society, the pair was delighted to enrol on a basic computer skill course at the Kingsway School in Cheadle. "We were both a bit apprehensive ...
Wokingham Borough's schools receive the lowest level of funding from the government in the country. £4151 per pupil. For years they have managed to deliver high quality education while juggling the money to make sure they have good teachers and support staff and enough teaching materials, and that the condition of the buildings doesn't deteriorate too far. But as money has got tighter and tighter, the juggling has got harder and harder, and many local schools feel that they are being squeezed beyond what they can cope with without affecting the education of our children. That's why earlier this year ...
An update connected with my recent posting about one of Maghull's most historic buildings, The Forge in Liverpool Road North. I have been sent a copy of press cutting from October 1981 which records the passing of Ted Barnes Maghull's last blacksmith who jointly owned and worked in The Forge with his brother. The cutting is from the long defunct Maghull & Aintree Advertiser Newspaper, I think. Also, I have now obtained what I think will be a previously unseen image of the shops next to The Forge, probably from soon after they were built. [IMG: Maghull Advertiser press cutting ...
Introducing Doctor Who - The Trip of a Lifetime Trailer... "Do you wanna come with me?"The Doctor calls us all to begin Doctor Who all over again. With a bang. I've just watched the very first Doctor Who story, my second 'beginning' in the 52. There are more to come, and this fantastic trailer heralded the advent of another - the biggest rebirth of Doctor Who. Past. Present. Future. Ghosts. Aliens. Explosions. I love a well-made trailer. This 2005 one is the best I've ever seen. It aired running up to the stories starring Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper - ...
[IMG: It is Syrians we should be worrying about, not David Cameron.] It is Syrians we should be worrying about, not David Cameron. There's something odd about a lot of the comments from people on the left or centre-left about whether Britain should extend its military action against ISIL from Iraq to Syria. It's the frequent reference to "David Cameron". The plans are "David Cameron's plans", voting for that extension of air strikes is "voting with David Cameron" and if the plans are supported by Parliament it'll be "a victory for David Cameron". So what? There are plenty of powerful ...
Our friends at Liberal Democrat HQ have released a template press story with accompanying statistics spreadsheet on small businesses, in advance of the national "Small Business Saturday" event on 5th December. ALDC members can combine this with the resources in our recently released "Campaigning on Small Businesses" campaign pack for maximum local effectiveness. An MS [...]
With the crushing of Jeremy Corbyn's attempt to whip his MPs against war in Syria it seems as though it is inevitable that the UK will become embroiled in a conflict against Daesh which has barely begun and which is unlikely to end any time soon. In a sense therefore, what the Liberal Democrats do [...]
Without having to think too deeply my life heroes will easily trip off my tongue; music – Isaac Hayes, cricket – Derek Randall and 2 Kennedy's (Ludovic and Charles). Isaac Hayes introduced me to soul and funk around 1970 and I never tire of listening to his music, especially when driving. To Be Continued must be the best of his albums; strings, brass and his deep southern cotton belt voice. Derek Randall was the jack in a box Nottinghamshire cricketer who played many test matches for England. Probably the best fielder of his generation world-wide I loved to watch ...
Dear Tim and colleagues, Have our five tests for bombing Syria been met ? You have set out 5 conditions for Liberal Democrats to support action by the UK to bomb Syria. When you meet at 5pm today you will decide if those conditions have been satisfied ? Let's take them one-by-one. 1) LEGAL UN Resolution 2249 – OK, so we may go ahead and bomb Syria but what about the rest ? 2) WIDER DIPLOMATIC FRAMEWORK INCLUDING NO-BOMB ZONE TO PROTECT CIVILIANS What, if any, evidence of plans for a no-bomb zone ? None that I have seen. Anyway ...
[IMG: citymetric-logo] My post from last week on devolution got some attention, and a rewritten version of is now available on CityMetric. Related PostsDevolution and the power of local bureaucracy Has devolution in England been messed up again? Worth Reading 142: The wrong end of the deal Some thoughts for the day after the vote before A few more thoughts on devolution
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Not me, but Marcel Proust, and quoted in a magnificent book I've just been reading. I should say at the outset that Immortal Highway is by a friend of mine, Jon Magidsohn. But I believe I would have found it as moving as I did whoever had written it. It is beautifully crafted, an astonishing memoir of recovery from grief. Most of the book is taken up in a road trip he took with his nine-month-old son after his wife Sue died of breast ...
If I told you there was a pill that you could take every day that stops HIV in its tracks for those whom are HIV negative what would you think? What if I told you that recently you'd have to move heaven and earth to access information? That there were only one or two sexual health clinics in the UK that would provide the information? Astonished I'd imagine. Well there IS such a drug. It's available quite legally for anyone for those that want it - the patented drug (Truvada) for £400 a month - or the generic (Tenvir-EM) for ...
[IMG: Grant Shapps asked Jeremy Browne to defect] From Tim Ross's excellent Why The Tories Won: The Inside Story Of The 2015 Election.
Do we let British forces join their US and French allies and intervene in Syria against the forces of Islamic State (IS)?This is now the biggest issue in British politics. it is not an easy question. So often we are urged to take such important decisions based on high moral principle. In this case, do we attack those who have, in effect, declared war on us on principle? This seems to be the French view. Or do we rule out the use of violence, outside strict self-defence, on principle? If such moral principles are your guide, then deciding about foreign ...
Yesterday was the big showdown within the Labour Party regarding what stance would be taken on bombing Syria. As a politics nerd, I was on the edge of my seat. Oh the drama! McCluskey's intervention, Corbyn remaining resolute pre-shadow cabinet meeting (rumour has it, egged on by Milne), the meeting in question getting shoved back a whole hour....all of it set up a dramatic finish. Predicting it was a fool's game – after McDonnell and the Mao's Red Book stunt, anything was now possible. And then.....Patrick Wintour informed the nation by tweet that the MPs were going to be offered ...
Some eight mionths ago, the Select Committee that Ros chairs, the EU Energy and Environment Sub-committee, published its report on the North Sea. The report was, at the time, well received. However, the Government was, it seemed, not so keen. Last night, the report was debated in the Lords, and here is Ros's speech introducing it... Baroness Scott of Needham Market (LD): My Lords, I am very grateful for the opportunity to debate this report this evening. It is fair to say that while regional marine co-operation in the North Sea is not the snappiest of subjects, the inquiry that ...
We have all heard about the European Union Referendum Bill but I suspect most do not realise how close we are to it becoming law. Whether you are a Europhile or Europhobe, you may be interested to know that the Bill will be getting its 3rd reading in the Lords today (1 Dec), after which there will be no more opportunity for the introduction of any new amendments. I have to confess that I live in a household of Europhiles. My husband spent the early part of his life between aged 2 and 11 living in France, then Netherlands, as ...
Meet Spencer, the airport robot that will make sure you don't miss your flight Aww. (tags: travel netherlands ) Where the polls went wrong The election explained. (tags: ukpolitics ) Explaining POLITICO Europe's overreaction to @jonworth's blog post: an explorative approach @ronpatz explains. (tags: eu blogging news psychology )
The All-Knowing Woofular Unit Young women have more 'traditional' views on gendered jobs than older women - this is horrifying 42 Genius Tweets That Made British People Piss Themselves In 2015 - many many terrible jokes [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Courtesy of the National AIDS Trust
Please contact your MP to oppose bombing Syrian in the debate on Wednesday (2nd December). If your MP is Liberal Democrat or you kinow a Liberal Democrat MP, please contact him before 5pm today (1st December) parliamentary party meeting to urge vote AGAINST bombing Syria. LibDem 5 tests NOT satisfied. What's the point of setting [...]
