I spent today at South Central Conference in the excellent Town Council run Oakwood Centre in the middle of Woodley.
The Conference was buzzing and was the usual mix of debates, speeches, training, fringe and exhibition.
As ever it was full of familiar faces as well as some new ones.
The turnout was high - presumably because Nick Clegg was going to speak at the end of the afternoon. When he spoke many of us had to watch his speech on the screen in the cafe as the auditorium was full.
I was there to do two briefing sessions on plans for the European Campaign as well as to do ten minutes promoting Nick Clegg's Million Door Challenge in the main hall.
I was somewhat taken aback when, having done my presentation I was asked to 'hang on a minute' and was presented with a very amusing 'Focus on Fawcett' (featuring a set of those embarrasing photos that usually turn up on your wedding day) and a rather nifty HMV voucher along with some kind words from Regional Chair Steve Sollit about my work for the Region for the past ten years.
I was a little stunned and gabbled out a few words of thanks which I hope made some sense to the audience.
It has been a great ten years working in the region (which used to be Hampshire and Chilterns) and working with so many activists, many of whom I now consider friends, and it was with some sadness that I decided to drop back to a more local and less stressful role.
But I am very appreciative for the gifts, and for all the kind words I received from so many people today.
Thank you.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Watford voters tell the Tories what they think of them
Voters in Watford's Tudor ward have today made it very clear what they think of Watford Conseravtives' 'it was nothing to do with us guv' stance on the Ian Oakley affair.
Excellent Lib Dem candidate Darren Walford held the seat with 50% of the votes cast while the Tory share plummeted by more than 12%.
The icing on the cake was that the BNP trailed in fifth place.
Given that the Lib Dems hold the vast majority of seats on the council, along with the Mayoralty, an increase in their share of the vote in a by-election held in difficult circumstances is a terrific result for the party.
And despite the fact that the by-election took place just days after former Tory candidate Ian Oakley was sentenced for his nasty and anti-democratic campaign of intimidation, the local Tories were still cuaght out telling outright lies on their leaflets and had to issue an apology and retraction yesterday.
At least it is clear that a good chunk of their (former) voters have some sense of decency even if the local Tory Party continues to refuse to apologise or look into what happened.
Excellent Lib Dem candidate Darren Walford held the seat with 50% of the votes cast while the Tory share plummeted by more than 12%.
The icing on the cake was that the BNP trailed in fifth place.
Given that the Lib Dems hold the vast majority of seats on the council, along with the Mayoralty, an increase in their share of the vote in a by-election held in difficult circumstances is a terrific result for the party.
And despite the fact that the by-election took place just days after former Tory candidate Ian Oakley was sentenced for his nasty and anti-democratic campaign of intimidation, the local Tories were still cuaght out telling outright lies on their leaflets and had to issue an apology and retraction yesterday.
At least it is clear that a good chunk of their (former) voters have some sense of decency even if the local Tory Party continues to refuse to apologise or look into what happened.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Is the credit crunch over?
Good News!
Just received a very reassuring email from the Halifax which tells me 'Your Halifax Credit Card is always there when you need it'.
So that's okay then, panic over.
Just received a very reassuring email from the Halifax which tells me 'Your Halifax Credit Card is always there when you need it'.
So that's okay then, panic over.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Cameron = hypocrite, Watford Tories = shameful
As Sara reports, more evidence that David Cameron is a hypocrite.
Several of my good friends in Watford, and many others besides, have been subjected to a nasty campaign of hate and intimidation for the past three and a half years.
Their crime?
Showing their support for or standing for the Lib Dems.
This campaign was not just a bit of argy-bargy, it was serious, planned and sustained criminal damage, defamation and intimidation.
It was a deliberate attempt on the part of a Conservative Parliamentary Candidate to win election by means of intimidation and hate rather than by democratic means.
The court has rightly passed a serious sentence.
You might think, in the circumstances, that David Cameron might want to find out how this had come about and what the Tory Party could do to stop it happening again?
But no, not a peep from the man.
You might think that the local Tories might release some statement of apology, or tell us how Oakley got away with it for so long?
But no, not a single word of regret or explanation.
Watford Lib Dems have not only put up with the intimidation, but carried on working hard for the local community through it all.
They are an example to us.
You can help them though.
They are fighting a key local by-election this Thursday.
Please contact their office on 01923 238552 or the local party Chairman, Stephen Giles-Medhurst on 01923 893661 if you can help in any way.
Let's prove that democratic campaigning is the way to win, not criminal damage and intimidation, and send a clear message to cameron & co that their hypocrisy has been noted.
Several of my good friends in Watford, and many others besides, have been subjected to a nasty campaign of hate and intimidation for the past three and a half years.
Their crime?
Showing their support for or standing for the Lib Dems.
This campaign was not just a bit of argy-bargy, it was serious, planned and sustained criminal damage, defamation and intimidation.
It was a deliberate attempt on the part of a Conservative Parliamentary Candidate to win election by means of intimidation and hate rather than by democratic means.
The court has rightly passed a serious sentence.
You might think, in the circumstances, that David Cameron might want to find out how this had come about and what the Tory Party could do to stop it happening again?
But no, not a peep from the man.
You might think that the local Tories might release some statement of apology, or tell us how Oakley got away with it for so long?
But no, not a single word of regret or explanation.
Watford Lib Dems have not only put up with the intimidation, but carried on working hard for the local community through it all.
They are an example to us.
You can help them though.
They are fighting a key local by-election this Thursday.
Please contact their office on 01923 238552 or the local party Chairman, Stephen Giles-Medhurst on 01923 893661 if you can help in any way.
Let's prove that democratic campaigning is the way to win, not criminal damage and intimidation, and send a clear message to cameron & co that their hypocrisy has been noted.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
"They're like, 'Who's Springsteen?' "
Being a bit of a fan of The Boss I much enjoyed reading this account of the first of three rallies he is holding for Obama.
I tend to agree with Daniel Pearlman (quoted towards the end of the article) that Thunder Road is just about the best song ever. (Well that, Atlantic City, Born to Run and The River)
But I really was amused at the idea that some youngsters were bribed to attend a Springsteen gig on the promise that they might get to see Obama!
Given that it's unlikey that we'll see the great man doing a benefit gig for the Lib Dems in the near future, here's something to console you:
I tend to agree with Daniel Pearlman (quoted towards the end of the article) that Thunder Road is just about the best song ever. (Well that, Atlantic City, Born to Run and The River)
But I really was amused at the idea that some youngsters were bribed to attend a Springsteen gig on the promise that they might get to see Obama!
Given that it's unlikey that we'll see the great man doing a benefit gig for the Lib Dems in the near future, here's something to console you:
Thursday, October 02, 2008
A fantastic speech
I saw this on a diary on Daily Kos and thought it a very powerful speech.
It says a lot about US politics that such a speech has to be made. But he makes it exceptionally well.
It says a lot about US politics that such a speech has to be made. But he makes it exceptionally well.
Why I'm 4 Ros
One of the quite reasonable limitations on federal party staff is that we are not allowed to publicly endorse candidates in internal party elections.
This can be frustrating. I had a firm preference in each of the leadership elections that took place during the ten years I worked for the Campaigns Department but had to be careful not to say anything publicly about it.
But now I'm free, and just as the party's Presidential election has kicked off.
I am firmly of the view that Ros Scott is the best person to be our new President.
Here's why:
1 Ros has set out a very clear view of how she sees the role of President and I think she has got it broadly right. Under our constitution the President should play an important role: representing the views and mood of the party to the leadership, chairing the Federal Executive and getting out and about supporting and enthusing the troops. I think Ros understands this and will be better able to fulfil all aspects of the role and balance them well.
2 Ros has very broad experience at many levels in the party and outside it. In particular she is a genuine listener and has a good understanding of our local government base. I beleive it is more important than ever that this and other parts of the party are represented effectively.
3 Ros has put more thought and effort into preparing for the campaign and working out her ideas.
4 Ros is not an MP. On its own this wouldn't necessarily swing my vote, but along with the other factors it is important. I believe we will be better served by someone outside the commons parliamentary party having the role than someone inside. Groupthink is a very powerful force and my preference is to have a President who is less likely to affected by the groupthink that sometimes affects the thinking of our parliamentary party and the leadership.
Those are my main reasons for supporting Ros.
And Lembit?
Well I have a lot of time for Lembit. I've known him since my first NUS Conference (many years ago!) where he was sitting as an Independent member of the NUS NEC. He was already popular and an excellent and enjoyable speaker.
He has worked solidly hard for the party since he joined it 20 years ago and is one of the few MPs who has taken membership activity seriously in that time.
He also understands the need for the party to connect with ordinary people.
BUT
I do not subscribe to the view that all publicity is good publicity and think there is a significant risk that if Lembit were to become President there might be a lot of publicity generated but it would be about him and his personal life and would not do anything to promote the party's values or policies.
I also think that the most important role of the new President will be as a refelctor of the views of members to the leadership. In my experience Lembit would be less good than Ros in this crucial role.
Finally Lembit does have many strengths and is a positive force for the party, but we will get those benefits whether or not he is President.
So I'm 4 Ros, but won't be hugely upset if Lembit wins.
This can be frustrating. I had a firm preference in each of the leadership elections that took place during the ten years I worked for the Campaigns Department but had to be careful not to say anything publicly about it.
But now I'm free, and just as the party's Presidential election has kicked off.
I am firmly of the view that Ros Scott is the best person to be our new President.
Here's why:
1 Ros has set out a very clear view of how she sees the role of President and I think she has got it broadly right. Under our constitution the President should play an important role: representing the views and mood of the party to the leadership, chairing the Federal Executive and getting out and about supporting and enthusing the troops. I think Ros understands this and will be better able to fulfil all aspects of the role and balance them well.
2 Ros has very broad experience at many levels in the party and outside it. In particular she is a genuine listener and has a good understanding of our local government base. I beleive it is more important than ever that this and other parts of the party are represented effectively.
3 Ros has put more thought and effort into preparing for the campaign and working out her ideas.
4 Ros is not an MP. On its own this wouldn't necessarily swing my vote, but along with the other factors it is important. I believe we will be better served by someone outside the commons parliamentary party having the role than someone inside. Groupthink is a very powerful force and my preference is to have a President who is less likely to affected by the groupthink that sometimes affects the thinking of our parliamentary party and the leadership.
Those are my main reasons for supporting Ros.
And Lembit?
Well I have a lot of time for Lembit. I've known him since my first NUS Conference (many years ago!) where he was sitting as an Independent member of the NUS NEC. He was already popular and an excellent and enjoyable speaker.
He has worked solidly hard for the party since he joined it 20 years ago and is one of the few MPs who has taken membership activity seriously in that time.
He also understands the need for the party to connect with ordinary people.
BUT
I do not subscribe to the view that all publicity is good publicity and think there is a significant risk that if Lembit were to become President there might be a lot of publicity generated but it would be about him and his personal life and would not do anything to promote the party's values or policies.
I also think that the most important role of the new President will be as a refelctor of the views of members to the leadership. In my experience Lembit would be less good than Ros in this crucial role.
Finally Lembit does have many strengths and is a positive force for the party, but we will get those benefits whether or not he is President.
So I'm 4 Ros, but won't be hugely upset if Lembit wins.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Is this the way all bands will go?
More and more bands seem to be ditching traditional record company deals to go their own way.
Bands such as Fairport Convention and The Levellers run their own annual festival and even smaller events such as our local Truck Festival (also run by a local band) have developed strong reputations.
And bands are increasingly using the internet to provide a platform for their music and selling directly to their fans, cutting out the various middle men along the way.
Radiohead hit the headlines recently for giving away their new album as a download, asking fans to pay what they wanted. They apparantly averraged 'only' £2 per album in return, although as has been pointed out this is actually MORE than most bands will get for selling an album through a recording contract.
One band that has consistently blazed a trail of innovation is one of my favorites - Marillion.
Having ended their relationship with EMI after their 80s glory days the band went through a succession of contracts with smaller labels before deciding to go it alone.
They steadily built up an email list and website, set up their own studio and record company (initially releasing 'official bootlegs' and the like) and employed their own manager (the indefatigable Lucy Jordache).
They established their own 'Marillion weekends' - the first of which was at Brean Sands Holiday Park in Somerset. They are holding two next year - one in Holland and one in Canada.
For 2001's Anoraknophobia they asked fans to pay upfront for a special edition of the album. 12,000 of us did so and in the process provided the band with an 'advance' that allowed them the artistic freedom to do what they wanted with the album without any record company execs breating down their throat.
They repeated the excercise with 2004's Marbles and this time 18,000 of us paid up front for what turned out to be a classic.
As the Beeb have reported they are trying even more new ideas for the new album.
They are distributing their own advance bootleg of the new album in an attempt to beat the file sharers. It's free, but not as good quality, and encourages you to buy the real thing.
They've once again asked fans to buy in advance, and we've done so in our thousands.
And they've set up a competition to ask fans to produce their own videos for the track 'Whatever Is Wrong With You' with two £5,000 prizes for the most viewed and the band's own favorite.
This is my favorite so far:
There's a short video about all this here.
Bands such as Fairport Convention and The Levellers run their own annual festival and even smaller events such as our local Truck Festival (also run by a local band) have developed strong reputations.
And bands are increasingly using the internet to provide a platform for their music and selling directly to their fans, cutting out the various middle men along the way.
Radiohead hit the headlines recently for giving away their new album as a download, asking fans to pay what they wanted. They apparantly averraged 'only' £2 per album in return, although as has been pointed out this is actually MORE than most bands will get for selling an album through a recording contract.
One band that has consistently blazed a trail of innovation is one of my favorites - Marillion.
Having ended their relationship with EMI after their 80s glory days the band went through a succession of contracts with smaller labels before deciding to go it alone.
They steadily built up an email list and website, set up their own studio and record company (initially releasing 'official bootlegs' and the like) and employed their own manager (the indefatigable Lucy Jordache).
They established their own 'Marillion weekends' - the first of which was at Brean Sands Holiday Park in Somerset. They are holding two next year - one in Holland and one in Canada.
For 2001's Anoraknophobia they asked fans to pay upfront for a special edition of the album. 12,000 of us did so and in the process provided the band with an 'advance' that allowed them the artistic freedom to do what they wanted with the album without any record company execs breating down their throat.
They repeated the excercise with 2004's Marbles and this time 18,000 of us paid up front for what turned out to be a classic.
As the Beeb have reported they are trying even more new ideas for the new album.
They are distributing their own advance bootleg of the new album in an attempt to beat the file sharers. It's free, but not as good quality, and encourages you to buy the real thing.
They've once again asked fans to buy in advance, and we've done so in our thousands.
And they've set up a competition to ask fans to produce their own videos for the track 'Whatever Is Wrong With You' with two £5,000 prizes for the most viewed and the band's own favorite.
This is my favorite so far:
There's a short video about all this here.
Friday, August 29, 2008
They do this so much better than we do ...
Paul Walter is full of praise for Bill Clinton's speech to the DNC.
I watched the introduction Beau Biden made before his father's speech and found it utterly compelling.
Their Conventions really are a very different beast compared to our conferences!
I watched the introduction Beau Biden made before his father's speech and found it utterly compelling.
Their Conventions really are a very different beast compared to our conferences!
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Off to get wet and muddy ...
I'm taking James off to the Cropredy Festival tomorrow and the forecast looks a bit wet.
Unfortunately we missed Cropredy last year - Fairport's 40th - in the aftermath of the floods.
It's a great line up this year with The Levellers and Supergrass headlining along with Fairport - excellent festival bands all.
The Family Mahone and Stackridge should provide a bit of light relief and there is also a performace of the folk-opera version of Lark Rise to Candleford.
The least Cropredyish act is probably Midge Ure.
For those of you not able to join us here's a taste of what you'll be missing:
Unfortunately we missed Cropredy last year - Fairport's 40th - in the aftermath of the floods.
It's a great line up this year with The Levellers and Supergrass headlining along with Fairport - excellent festival bands all.
The Family Mahone and Stackridge should provide a bit of light relief and there is also a performace of the folk-opera version of Lark Rise to Candleford.
The least Cropredyish act is probably Midge Ure.
For those of you not able to join us here's a taste of what you'll be missing:
Monday, July 07, 2008
A quiet 40th
Being 40 years and day old doesn't feel that much different to being 39 years and 364 days old.
I did have a nice birthday though: Breakfast in bed cooked by the youngsters, some DVD sets as presents (The Sharpe Collection and the first series of Starsky & Hutch), a lovely curry at Abingdon's excellent Dil Raj for lunch, off to the pictures to see the new Narnia film, and then home for the final episode of Doctor Who.
Life is good.
I did have a nice birthday though: Breakfast in bed cooked by the youngsters, some DVD sets as presents (The Sharpe Collection and the first series of Starsky & Hutch), a lovely curry at Abingdon's excellent Dil Raj for lunch, off to the pictures to see the new Narnia film, and then home for the final episode of Doctor Who.
Life is good.
Up the Irons!
Iron Maiden were utterly fantastic at Twickenham on Saturday.
Their only UK date on their 'Somewhere Back in Time' world tour played to a full house, and their biggest ever UK audience for a Maiden tour date. (Although I think they played to a bigger audience at one of the Monster's of Rock Festivals I saw them at.)
Their setlist was picked from their eighties albums and included their epic take on 'The Rime of the Ancient mariner' amongst other tracks.
Maiden seem to be more popular worldwide than ever and, along with Metallica, have the ability to sell out stadiums on every continent. For the last few years they have been alternating between touring each new album and 'greatest hits' tours, which works pretty well.
Here's a bit of footage from someone's mobile phone. From the angle I must have been about 20 yards to their right:
Avenged Sevenfold and Within Temptation were also very good.
Their only UK date on their 'Somewhere Back in Time' world tour played to a full house, and their biggest ever UK audience for a Maiden tour date. (Although I think they played to a bigger audience at one of the Monster's of Rock Festivals I saw them at.)
Their setlist was picked from their eighties albums and included their epic take on 'The Rime of the Ancient mariner' amongst other tracks.
Maiden seem to be more popular worldwide than ever and, along with Metallica, have the ability to sell out stadiums on every continent. For the last few years they have been alternating between touring each new album and 'greatest hits' tours, which works pretty well.
Here's a bit of footage from someone's mobile phone. From the angle I must have been about 20 yards to their right:
Avenged Sevenfold and Within Temptation were also very good.
Thank you RTD
Some people really are very obsessed with Doctor Who. One is dear Lawrence Miles who writes very long and sometimes interesting things about the programme on his Doctor Who Blog.
My take on the new Who is that that Russell T Davies (RTD) has done an absolutely fantastic job. My test for this is that my youngsters are just as excited about watching the show each Saturday as I was when i was their age.
We went out for a curry for my birthday yesterday and Emma, my six year old, was telling me how she wanted her bedroom door to be painted like a TARDIS door, Doctor Who curtains, Doctor Who carpet, Doctor Who lightshade ..... you get the picture.
Both my youngsters spend each episode on the edge of their seats (with Emma occasionally hiding behind daddy in the scary bits).
The last few episodes have pulled together many strands that were left floating during the past four series and, in my view, did it well.
Trying to bring back so many previous companions could have been disastrous (The Five Doctors springs to mind) but generally worked well, and helped rather than hindered the plot.
Davros was brilliant and the Daleks back on frightening form.
And the ending(s) were great. Another goodbye to Sarah Jane Smith, still touching but a little more relaxed, Captain Jack leading Martha off to another series of Torchwood presumably, and Mickey coming along for the ride. Rose finally getting her man, and a very poignant end to the Doctor's relationship with Donna (and a critic defying performance from Catherine Tate.)
Bringing back Doctor Who could have gone very badly wrong. But RTD - primarily through his own skill, imagination and determination - has made the hit TV Series of my childhood into the biggest TV series of my children's childhood too.
RTD - I salute you!
P.S. My 3 point response to Lawrence Miles' '25 Ways to make Doctor Who more interesting' is:
1 Get writers who know the difference between 'less' and 'fewer'.
2 Trust Stephen Moffat to know what he's doing and let him lead the show his way as RTD did his.
3 Er ... that's it ...
My take on the new Who is that that Russell T Davies (RTD) has done an absolutely fantastic job. My test for this is that my youngsters are just as excited about watching the show each Saturday as I was when i was their age.
We went out for a curry for my birthday yesterday and Emma, my six year old, was telling me how she wanted her bedroom door to be painted like a TARDIS door, Doctor Who curtains, Doctor Who carpet, Doctor Who lightshade ..... you get the picture.
Both my youngsters spend each episode on the edge of their seats (with Emma occasionally hiding behind daddy in the scary bits).
The last few episodes have pulled together many strands that were left floating during the past four series and, in my view, did it well.
Trying to bring back so many previous companions could have been disastrous (The Five Doctors springs to mind) but generally worked well, and helped rather than hindered the plot.
Davros was brilliant and the Daleks back on frightening form.
And the ending(s) were great. Another goodbye to Sarah Jane Smith, still touching but a little more relaxed, Captain Jack leading Martha off to another series of Torchwood presumably, and Mickey coming along for the ride. Rose finally getting her man, and a very poignant end to the Doctor's relationship with Donna (and a critic defying performance from Catherine Tate.)
Bringing back Doctor Who could have gone very badly wrong. But RTD - primarily through his own skill, imagination and determination - has made the hit TV Series of my childhood into the biggest TV series of my children's childhood too.
RTD - I salute you!
P.S. My 3 point response to Lawrence Miles' '25 Ways to make Doctor Who more interesting' is:
1 Get writers who know the difference between 'less' and 'fewer'.
2 Trust Stephen Moffat to know what he's doing and let him lead the show his way as RTD did his.
3 Er ... that's it ...
Friday, July 04, 2008
Iron Maiden, Dr Who and being 40
I'm very excited about seeing Iron Maiden tomorrow. I think it will be about the 15th time I've seen them in 21 years and they never fail to rock like b***ards.
I also hope to hook up with a few of my rock loving mates which should make it even better.
This does mean I'll miss the final episode of this (excellent) season's Dr Who - but I'm sure the kids will record it for me and I'll watch it as soon as I get home.
I think I've been watching the good doctor for 35 years now and I still get excited by it. I was watching the excellent Inferno (3rd doctor) last night.
And then on Sunday I'm 40.
40!
Are 40 year olds supposed to get so excited about heavy metal bands and sci-fi?
Who cares!
I also hope to hook up with a few of my rock loving mates which should make it even better.
This does mean I'll miss the final episode of this (excellent) season's Dr Who - but I'm sure the kids will record it for me and I'll watch it as soon as I get home.
I think I've been watching the good doctor for 35 years now and I still get excited by it. I was watching the excellent Inferno (3rd doctor) last night.
And then on Sunday I'm 40.
40!
Are 40 year olds supposed to get so excited about heavy metal bands and sci-fi?
Who cares!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Conservative confusion in Henley
Just been listening to the Radio Berkshire hustings for the Henley by-election.
The bit that stood out for me was when the Conservative candidate, John Howell, was challenged about whether the Tories were actually going to take legal action over the famous Lib Dem magazine as promised by David Cameron last week.
John Howell started by saying that Cameron hadn't specified that legal action would be on the magazine.
The show's host, who had done the actual Cameron interview in question, made clear that it was.
Howell then said that they were not pursuing legal action over the magazine but would be doing so over the Townlands Hospital leaflet.
This is the leaflet where we quoted the Chair and former Chair of the Save the Townlands Hospital Campaign as saying that they did not know John Howell or any campaigning he had done for the hospital campaign.
John Howell made the point that he was present at a meeting of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee which discussed Townlands.
Whether this degree of support is sufficient to warrant John Howell's claims that his support for the Townlands campaign is 'one of his proudest acheivements' is up to local electors to decide.
The people who ran the Save the Townlands campaign clearly don't believe so.
The bit that stood out for me was when the Conservative candidate, John Howell, was challenged about whether the Tories were actually going to take legal action over the famous Lib Dem magazine as promised by David Cameron last week.
John Howell started by saying that Cameron hadn't specified that legal action would be on the magazine.
The show's host, who had done the actual Cameron interview in question, made clear that it was.
Howell then said that they were not pursuing legal action over the magazine but would be doing so over the Townlands Hospital leaflet.
This is the leaflet where we quoted the Chair and former Chair of the Save the Townlands Hospital Campaign as saying that they did not know John Howell or any campaigning he had done for the hospital campaign.
John Howell made the point that he was present at a meeting of the Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee which discussed Townlands.
Whether this degree of support is sufficient to warrant John Howell's claims that his support for the Townlands campaign is 'one of his proudest acheivements' is up to local electors to decide.
The people who ran the Save the Townlands campaign clearly don't believe so.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Cameron can stick this!
Yesterday I pointed out that David Cameron had been a little hypocritical when he said this about one of our campaign magazines:
"I just think this sort of campaigning is absolutely appalling and as you say no mention on the newspaper that it’s from the Liberal Democrats sort of pretending to be a community newspaper eh I mean they should be really ashamed of what they’re trying to do"
I pointed out on the regional BBC News that the Conservatives had delivered a magazine of their own earlier in the campaign.
Well guess what we've picked up today?
That's right - "South Oxfordshire Life" - a magazine distributed by - you guessed it - the Conservatives!
But wait - in a green circle in the corner it says that it is "FREE from your local Conservatives".
But hang on a mo' - is it printed on the magazine?
No.
It is a sticker that has been stuck on!
Do I take it that the the Conservatives were planning their own magazine, but that following Dave's criticism of our magazine they had to stay up all night sticking stickers on every copy in order to avoid a charge of hypocrisy?
I do hope so ;-)
"I just think this sort of campaigning is absolutely appalling and as you say no mention on the newspaper that it’s from the Liberal Democrats sort of pretending to be a community newspaper eh I mean they should be really ashamed of what they’re trying to do"
I pointed out on the regional BBC News that the Conservatives had delivered a magazine of their own earlier in the campaign.
Well guess what we've picked up today?
That's right - "South Oxfordshire Life" - a magazine distributed by - you guessed it - the Conservatives!
But wait - in a green circle in the corner it says that it is "FREE from your local Conservatives".
But hang on a mo' - is it printed on the magazine?
No.
It is a sticker that has been stuck on!
Do I take it that the the Conservatives were planning their own magazine, but that following Dave's criticism of our magazine they had to stay up all night sticking stickers on every copy in order to avoid a charge of hypocrisy?
I do hope so ;-)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Me vs. David Cameron
It seems that David Cameron wasn't as impressed with our excellent Henley campaign magazine as I was.
He was on Radio Berkshire yesterday describing it thus:
"I just think this sort of campaigning is absolutely appalling and as you say no mention on the newspaper that it’s from the Liberal Democrats sort of pretending to be a community newspaper eh I mean they should be really ashamed of what they’re trying to do"
As I pointed out on BBC South Today yesterday evening his point would be stronger if the Conservatives hadn't themselves delivered their own campaign magazine 'People Talk' earlier in the campaign.
It is nice to know that Dave is worried though.
He was on Radio Berkshire yesterday describing it thus:
"I just think this sort of campaigning is absolutely appalling and as you say no mention on the newspaper that it’s from the Liberal Democrats sort of pretending to be a community newspaper eh I mean they should be really ashamed of what they’re trying to do"
As I pointed out on BBC South Today yesterday evening his point would be stronger if the Conservatives hadn't themselves delivered their own campaign magazine 'People Talk' earlier in the campaign.
It is nice to know that Dave is worried though.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
The best campaign magazine ... EVER!
Here in Thame we've just taken delivery of a very large pile of fantastic campaign magazines.
In my view they may be the best by-election magazines ever.
(Yes even better than the 'Sedgfield Whippet'.)
Come to Thame and pick up a bundle, but be warned, they are shifting fast ;-)
In my view they may be the best by-election magazines ever.
(Yes even better than the 'Sedgfield Whippet'.)
Come to Thame and pick up a bundle, but be warned, they are shifting fast ;-)
Monday, June 16, 2008
Three leaders in one day
It's 20 years since I organised my first Leaders' visit when the then relatively unknown Paddy Ashdown visited the small Lib Dem branch at Leicester University. (Those were the days when getting into double figures in the polls would have been considered a major success!)
Today, though, was a first for me with not one, not two but three leaders all on one visit.
Paddy, Ming Campbell and Nick Clegg were all in Thame to support Stephen Kearney's campaign in the Henley by-election.
Tory candidate John Howell was under further pressure today over his links with property developers.
There are genuine questions which need to be answered here.
Today, though, was a first for me with not one, not two but three leaders all on one visit.
Paddy, Ming Campbell and Nick Clegg were all in Thame to support Stephen Kearney's campaign in the Henley by-election.
Tory candidate John Howell was under further pressure today over his links with property developers.
There are genuine questions which need to be answered here.
Friday, June 13, 2008
An opportunity for those of you bemoaning the lack of a by-election in Haltemprice & Howden
A lot of people seem to be very upset that they are not going to be able to travel to Humberside for the next few weekends to fight a by-election.
But worry not, help is at hand.
Here in Henley (which is much nearer to Taunton than Humberside!) we have piles of leaflets to deliver and large amounts of canvassing to do every day until June 26th.
Now I'm sure Taunton Deane Executive spent as much time planning who could come and help here and when as they did discussing the other by-election, but in case they need more details they can be found here.
But worry not, help is at hand.
Here in Henley (which is much nearer to Taunton than Humberside!) we have piles of leaflets to deliver and large amounts of canvassing to do every day until June 26th.
Now I'm sure Taunton Deane Executive spent as much time planning who could come and help here and when as they did discussing the other by-election, but in case they need more details they can be found here.
Well done Mark
Congratulations to new Councillor Mark Mills who won the Holywell by-election in Oxford last night and takes over from my good friend and all round good egg Richard Huzzey.
The turnout was low due to the election being on the penultimate day of term. (Richard resigned very quickly so that it didn't slip into the summer vacation).
Perhaps the most interesting part of the result is that the Greens fell to fourth place in a ward that they held until May 1st this year.
The turnout was low due to the election being on the penultimate day of term. (Richard resigned very quickly so that it didn't slip into the summer vacation).
Perhaps the most interesting part of the result is that the Greens fell to fourth place in a ward that they held until May 1st this year.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Back home, minus kitchen
We have finally moved back into our house, 10 months after last years flooding.
We do have a new floor, stair carpet, internal doors and it is all nicely decorated.
Unfortunately we are still without a kitchen - something of an issue as we have three children (well two children and one teenager!) to look after.
We are not bet pleased, although we are glad to be back home and will cope, no doubt.
We do have a new floor, stair carpet, internal doors and it is all nicely decorated.
Unfortunately we are still without a kitchen - something of an issue as we have three children (well two children and one teenager!) to look after.
We are not bet pleased, although we are glad to be back home and will cope, no doubt.
Back at the by-election we are fighting ...
Lots of excitement here in Thame today due to media coverage of the Conservative candidate's links with property developers. (An issue because he is making a big play of the Green Belt issue.)
Peter Henley of BBC South news has been here to do an interview on the subject.
Once again we've had a good turnout and we are shifting piles of literature.
We've also had more MPs today - including Sandra Gidley, Andrew Stunnell and David Howarth.
We're looking forward to another visit from Nick Clegg over the weekend.
One of the best things about by-elections for me is that I bump into so many of the councillors and activists I know from across the country.
It's a great atmosphere here - do come and join in.
Peter Henley of BBC South news has been here to do an interview on the subject.
Once again we've had a good turnout and we are shifting piles of literature.
We've also had more MPs today - including Sandra Gidley, Andrew Stunnell and David Howarth.
We're looking forward to another visit from Nick Clegg over the weekend.
One of the best things about by-elections for me is that I bump into so many of the councillors and activists I know from across the country.
It's a great atmosphere here - do come and join in.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Hotting up in Henley
It's a lovely warm day in Thame today.
As the writ for the by-election was being moved in Parliament Nick Clegg was meeting residents with Stephen Kearney in Henley Market.
After going on to meet some of the local papers Nick popped in to meet the team here at the HQ in Thame.
Several other MPs were out helping today including Chris Huhne and David Howarth who have been out Residents' Surveying with Stephen this evening.
The response is uniformly friendly and there is plenty of support.
Good to see that Labour are being honest about their chances too. It is clearly a 'two boat race'!
As the writ for the by-election was being moved in Parliament Nick Clegg was meeting residents with Stephen Kearney in Henley Market.
After going on to meet some of the local papers Nick popped in to meet the team here at the HQ in Thame.
Several other MPs were out helping today including Chris Huhne and David Howarth who have been out Residents' Surveying with Stephen this evening.
The response is uniformly friendly and there is plenty of support.
Good to see that Labour are being honest about their chances too. It is clearly a 'two boat race'!
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Bye Bye Boris
So Boris has said that he is definitely going to resign as MP for Henley.
I met Boris a few times during my time as a County Councillor and always found him a genuinely pleasant and good-natured guy.
He also appeared to do a good job representing his constituents, certainly in the dealings I had with him.
I'm sure he is genuinely sad to be leaving Henley where he has been a well regarded MP.
Let battle now commence to choose his successor.
I met Boris a few times during my time as a County Councillor and always found him a genuinely pleasant and good-natured guy.
He also appeared to do a good job representing his constituents, certainly in the dealings I had with him.
I'm sure he is genuinely sad to be leaving Henley where he has been a well regarded MP.
Let battle now commence to choose his successor.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Wrong Twice in One Leaflet
Henley Conservatives have got their facts wrong twice over in their first leaflet of the campaign.
Lib Dem candidate Stephen Kearney lives in Aston Rowant, near Watlington, and very much in the Henley Constituency.
Yet in their first leaflet of the campaign the Tories claim he lives '200 miles away'.
But they also get the facts wrong about another candidate.
Green candidate Mark Stevenson also lives locally - IN THE NEIGHBOURING VILLAGE TO THE CONSERVATIVE - yet the same leaflet claims that the Conservative is 'the only local candidate'.
Lib Dem candidate Stephen Kearney lives in Aston Rowant, near Watlington, and very much in the Henley Constituency.
Yet in their first leaflet of the campaign the Tories claim he lives '200 miles away'.
But they also get the facts wrong about another candidate.
Green candidate Mark Stevenson also lives locally - IN THE NEIGHBOURING VILLAGE TO THE CONSERVATIVE - yet the same leaflet claims that the Conservative is 'the only local candidate'.
Sunday, June 01, 2008
Abingdon is now wired
Great news for Abingdon residents and visitors as free wifi access was switched on yesterday.
Abingdon Town Council has worked with local IT company CTS to provide the service which it is hoped will roll out through the town as local businesses offer additional hubs.
Not only is this great news for Abingdon but it is also a great credit to my wife, Samantha, who has pushed the initiative through via the Council's website working group.
Our youngest, Emma, also had great fun helping to organise the Balloon Race which took place to promote the switch on.
Abingdon Town Council has worked with local IT company CTS to provide the service which it is hoped will roll out through the town as local businesses offer additional hubs.
Not only is this great news for Abingdon but it is also a great credit to my wife, Samantha, who has pushed the initiative through via the Council's website working group.
Our youngest, Emma, also had great fun helping to organise the Balloon Race which took place to promote the switch on.
Henley battle joined
Those of you listening to BBC Oxford or BBC Berkshire today will have heard me welcoming the selection of Cllr. John Howell as the Conservative candidate for the Henley by-election.
It is good that the Tories have selected their candidate, as it is always slightly odd when only one candidates is in the field.
But it also means we have an opportunity to highlight the gap between Tory spin on many issues and what they actually do in practice.
Just one example - we got our glossy County Council magazine through the door last week telling us how the County has achieved all the objectives it set for itself over the last year.
However there was no mention at all of the recent highly critical report into the County's failure to serve its young people across a range of services.
It looks like we face a highly negative campaign from the Conservatives against Stephen Kearney. (Most of their first leaflet is about him and our selection process!)
I'm gald to say that we will be campaigning on the issues that matter to local people, and the Conservative record locally.
It is good that the Tories have selected their candidate, as it is always slightly odd when only one candidates is in the field.
But it also means we have an opportunity to highlight the gap between Tory spin on many issues and what they actually do in practice.
Just one example - we got our glossy County Council magazine through the door last week telling us how the County has achieved all the objectives it set for itself over the last year.
However there was no mention at all of the recent highly critical report into the County's failure to serve its young people across a range of services.
It looks like we face a highly negative campaign from the Conservatives against Stephen Kearney. (Most of their first leaflet is about him and our selection process!)
I'm gald to say that we will be campaigning on the issues that matter to local people, and the Conservative record locally.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
A brief update
1 Hello Sarah! Gorgeous as ever I see:-)
2 We will be back in our home by June 9th at the latest. It is now plastered, decorated and has a new bathroom. The floor is half way there and then there is just the kitchen.
3 I still don't have internet access at home so haven't been blogging much but plan to resume when we move back.
4 I'm currently spending most of my time in Thame at our Henley by-election HQ. Do come and say hello!
2 We will be back in our home by June 9th at the latest. It is now plastered, decorated and has a new bathroom. The floor is half way there and then there is just the kitchen.
3 I still don't have internet access at home so haven't been blogging much but plan to resume when we move back.
4 I'm currently spending most of my time in Thame at our Henley by-election HQ. Do come and say hello!
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Getting plastered
Much excitement at the house this morning as a team of plasterers and a skip turned up.
We've also had meetings with the building people and the kitchen people and expect to meet the flooring people and the decorating people soon too.
It should just be a month or so before we can move back in.
Having mastered the art of assembling flat-pack furniture (well, okay, 'mastered' is perhaps overstating things) I have also started on building some shelf units for the kids' room too.
In other news I am just about over the bout of pneumonia I had over Christmas and am about to attend my first evening meeting since I was ill.
We've also had meetings with the building people and the kitchen people and expect to meet the flooring people and the decorating people soon too.
It should just be a month or so before we can move back in.
Having mastered the art of assembling flat-pack furniture (well, okay, 'mastered' is perhaps overstating things) I have also started on building some shelf units for the kids' room too.
In other news I am just about over the bout of pneumonia I had over Christmas and am about to attend my first evening meeting since I was ill.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Jim Moley R.I.P.
Sad news yesterday that one of my best friends of recent years, Councillor Jim Moley, has passed away.
I'm told that he was found by local activists who turned up to his house to pick up some campaigning material, which, if true, would be fitting.
I first got to know Jim when we were both elected to Oxfordshire County Council in 1997, and even better following my selection as parliamentary candidate for Wantage and up to the 2001 election.
Jim had been elected as a Vale councillor much earlier, and then as a Town councillor, and by the time I knew him he had already achieved iconic status.
Jim was a colourful character, deeply involved in local activities including the Wantage Silver Band, the Choral Society and the Summer Arts Festival. He loved music and was a great believer in getting stuck in to community activity.
Jim was a tenacious and inteligent campaigner. He fought hard against closure of the community hospital and argued strongly for the comunity view of what should happen to local education provision. He was not afraid of challenging professionals or council officers if he thought they were ignoring the community, even when this made him unpopular in some circles.
Jim was a unique and eccentric human being. He didn't believe in locking his front door, and it was only recelty that he entered the computer age. His home was wonderful, part of the former vicarge next to the parish church in the centre of Wantage (and famous for its links with Betjeman) full to the brim with books, council paperwork and the odd pile of CDs, which he would clear away for branch campaign meetings.
Jim was also a loyal and hard-working campaigner. He was one of a small but dedicatedband of people who made my time as parliamentary candidate a joy. Rarely did two days pass without a long phone call about the latest controversy in town, and Jim helped me get on the right side of many an issue. He worked solidly hard delivering leaflets and knocking doors.
I enjoyed my regular visits to the town, my chats with Jim, and the many facilities the town as to offer. We still take the kids to the Vale and Downland Museum regularly (another of the projects Jim actively supported) and to the lovely informal Betjeman Park, just down the footpath from the church.
I suspect I will shed the occasional tear on future visits to the town.
Jim could be a hard person to like, he was an odd chap at times and could rub people up the wrong way. But he loved his town, his campaigning, and beating the opposition.
Politics in Wantage and Oxfordshire will be a chunk less interesting without Jim.
I for one will miss him dearly.
I'm told that he was found by local activists who turned up to his house to pick up some campaigning material, which, if true, would be fitting.
I first got to know Jim when we were both elected to Oxfordshire County Council in 1997, and even better following my selection as parliamentary candidate for Wantage and up to the 2001 election.
Jim had been elected as a Vale councillor much earlier, and then as a Town councillor, and by the time I knew him he had already achieved iconic status.
Jim was a colourful character, deeply involved in local activities including the Wantage Silver Band, the Choral Society and the Summer Arts Festival. He loved music and was a great believer in getting stuck in to community activity.
Jim was a tenacious and inteligent campaigner. He fought hard against closure of the community hospital and argued strongly for the comunity view of what should happen to local education provision. He was not afraid of challenging professionals or council officers if he thought they were ignoring the community, even when this made him unpopular in some circles.
Jim was a unique and eccentric human being. He didn't believe in locking his front door, and it was only recelty that he entered the computer age. His home was wonderful, part of the former vicarge next to the parish church in the centre of Wantage (and famous for its links with Betjeman) full to the brim with books, council paperwork and the odd pile of CDs, which he would clear away for branch campaign meetings.
Jim was also a loyal and hard-working campaigner. He was one of a small but dedicatedband of people who made my time as parliamentary candidate a joy. Rarely did two days pass without a long phone call about the latest controversy in town, and Jim helped me get on the right side of many an issue. He worked solidly hard delivering leaflets and knocking doors.
I enjoyed my regular visits to the town, my chats with Jim, and the many facilities the town as to offer. We still take the kids to the Vale and Downland Museum regularly (another of the projects Jim actively supported) and to the lovely informal Betjeman Park, just down the footpath from the church.
I suspect I will shed the occasional tear on future visits to the town.
Jim could be a hard person to like, he was an odd chap at times and could rub people up the wrong way. But he loved his town, his campaigning, and beating the opposition.
Politics in Wantage and Oxfordshire will be a chunk less interesting without Jim.
I for one will miss him dearly.
First the excuses
My regular readers, both of you, will have noticed a lack of posts recently.
We are still out of our home and don't have internet access in the temporary home. Thankfully we do now have contractors appointed for the refurbishment of our downstairs so the end is now in sight.
I've also been very busy at work, though it best to avoid blogging entirely about the leadership, and have spent the past month down with Pneumonia (my tip, avoid it!) and recovery from it.
I probably won't be blogging frequently until I'm back in the house.
We are still out of our home and don't have internet access in the temporary home. Thankfully we do now have contractors appointed for the refurbishment of our downstairs so the end is now in sight.
I've also been very busy at work, though it best to avoid blogging entirely about the leadership, and have spent the past month down with Pneumonia (my tip, avoid it!) and recovery from it.
I probably won't be blogging frequently until I'm back in the house.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Rushing about
Struggling to get much done this week after the hectic few weeks we had until Brown bottled it.
The highlight of my week was heading over to Wembley to see the excellent Rush.
I saw them a couple of years ago on their 30th anniversary tour and they were fantastic - playing a 'greatest hits' set.
This time they played a fair few tracks off the new 'Snakes and Arrows' album as well as plenty of old favourites.
So here's some new Rush:
And here's some old stuff too (with Liberals in mind):
The highlight of my week was heading over to Wembley to see the excellent Rush.
I saw them a couple of years ago on their 30th anniversary tour and they were fantastic - playing a 'greatest hits' set.
This time they played a fair few tracks off the new 'Snakes and Arrows' album as well as plenty of old favourites.
So here's some new Rush:
And here's some old stuff too (with Liberals in mind):
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
A Brixton break from election prep
An evening off last night (which was a shock to the system!) so go and see the mighty Incubus at the delightful Brixton Academy.
Originally planned as a treat for my eldest back in April the gig had been rescheduled following band member being injured.
Support band Puggy did a fine job and picked up a strong reaction. A lively stage prescence and a batch of interesting songs with influences ranging from spanish guitar to Muse, they went down very well with the Incubus crowd.
And Incubus? Well they're not a band I've heard a lot of, although what I had heard I'd liked. I ended up very impressed.
A very strong rock set - quite a range of styles - elements of RHCP, Pearl Jam, Seattle sound but also a number of very straightforward commercial rock songs.
Anyway ... back to the election ... but meanwhile, enjoy:
Originally planned as a treat for my eldest back in April the gig had been rescheduled following band member being injured.
Support band Puggy did a fine job and picked up a strong reaction. A lively stage prescence and a batch of interesting songs with influences ranging from spanish guitar to Muse, they went down very well with the Incubus crowd.
And Incubus? Well they're not a band I've heard a lot of, although what I had heard I'd liked. I ended up very impressed.
A very strong rock set - quite a range of styles - elements of RHCP, Pearl Jam, Seattle sound but also a number of very straightforward commercial rock songs.
Anyway ... back to the election ... but meanwhile, enjoy:
Sunday, September 30, 2007
31 today!
Apparantly:
You Are 31 Years Old |
 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax. |
Friday, September 28, 2007
Battlestar Gallactica Season 3
I've just finished watching season three of Battlestar Gallactica (BSG) on DVD.
What a fantastic series, and what a great ending to the penultimate season.
BSG is a 'reimagining' of the classic but cheesy late-seventies sci-fi series about a group of human survivors trying to find earth in the face of the genocidal Cylons.
Much of the series tackles contemporary issues such as the use of torture, the tactics of insurgency and the democratic process. It does this by making the humans, with whom the audience tend to identify, into the insurgent terrorists, using tactics such as suicide bombings and torture.
Given that the programme is a US production it is a brave approach.
Along with all the best sci-fi (ie Firefly) the real strength of the series is in the strength of the characters. There is no hero here. All are deeply flawed. But they draw us in all the more for it.
This is a must see series for any sci-fi fan that hasn't caught up with it yet.
What a fantastic series, and what a great ending to the penultimate season.
BSG is a 'reimagining' of the classic but cheesy late-seventies sci-fi series about a group of human survivors trying to find earth in the face of the genocidal Cylons.
Much of the series tackles contemporary issues such as the use of torture, the tactics of insurgency and the democratic process. It does this by making the humans, with whom the audience tend to identify, into the insurgent terrorists, using tactics such as suicide bombings and torture.
Given that the programme is a US production it is a brave approach.
Along with all the best sci-fi (ie Firefly) the real strength of the series is in the strength of the characters. There is no hero here. All are deeply flawed. But they draw us in all the more for it.
This is a must see series for any sci-fi fan that hasn't caught up with it yet.
Post 200 - Battle Stations ...
As Ryan pointed out a few days ago this blog is one of a small but hardy batch of blogs that existed when Lib Dem Blogs was born three years ago.
Regular readers will know (well when I say 'regular' ...) that posting has always been somewhat sporadic. This is because I only post when I have something to say and time to say it, and, as my friends will know, I often don't have much time.
This is the 200th post. Not bad if you ask me. And comes on what I now think to be a likely general election.
At the moment we don't have an internet connection at home, following the flood, so I've not been posting much because of that. Hopefully I'll find time to post as the election progresses.
I do find that blogging is a good way of getting things of my chest, and sometimes a good way to think through issues and my position on them. It is also a good way to keep in touch with what's going on round the party and with quite a few old friends who blog.
So I intend to keep on blogging, probably sporadically, and within the limits of what a member of party staff can get away with. Do keep in touch.
Regular readers will know (well when I say 'regular' ...) that posting has always been somewhat sporadic. This is because I only post when I have something to say and time to say it, and, as my friends will know, I often don't have much time.
This is the 200th post. Not bad if you ask me. And comes on what I now think to be a likely general election.
At the moment we don't have an internet connection at home, following the flood, so I've not been posting much because of that. Hopefully I'll find time to post as the election progresses.
I do find that blogging is a good way of getting things of my chest, and sometimes a good way to think through issues and my position on them. It is also a good way to keep in touch with what's going on round the party and with quite a few old friends who blog.
So I intend to keep on blogging, probably sporadically, and within the limits of what a member of party staff can get away with. Do keep in touch.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Day 4 in the Irony Hotel
Temperature - even hotter
Training sessions run - 2
Attendance at them - up but visibly wilitng.
Key seats met with - 3
Dinner with a few colleagues - very pleasant
Meeting up with large group to celebrate Richard Huzzey's birthday - excellent
Strong environment policy to campaign on - passed
Chances of them fixing the air conditioning - apparently slim.
v busy - more later - ttfn
Training sessions run - 2
Attendance at them - up but visibly wilitng.
Key seats met with - 3
Dinner with a few colleagues - very pleasant
Meeting up with large group to celebrate Richard Huzzey's birthday - excellent
Strong environment policy to campaign on - passed
Chances of them fixing the air conditioning - apparently slim.
v busy - more later - ttfn
Monday, September 17, 2007
Day 3 in the Quality Hotel
Another training session delivered - this time in the sub-tropical temperature of the Chestnut Room here in my base for conference The Quality Hotel (also known as The Irony). The air conditioning has apparently broken down which means we are training in very warm rooms over very noisy fans. Surprisingy the trainees did not fall asleep despite the heat and the best efforts of the trainers ;-)
Today also included several more meetings with key seats and a useful meeting with Regional Executive members to do some early planning for the South East European election campaign.
This evening I chatted to folk at the East of England and South East/South Central Regional Receptions as well as briefing several of our regional journalists.
Then it was off for a very pleasant curry at River Spice with Steve Goddard, our candidate in the highly marginal Oxford East constituency.
(Apparantly there is a conference centre nearby too!)
Today also included several more meetings with key seats and a useful meeting with Regional Executive members to do some early planning for the South East European election campaign.
This evening I chatted to folk at the East of England and South East/South Central Regional Receptions as well as briefing several of our regional journalists.
Then it was off for a very pleasant curry at River Spice with Steve Goddard, our candidate in the highly marginal Oxford East constituency.
(Apparantly there is a conference centre nearby too!)
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Back in Brighton
I'm back in Brighton for Lib Dem Conference.
I enjoyed a lovely dinner last night at The Fisherman's Rest with Chris Rennard (Chief Executive), Hilary Stephenson (Director of Campaigns) and colleagues yesterday evening where we chatted about progress in our key seats and preparations for a possible autumn election.
We then met up for a few drinks with the rest of the Campaigns Department Team at the Grand Hotel.
Mood very positive.
This morning I did the first of several training sessions I will be doing this week - on 'Making the most of VIP visits' with the excellent Dave Hennigan from Rochdale.
This afternoon I will be meeting the teams from some of our London seats and London Campaigns Officer Andrew Reeves to discuss their campaigning and planning for a snap election.
I may even get along to the conference centre at some point, but I suspect most of my week will be spent here in the Quality Hotel.
I enjoyed a lovely dinner last night at The Fisherman's Rest with Chris Rennard (Chief Executive), Hilary Stephenson (Director of Campaigns) and colleagues yesterday evening where we chatted about progress in our key seats and preparations for a possible autumn election.
We then met up for a few drinks with the rest of the Campaigns Department Team at the Grand Hotel.
Mood very positive.
This morning I did the first of several training sessions I will be doing this week - on 'Making the most of VIP visits' with the excellent Dave Hennigan from Rochdale.
This afternoon I will be meeting the teams from some of our London seats and London Campaigns Officer Andrew Reeves to discuss their campaigning and planning for a snap election.
I may even get along to the conference centre at some point, but I suspect most of my week will be spent here in the Quality Hotel.
Atonement
Go see Atonement.
It features some great footage of the beach I spent much of my childhood making sandcastles on and a couple of scenes shot outside and inside the Regent Cinema where I spent many a happy late Friday evening in my youth.
Aparantly the story and acting is also quite good!
It features some great footage of the beach I spent much of my childhood making sandcastles on and a couple of scenes shot outside and inside the Regent Cinema where I spent many a happy late Friday evening in my youth.
Aparantly the story and acting is also quite good!
After the flood
The past few months have been a been spent dealing with the aftermath of being flooded.
I'm not going to go into a lot of detail but suffice to say that the whole experience is a lot more disruptive than I had ever imagined.
We are now settled in a temporary home not too far from our house and the kids are back into their normal routine.
The insurance company have been as helpful as we could expect although they and all the various contractors involved have clearly struggled to cope with the large number of claims across the country.
The one thing we still haven't sorted out is transfering the TV/phone/internet connection to the new house so internet access has been somewhat limited.
On the positive side it has meant that I've caught up with my DVD viewing and have been enjoying Season 2 of Battlestar Gallactica (Season 3 is now on the way) and the complete set of Tommorrow People DVDs - a series I vaguely remembered from my childhood but which has been a joy to watch with my 9 year old James.
On top of that I went to see The Police last Sunday with Samantha and they were absolutely fantastic.
I'm not going to go into a lot of detail but suffice to say that the whole experience is a lot more disruptive than I had ever imagined.
We are now settled in a temporary home not too far from our house and the kids are back into their normal routine.
The insurance company have been as helpful as we could expect although they and all the various contractors involved have clearly struggled to cope with the large number of claims across the country.
The one thing we still haven't sorted out is transfering the TV/phone/internet connection to the new house so internet access has been somewhat limited.
On the positive side it has meant that I've caught up with my DVD viewing and have been enjoying Season 2 of Battlestar Gallactica (Season 3 is now on the way) and the complete set of Tommorrow People DVDs - a series I vaguely remembered from my childhood but which has been a joy to watch with my 9 year old James.
On top of that I went to see The Police last Sunday with Samantha and they were absolutely fantastic.
Monday, July 23, 2007
It's a bit wet here ...
I was going to blog about the excellent by-election results (for us anyway!) and the brilliant agents' training weekend we've just had.
But unfortunately we are flooded out, and I spent this morning moving more stuff upstairs, and we are now staying with friends waiting for the next Thames 'surge'.
Ho hum ...
But unfortunately we are flooded out, and I spent this morning moving more stuff upstairs, and we are now staying with friends waiting for the next Thames 'surge'.
Ho hum ...
Saturday, July 14, 2007
This news Lit up my evening
Now this is funny.
No wonder Tom Watson was in such a strange mood earlier.
I can just imagine the state of panic in the Tory by-election HQ just now!
No wonder Tom Watson was in such a strange mood earlier.
I can just imagine the state of panic in the Tory by-election HQ just now!
Be quick or be dead
Just noticed that they are showing the classic Doctor Who series 'The Deadly Assassin' on UK Drama at 4.25pm.
If you're not currently at a by-election and haven't seen it before I'd strongly recommend it.
If you're not currently at a by-election and haven't seen it before I'd strongly recommend it.
Let's break the record folks
At the weekend before the Leicester South and Birmingham Hodge Hill by-election polling day I wrote to Lib Dem activists in London and the South East urging them to come and help in the last few days because we knew we could do it, but we needed enough people to turn up to deliver the (rather ambitious) campaign we had planned.
Hundreds did turn up, and the result was victory in Leicester South and a near miss in Birmingham Hodge Hill.
I think we are in a similar position in Ealing Southall and Sedgefield this weekend.
In Ealing the Tories are putting in a visible effort, just as they did in Leicester, but the Lib Dems are out-campaigning them on the ground. The Labour campaign is surprisingly lacklustre.
In Sedgefield the Tories are doing next to nothing on the ground, and it is pretty clear that the Lib Dems are the challengers. There is a degree of unhappiness that Blair walked away and a general sense that the area has been let down by Labour for many years.
In both by-elections, despite the short notice, the Lib Dems have put together very strong by-election teams, each led by veterans of the Bromley, Dunfermline, Hartlepool, Leicester, Birmingham and Brent East campaigns. Chris Rennard and Hilary Stephenson have been seen regularly at both campaigns along with oodles of MPs.
Both had well organised and busy HQs up and running within days of the elections being called.
Both have had massive support from Lib Dem activists from far and wide.
With just a few days until polling day lets break the record for the biggest turnout ever for our by-election campaigns!
www.ealinglibdems.org.uk
www.sedgefieldlibdems.org.uk
Hundreds did turn up, and the result was victory in Leicester South and a near miss in Birmingham Hodge Hill.
I think we are in a similar position in Ealing Southall and Sedgefield this weekend.
In Ealing the Tories are putting in a visible effort, just as they did in Leicester, but the Lib Dems are out-campaigning them on the ground. The Labour campaign is surprisingly lacklustre.
In Sedgefield the Tories are doing next to nothing on the ground, and it is pretty clear that the Lib Dems are the challengers. There is a degree of unhappiness that Blair walked away and a general sense that the area has been let down by Labour for many years.
In both by-elections, despite the short notice, the Lib Dems have put together very strong by-election teams, each led by veterans of the Bromley, Dunfermline, Hartlepool, Leicester, Birmingham and Brent East campaigns. Chris Rennard and Hilary Stephenson have been seen regularly at both campaigns along with oodles of MPs.
Both had well organised and busy HQs up and running within days of the elections being called.
Both have had massive support from Lib Dem activists from far and wide.
With just a few days until polling day lets break the record for the biggest turnout ever for our by-election campaigns!
www.ealinglibdems.org.uk
www.sedgefieldlibdems.org.uk
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The weekend - my top five
Haven't time to do a detailed posting about my 39th birthday weekend - but this is a truncated version in Top Five format:
5 A surprise birthday curry at Abingdon's finest Dil Raj restaurant on Friday evening.
4 Seeing the mighty Metallica at the new Wembley Stadium with my good friend Brian the Lion.
3 Enjoying some great live music and meeting both Paul Cornell and a Dalek with my younger two at the Faringdon Arts Festival.
2 The Key to Time DVD box set (well, a pre-order, it's not out yet) from Frankie (my eldest - knows her Whovian Dad well!).
1 A glorious bright pink birthday cake - mixed baked and decorated (in that way only an over-excited five year old could manage) by my beautiful youngest daughter, Emma.
And it wil be 39th birthdays for me from now on ...
5 A surprise birthday curry at Abingdon's finest Dil Raj restaurant on Friday evening.
4 Seeing the mighty Metallica at the new Wembley Stadium with my good friend Brian the Lion.
3 Enjoying some great live music and meeting both Paul Cornell and a Dalek with my younger two at the Faringdon Arts Festival.
2 The Key to Time DVD box set (well, a pre-order, it's not out yet) from Frankie (my eldest - knows her Whovian Dad well!).
1 A glorious bright pink birthday cake - mixed baked and decorated (in that way only an over-excited five year old could manage) by my beautiful youngest daughter, Emma.
And it wil be 39th birthdays for me from now on ...
Don't miss out ... only 8 days left ...
That's right, there are only eight more days in which you can make a difference in Ealing Southall and Sedgefield.
So far the turnout of helpers has been fantastic at both by-elections, but we need even bigger numbers to turn up over the weekend and every day through to polling day.
Hundreds of people will be looking back on these by-elections proudly because they were there.
Don't miss out on your chance to do the same.
So far the turnout of helpers has been fantastic at both by-elections, but we need even bigger numbers to turn up over the weekend and every day through to polling day.
Hundreds of people will be looking back on these by-elections proudly because they were there.
Don't miss out on your chance to do the same.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Overwhelmed
Today I have mostly been sending emails to people who have offered to help at the Ealing and/or Sedgefield by-elections.
It has been a very positive experience, everyone from seasoned by-election helpers to new recruits are keen to help, and I know that the teams running both by-election HQs are delighted with the level of help they are getting.
So a big thank you from me to everyone who has been in touch.
If you can go to either by-election in person directions are available on the campaign websites for Ealing and Sedgefield.
You can just turn up - there will be plenty to do every day from now until polling day - and there will be a warm welcome too!
It has been a very positive experience, everyone from seasoned by-election helpers to new recruits are keen to help, and I know that the teams running both by-election HQs are delighted with the level of help they are getting.
So a big thank you from me to everyone who has been in touch.
If you can go to either by-election in person directions are available on the campaign websites for Ealing and Sedgefield.
You can just turn up - there will be plenty to do every day from now until polling day - and there will be a warm welcome too!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Ealing Excitement
Much excitement here at the Ealing Southall HQ over the news that a senior local Conservative has joined the Lib Dems.
Mr Brij Mohan Gupta, Deputy Chair (Political) of Ealing Southall Conservatives and Vice-Chair of Southall Green and Southall Broadway Conservative ward parties, has joined the Liberal Democrats and backed the Liberal Democrat by-election candidate Nigel Bakhai.
He said:
"Under David Cameron the Conservatives have become a party of style over substance. I agree with everything that Quentin Davies said about Mr Cameron.
"This by-election reflects Mr Cameron's contempt for local Conservative members. His spin doctors ignored our wishes and forced the branch to accept someone whose commitment to the party is less than a week old. Almost all local Conservative party members feel like I do."
Mr Brij Mohan Gupta, Deputy Chair (Political) of Ealing Southall Conservatives and Vice-Chair of Southall Green and Southall Broadway Conservative ward parties, has joined the Liberal Democrats and backed the Liberal Democrat by-election candidate Nigel Bakhai.
He said:
"Under David Cameron the Conservatives have become a party of style over substance. I agree with everything that Quentin Davies said about Mr Cameron.
"This by-election reflects Mr Cameron's contempt for local Conservative members. His spin doctors ignored our wishes and forced the branch to accept someone whose commitment to the party is less than a week old. Almost all local Conservative party members feel like I do."
Lib Dems odds on to win Ealing Southall
Just a bit of fun:
Betfair have opened a market on the Ealing Southall by-election.
At present the Lib Dems are 8/13 on to win the seat.
Labour are current favourites at 1/5 on.
The Tories are languishing at 11/5 against.
(Note: I'm not encouraging anyone to bet - betting is generally a fools' game - it's always the bookies that win!)
Betfair have opened a market on the Ealing Southall by-election.
At present the Lib Dems are 8/13 on to win the seat.
Labour are current favourites at 1/5 on.
The Tories are languishing at 11/5 against.
(Note: I'm not encouraging anyone to bet - betting is generally a fools' game - it's always the bookies that win!)
Monday, July 02, 2007
Thank you, whoever you are
Just a quick note to say thank you to the many people that have already responded to requests for help in the by-elections.
(And apologies for not being able to send personal replies to everyone individually so far today)
My team is currently working our way through the offers and responding appropriately.
The key message is JUST TURN UP!
Both HQs are open and busy. There is plenty to do at each.
(And apologies for not being able to send personal replies to everyone individually so far today)
My team is currently working our way through the offers and responding appropriately.
The key message is JUST TURN UP!
Both HQs are open and busy. There is plenty to do at each.
Will their approach work?
It will be interesting to see whether the Tory approach to the Ealing Southall by-election comes through for them.
They have clearly tried to create the impression of a flying start by selecting a candidate very quickly, having Cameron turn up for an early visit, and set up their 'virtual HQ'.
However this approach is already causing them problems.
The quick selection of a candidate who does not live in the borough, has no record of Conservative activism and who has only recently joined the party has caused consternation amongst party activists and has even been described as 'high-risk' by a local Conservative councillor.
Feedback from the campaign on te ground suggests that the Lib Dem approach of getting a substantial HQ up and running quickly and encouraging activists to turn out to deliver and doorknock may be having more impact. Early signs are that the Tory campaign may turn out to be smoke and mirrors.
Find out for yourself by coming along to the HQ and helping out.
They have clearly tried to create the impression of a flying start by selecting a candidate very quickly, having Cameron turn up for an early visit, and set up their 'virtual HQ'.
However this approach is already causing them problems.
The quick selection of a candidate who does not live in the borough, has no record of Conservative activism and who has only recently joined the party has caused consternation amongst party activists and has even been described as 'high-risk' by a local Conservative councillor.
Feedback from the campaign on te ground suggests that the Lib Dem approach of getting a substantial HQ up and running quickly and encouraging activists to turn out to deliver and doorknock may be having more impact. Early signs are that the Tory campaign may turn out to be smoke and mirrors.
Find out for yourself by coming along to the HQ and helping out.
Well done Nigel
I am delighted to see that Nigel Bakhai has been chosen as our candidate for the Southall by-election.
I know Nigel from various London training events over the past few years and I know he is very committed to working hard for the community where he lives.
The fact that he is a genuinly local candidate can only help too.
I believe we will also be announcing our candidate for Sedgefield soon. I'm sure it will be reported here.
I know Nigel from various London training events over the past few years and I know he is very committed to working hard for the community where he lives.
The fact that he is a genuinly local candidate can only help too.
I believe we will also be announcing our candidate for Sedgefield soon. I'm sure it will be reported here.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Marching towards the sound of gunfire ...
Ming Campbell's speech will be widely welcomed within the party and by our supporters.
During the past few weeks we have been courted by David Cameron over the London Mayoral election and last week by Gordon Brown as he sets out to attempt to show that he is different to Blair. Ming Campbell rightly rejected both approaches.
Today Ming set out a clear position for the Liberal Democrats as a radical opposition to the increasingly indistinguishable Lab/Con old pals act.
He also set out clear policy reasons why we need to campaign as a strong and independent party.
Iraq, civil liberties, tuition fees - all issues that have seen Tory and Labour MPs agreeing with each other while the Lib Dems have provided the only coherent opposition.
The fact that a Tory MP like Quentin Davies can choose today to defect to Labour says everything about how close the other two parties have become.
During the past few weeks we have been courted by David Cameron over the London Mayoral election and last week by Gordon Brown as he sets out to attempt to show that he is different to Blair. Ming Campbell rightly rejected both approaches.
Today Ming set out a clear position for the Liberal Democrats as a radical opposition to the increasingly indistinguishable Lab/Con old pals act.
He also set out clear policy reasons why we need to campaign as a strong and independent party.
Iraq, civil liberties, tuition fees - all issues that have seen Tory and Labour MPs agreeing with each other while the Lib Dems have provided the only coherent opposition.
The fact that a Tory MP like Quentin Davies can choose today to defect to Labour says everything about how close the other two parties have become.
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
More Guardian Tripe
I stopped taking the Guardian many years ago, and the Observer some years later.
While my political views are generally on the progressive left I got utterly fed up with the paper's ability to agree with pretty much every position the Lib Dems took, but then belittle us anyway.
Today has seen yet another example of their willingness to cause trouble for the Lib Dems.
First they run a story on their website with a headline that suggests that Ming Campbell is about to jump into bed with Gordon Brown.
When you read the detail of the story you find out that a) Campbell has said nothing of the sort and b) it is all based on the usual unnamed sources anyway.
They have now put up a follow up story headlined "Campbell rules out Lib Dems serving in Brown cabinet" - fair enough - but includes the astonishing line: "But Sir Menzies was today forced to admit: "There is no prospect of any Liberal Democrat joining the government."
"Forced to admit"! He wasn't 'forced' to 'admit' anything. He simply made clear that the earlier Guardian headline was utter tripe.
While my political views are generally on the progressive left I got utterly fed up with the paper's ability to agree with pretty much every position the Lib Dems took, but then belittle us anyway.
Today has seen yet another example of their willingness to cause trouble for the Lib Dems.
First they run a story on their website with a headline that suggests that Ming Campbell is about to jump into bed with Gordon Brown.
When you read the detail of the story you find out that a) Campbell has said nothing of the sort and b) it is all based on the usual unnamed sources anyway.
They have now put up a follow up story headlined "Campbell rules out Lib Dems serving in Brown cabinet" - fair enough - but includes the astonishing line: "But Sir Menzies was today forced to admit: "There is no prospect of any Liberal Democrat joining the government."
"Forced to admit"! He wasn't 'forced' to 'admit' anything. He simply made clear that the earlier Guardian headline was utter tripe.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Blink and you'll miss it ...
After spending the weekend at the Download Festival and most of the week on a (top secret - all will be revealed in a week or so's time) Lib Dem project I finally got round to see last Saturday's episode of Doctor Who last night.
And what a blinder!
Blink was the strongest story of the season so far - and as with all the best scary TV - it was good because of what you didn't see. The general feel reminded me of the classic darker Tom Baker era stories.
If you didn't catch it it is still available on the catch up service on Virgin and I would strongly recomend it.
This weeks Doctor Who Confidential was also very good. Unlike the episode itself it was fronted by David Tennant who looked at how Doctor Who has inspired a whole generation of today's TV Writers and Producers. Tennant is something of a fanboy himself and he was clearly enjoying himself.
And for anyone who enjoyed the previous story - Human Nature - the ebook version of Paul Cornell's original book is back up on the BBC website here and is well worth a read.
And what a blinder!
Blink was the strongest story of the season so far - and as with all the best scary TV - it was good because of what you didn't see. The general feel reminded me of the classic darker Tom Baker era stories.
If you didn't catch it it is still available on the catch up service on Virgin and I would strongly recomend it.
This weeks Doctor Who Confidential was also very good. Unlike the episode itself it was fronted by David Tennant who looked at how Doctor Who has inspired a whole generation of today's TV Writers and Producers. Tennant is something of a fanboy himself and he was clearly enjoying himself.
And for anyone who enjoyed the previous story - Human Nature - the ebook version of Paul Cornell's original book is back up on the BBC website here and is well worth a read.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Marillion to go top ten again?
My favorite band are Marillion. I've mentioned this before.
Once stereotyped as 'that scottish heavy metal band' they nowadays produce crafted contemporary rock music and deliver it with panache.
I popped up to Leeds to see them at the start of their current tour which finishes with a gig in Cambridge tomorrow and two dates at the Forum in London on Friday and Saturday (which I can't attend due to a work commitment).
If you like quality rock played with real emotion by top quality musicians I would get yourself along to see them. There are still a few tickets left for Friday.
Tickets here.
The band have also just released their new single - Thank You, Whoever You Are - and I predict it will be another top ten hit for them.
Enjoy ...
The DVD version of the single also includes a blinding cover of Britney Spears' Toxic!
Once stereotyped as 'that scottish heavy metal band' they nowadays produce crafted contemporary rock music and deliver it with panache.
I popped up to Leeds to see them at the start of their current tour which finishes with a gig in Cambridge tomorrow and two dates at the Forum in London on Friday and Saturday (which I can't attend due to a work commitment).
If you like quality rock played with real emotion by top quality musicians I would get yourself along to see them. There are still a few tickets left for Friday.
Tickets here.
The band have also just released their new single - Thank You, Whoever You Are - and I predict it will be another top ten hit for them.
Enjoy ...
The DVD version of the single also includes a blinding cover of Britney Spears' Toxic!
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
A weekend of Downloading
I spent the weekend listening to VERY LOUD rock music at the excellent Download festival which takes place at heavy metal's spiritual home, Donington.
21 years ago I attended my first 'Monsters of Rock' festival at Donington which was headlined by the hilarious Ozzy Osborne (back when he was a little more coherent than he is now) supported by the very boring Scorpions, the excellent Motorhead and the very funny Bad News.
Amongst my teenage mates at the time going to Donington was something of a rock pilgramage - a rockramage if you will - a rite of passage for any self-respecting, spotty, lanky (it's true!), long-haired denim wearing metal fan.
Monsters of Rock had started in 1980 as a one day heavy rock festival - something of a novelty at the time - headlined by Rainbow.
Headliners after Rainbow included AC/DC (3 times), Whitesnake (twice), Status Quo, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden (twice) and Bon Jovi.
The event ran most years through to the mid-nineties (there as a tragic event in '88 when two lads died after being trampled by the crowd - I still remember being shocked when I heard about it on the way home from the event) but fizzled out as rock audiences wained.
Ozzfest - the Ozzy/Sabbath run festival - ran in '98 and then in 2003 the brand spanking new Download Festival arrived - a two day rock and metal fest headlined by Iron Maiden and Audioslave. (And with a rather smashing surpise set from Metallica on the second stage too).
After two years Download turned into a three day event covering the whole range of hard rock and metal.
This year's event was the best yet. Attracting 80,000 fans the three headliners - My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and Iron Maiden - played first rate sets.
I particularly enjoyed the sets by prog rockers Porcupine Tree and prog metallers (and incredible musicians) Dream Theater.
European rock was well represented and the set by dutch goth metalers Within Temptation, despite being sadly short due to technical problems, was excellent.
One of the best received sets of the weekend was by Velvet Revolver - a rock supergroup made up of three ex-members of Guns 'N' Roses including the amazing Slash on guitar and former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. Their set included two G'N'R classics - It's So Easy and Mr Brownstone.
It's all quite different from my first Donington - six bands on one stage back then - more than a hundred acts on three stages over three days now. The sound quality is much better, back in the eighties you hoped it wouldn't be too windy because of what it did to the sound. Nowadays the third stage is probably louder than the main stage was back then.
And even the quieter of the bands now play a lot faster and louder than the heaviest ever did then. Back in '86 so called 'Thrash metal' (Metallica had debuted the year before to general disinterest) was brand new. Nowadays nearly every metal band have built on it.
What hasn't changed is that the festival is still mostly filled by teenagers on their rock pilgramage to Donington. Of course back in the day there was no internet forum to discuss the event with for the other 51 weeks of the year ...
21 years ago I attended my first 'Monsters of Rock' festival at Donington which was headlined by the hilarious Ozzy Osborne (back when he was a little more coherent than he is now) supported by the very boring Scorpions, the excellent Motorhead and the very funny Bad News.
Amongst my teenage mates at the time going to Donington was something of a rock pilgramage - a rockramage if you will - a rite of passage for any self-respecting, spotty, lanky (it's true!), long-haired denim wearing metal fan.
Monsters of Rock had started in 1980 as a one day heavy rock festival - something of a novelty at the time - headlined by Rainbow.
Headliners after Rainbow included AC/DC (3 times), Whitesnake (twice), Status Quo, ZZ Top, Iron Maiden (twice) and Bon Jovi.
The event ran most years through to the mid-nineties (there as a tragic event in '88 when two lads died after being trampled by the crowd - I still remember being shocked when I heard about it on the way home from the event) but fizzled out as rock audiences wained.
Ozzfest - the Ozzy/Sabbath run festival - ran in '98 and then in 2003 the brand spanking new Download Festival arrived - a two day rock and metal fest headlined by Iron Maiden and Audioslave. (And with a rather smashing surpise set from Metallica on the second stage too).
After two years Download turned into a three day event covering the whole range of hard rock and metal.
This year's event was the best yet. Attracting 80,000 fans the three headliners - My Chemical Romance, Linkin Park and Iron Maiden - played first rate sets.
I particularly enjoyed the sets by prog rockers Porcupine Tree and prog metallers (and incredible musicians) Dream Theater.
European rock was well represented and the set by dutch goth metalers Within Temptation, despite being sadly short due to technical problems, was excellent.
One of the best received sets of the weekend was by Velvet Revolver - a rock supergroup made up of three ex-members of Guns 'N' Roses including the amazing Slash on guitar and former Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland. Their set included two G'N'R classics - It's So Easy and Mr Brownstone.
It's all quite different from my first Donington - six bands on one stage back then - more than a hundred acts on three stages over three days now. The sound quality is much better, back in the eighties you hoped it wouldn't be too windy because of what it did to the sound. Nowadays the third stage is probably louder than the main stage was back then.
And even the quieter of the bands now play a lot faster and louder than the heaviest ever did then. Back in '86 so called 'Thrash metal' (Metallica had debuted the year before to general disinterest) was brand new. Nowadays nearly every metal band have built on it.
What hasn't changed is that the festival is still mostly filled by teenagers on their rock pilgramage to Donington. Of course back in the day there was no internet forum to discuss the event with for the other 51 weeks of the year ...
One rule for them ...
Once again the Government that promised an 'ethical foreign policy' is in hot water, this time because of the Al Yamamah affair.
I was listening to a discussion about this on the Today programme on Saturday morning between a recent ex-diplomat and Craig Murray.
The recent ex-diplomat argued that the Government's aim should be to decide what is in the 'national interest' and act accordingly. He believed that the damage to our relations with Saudi Arabia, in particualr the possible loss of their cooperation in fighting terrorism, meant it was reasonable for the Government to cover up the bribery.
Craig Murray made a far more convincing case - that our long term interests can only be served by operating within the law - and that our failure to do so means a) giving ammunition to terrorists and b) means we have no leg to stand on when criticising anyone else.
The recent ex diplomat was left trying to argue, rather unconvincingly, that we should be against bribery and corruption in Africa but allow it to carry on in the Middle East.
It seems pretty obvious to me that we can never expect other countries to obey the rule of law if we aren't willing to oursleves.
I was listening to a discussion about this on the Today programme on Saturday morning between a recent ex-diplomat and Craig Murray.
The recent ex-diplomat argued that the Government's aim should be to decide what is in the 'national interest' and act accordingly. He believed that the damage to our relations with Saudi Arabia, in particualr the possible loss of their cooperation in fighting terrorism, meant it was reasonable for the Government to cover up the bribery.
Craig Murray made a far more convincing case - that our long term interests can only be served by operating within the law - and that our failure to do so means a) giving ammunition to terrorists and b) means we have no leg to stand on when criticising anyone else.
The recent ex diplomat was left trying to argue, rather unconvincingly, that we should be against bribery and corruption in Africa but allow it to carry on in the Middle East.
It seems pretty obvious to me that we can never expect other countries to obey the rule of law if we aren't willing to oursleves.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
From out of nowhere ...
Rumours abound in Oxford political circles that two councillors are about to form a Conservative Group on the City Council. (see here, here and here)
If they do so it will be the first time there has been a Tory group since 1996 when I was fortunate to be the agent for the Lib Dem candidates that booted the last Tories off (other than a very brief period when one was elected by accident in Martson a few years ago).
Having gone 10 years without a group I can understand the Tories' frustration, but I would have thought that putting a bit of effort in to win a seat at an election might be seen as a more popular way of getting some councillors.
Instead they have persuaded the political equivalent of 'hand me downs' to become Conservatives.
Knowing both councillors concerned I will be astounded if they have really become Conservatives.
Knowing a fair few Oxfordshire Conservatives I wonder how pleased they will be with their new recruits.
I do hope they get along ...
If they do so it will be the first time there has been a Tory group since 1996 when I was fortunate to be the agent for the Lib Dem candidates that booted the last Tories off (other than a very brief period when one was elected by accident in Martson a few years ago).
Having gone 10 years without a group I can understand the Tories' frustration, but I would have thought that putting a bit of effort in to win a seat at an election might be seen as a more popular way of getting some councillors.
Instead they have persuaded the political equivalent of 'hand me downs' to become Conservatives.
Knowing both councillors concerned I will be astounded if they have really become Conservatives.
Knowing a fair few Oxfordshire Conservatives I wonder how pleased they will be with their new recruits.
I do hope they get along ...
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Weekly bin collections - A phyrric victory?
Like many other places the local Tories here wer delivering leaflets on polling day which said 'Vote Conservative to save weekly bin collections'.
These may have had more impact if there was the slightest hint that the current Lib Dem administration had any plans to ditch weekly bin collections.
If the Tories have won seats and councils on the back of this campaign I do wonder if it will come back to bite them.
The first council in Oxfordshire to move to fortnightly collections was Tory run Cherwell. It appears to have been popular and has had a positive effcect on recycling rates.
Lib Dem run Oxford has now followed suit and, despite a bit of noise in the local press, the scheme seems to be settling in well and largely popular.
I do wonder how these new Tory administrations are going to manage. They all have tough recycling targets to hit and will pay a steadily rising cost for landfill. They won't be able to aford the extra costs of recycling AND weekely collections of residual rubbish and won't be popular when they have to cut other services as a result.
I hope they thought it through!
These may have had more impact if there was the slightest hint that the current Lib Dem administration had any plans to ditch weekly bin collections.
If the Tories have won seats and councils on the back of this campaign I do wonder if it will come back to bite them.
The first council in Oxfordshire to move to fortnightly collections was Tory run Cherwell. It appears to have been popular and has had a positive effcect on recycling rates.
Lib Dem run Oxford has now followed suit and, despite a bit of noise in the local press, the scheme seems to be settling in well and largely popular.
I do wonder how these new Tory administrations are going to manage. They all have tough recycling targets to hit and will pay a steadily rising cost for landfill. They won't be able to aford the extra costs of recycling AND weekely collections of residual rubbish and won't be popular when they have to cut other services as a result.
I hope they thought it through!
My take on the results
The term 'a mixed bag' has been overused but is, I think, a fair summary.
Having helped run a campaign in a council next door to David Cameron's Witney constituency I am now certain that there is no 'Cameron effect', at least not in the way the media usually use the term.
The local elections here were fought on local issues and, despite visits from both Cameron and Campbell during the campaign, national politics didn't feature much.
The result in the Vale mirrors the position in many other Lib Dem held or target seats - consolidation where we already do well and progress where there is still room to make it.
(I was surprised to hear, for example, taht we had gained another three seats in Chris Huhne's Eastleigh constituency, primarily because I hadn't realised that there were still that many seats left for us to gain).
Our big losses appear to have come in councils where there were particularly strong local issues - such as Bournemouth - in constituencies where new Tory MPs are digging in - such as Waverley, Newbury - and in seats where they fought us off hard at the last election - Maidenhead, New Forest.
In most other places it is steady as she goes.
In my view our real challenge is to build sufficient organisation and understanding of modern campaigning in the places we are drifting back. Where we are doing this we are making good progress. There are still far too many local parties who are not doing this.
If there is any 'Cameron effect' it is that more Tory MPs and local parties are refreshing their approach to campaigning and are reaping the rewards from it.
Having helped run a campaign in a council next door to David Cameron's Witney constituency I am now certain that there is no 'Cameron effect', at least not in the way the media usually use the term.
The local elections here were fought on local issues and, despite visits from both Cameron and Campbell during the campaign, national politics didn't feature much.
The result in the Vale mirrors the position in many other Lib Dem held or target seats - consolidation where we already do well and progress where there is still room to make it.
(I was surprised to hear, for example, taht we had gained another three seats in Chris Huhne's Eastleigh constituency, primarily because I hadn't realised that there were still that many seats left for us to gain).
Our big losses appear to have come in councils where there were particularly strong local issues - such as Bournemouth - in constituencies where new Tory MPs are digging in - such as Waverley, Newbury - and in seats where they fought us off hard at the last election - Maidenhead, New Forest.
In most other places it is steady as she goes.
In my view our real challenge is to build sufficient organisation and understanding of modern campaigning in the places we are drifting back. Where we are doing this we are making good progress. There are still far too many local parties who are not doing this.
If there is any 'Cameron effect' it is that more Tory MPs and local parties are refreshing their approach to campaigning and are reaping the rewards from it.
How not to do rebuttal
I always worry when Lib Dems announce that they 'have to' spend the campaigning rebutting what the other side are saying about us.
And this web page from the local Tories just about sums it up.
Once you've read some of the most effective bits of our leaflets and noticed their long and tedious rebuttal in a small typeface alongside it you might find this sentence:
'We do not beleive that it should be the role of the Council to organise activities for young people,'
Now, can you guess what was plastered all over our eve of poll leaflets in the marginal wards?
You guessed it!
And they sum up their whole approach when they say:
'We believe in words not actions.'
Classic.
So, top tips for Lib Dems:
1 Think before you rebut. Continuing to promote your agreed campaign messages will nearly always be a better use of time and effort than rebutting the opposition.
2 If you are going to do a rebuttal, don't make it obvious that it is a rebuttal. Just state your case on the issue clearly and more effectively.
3 Don't repeat their message for them. So ofen our rebuttal starts by repeating their attack. THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO! Don't do it!
4 Pick on one thing they've lied about and attck it hard. It is far easier to convince on one simple fact that in lots of detail.
5 Make your rebuttal shorter and simpler than their attack. Otherwise you won't win the argument.
And this web page from the local Tories just about sums it up.
Once you've read some of the most effective bits of our leaflets and noticed their long and tedious rebuttal in a small typeface alongside it you might find this sentence:
'We do not beleive that it should be the role of the Council to organise activities for young people,'
Now, can you guess what was plastered all over our eve of poll leaflets in the marginal wards?
You guessed it!
And they sum up their whole approach when they say:
'We believe in words not actions.'
Classic.
So, top tips for Lib Dems:
1 Think before you rebut. Continuing to promote your agreed campaign messages will nearly always be a better use of time and effort than rebutting the opposition.
2 If you are going to do a rebuttal, don't make it obvious that it is a rebuttal. Just state your case on the issue clearly and more effectively.
3 Don't repeat their message for them. So ofen our rebuttal starts by repeating their attack. THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO! Don't do it!
4 Pick on one thing they've lied about and attck it hard. It is far easier to convince on one simple fact that in lots of detail.
5 Make your rebuttal shorter and simpler than their attack. Otherwise you won't win the argument.
Progtastic mate
Now that the dust has settled on the elections I am looking forward to catching up with a batch of excellent British (and prog influenced) rock that has been released recently.
The new Marillion album was released a few weeks ago and even hit number 24 on the album chart. Called 'Somewhere Else' it is a very listenable collection of songs highlighting Steve Hogarth's emotional writing and voice and some fantastic guitar playing by Steve Rothery.
The band is currently on tour in Europe and heading for the UK soon. Details here. Tickets are selling fast though, with the Leeds gig, which I am going to, already sold out.
A week later came Fear of a Blank Planet from the mighty Porcupine Tree which aslo charted, at 31.
For those unfamiliar with this band they remind me of the Floyd in overall feel and depressing lyrical content, with a slightly heavier sound. This album's theme is that youngsters nowadays are growing up in a consumerist hell of a world. Cheery stuff!
They have just toured the UK (I missed them due to the elections, grrr) but return for an appearance at the metaltastic Download Festival in June, so I'll see them there.
Finally rock veterans Magnum have released their latest album Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow. This is one of their best, perhaps influenced by doing the anniversary gigs for their classic On A Storyteller's Night album last year.
All three will appeal to any classic rock fans out there.
The new Marillion album was released a few weeks ago and even hit number 24 on the album chart. Called 'Somewhere Else' it is a very listenable collection of songs highlighting Steve Hogarth's emotional writing and voice and some fantastic guitar playing by Steve Rothery.
The band is currently on tour in Europe and heading for the UK soon. Details here. Tickets are selling fast though, with the Leeds gig, which I am going to, already sold out.
A week later came Fear of a Blank Planet from the mighty Porcupine Tree which aslo charted, at 31.
For those unfamiliar with this band they remind me of the Floyd in overall feel and depressing lyrical content, with a slightly heavier sound. This album's theme is that youngsters nowadays are growing up in a consumerist hell of a world. Cheery stuff!
They have just toured the UK (I missed them due to the elections, grrr) but return for an appearance at the metaltastic Download Festival in June, so I'll see them there.
Finally rock veterans Magnum have released their latest album Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow. This is one of their best, perhaps influenced by doing the anniversary gigs for their classic On A Storyteller's Night album last year.
All three will appeal to any classic rock fans out there.
More Lib Dem councillors than ever in Abingdon
Well we did it.
We gained the three Vale of White Horse DC seats and four Abingdon Town Council seats that slipped our fingers four years ago after the boundary changes.
Abingdon now has 14 out of 14 Vale councillors and 21 out of 21 Town councillors.
We can't claim a record for the clean sweep - we did that in 1999 - but we can claim that we now have a record number of Lib Dem councillors in the town, thanks to the boundary changes four years ago.
In the ward where I live the missus, Samantha Bowring to you, and Beth Fleming, beat two local Tory stalwarts to gain the town's most marginal ward.
The count was hard work but fun. We weren't sure we'd won. We knew we were close but that it would come down to the marginals. The Tories turned up expecting to gain seats in Abingdon and win the Vale.
As the verification started it became clear that we were edging them in the marginal wards and that we were even in contention over in Grove which we weren't expecting.
The Tory faces got longer and longer as it became clear they had lost.
In the end we gained five seats and lost one to them in Kennington.
The final result across the Vale was 34 Lib Dem, 17 Con, not bad for a council we've run for twelve years now.
Good news for Evan Harris - we took 53% of the votes across the Vale wards in his constituency and 51% if you include the Kidlington results.
Not so good news for the Tory leadership on the Vale whose strategy failed completely and a little surprising that Ed Vaizey, Tory MP for Wantage, let seats slip in his patch.
We gained the three Vale of White Horse DC seats and four Abingdon Town Council seats that slipped our fingers four years ago after the boundary changes.
Abingdon now has 14 out of 14 Vale councillors and 21 out of 21 Town councillors.
We can't claim a record for the clean sweep - we did that in 1999 - but we can claim that we now have a record number of Lib Dem councillors in the town, thanks to the boundary changes four years ago.
In the ward where I live the missus, Samantha Bowring to you, and Beth Fleming, beat two local Tory stalwarts to gain the town's most marginal ward.
The count was hard work but fun. We weren't sure we'd won. We knew we were close but that it would come down to the marginals. The Tories turned up expecting to gain seats in Abingdon and win the Vale.
As the verification started it became clear that we were edging them in the marginal wards and that we were even in contention over in Grove which we weren't expecting.
The Tory faces got longer and longer as it became clear they had lost.
In the end we gained five seats and lost one to them in Kennington.
The final result across the Vale was 34 Lib Dem, 17 Con, not bad for a council we've run for twelve years now.
Good news for Evan Harris - we took 53% of the votes across the Vale wards in his constituency and 51% if you include the Kidlington results.
Not so good news for the Tory leadership on the Vale whose strategy failed completely and a little surprising that Ed Vaizey, Tory MP for Wantage, let seats slip in his patch.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
New Who
New Doctor Who.
Brilliant new companion.
Rhino-like monsters.
The first hint of a new theme - VOTE SAXON.
'It's bigger on the inside'.
Perfect telly.
Brilliant new companion.
Rhino-like monsters.
The first hint of a new theme - VOTE SAXON.
'It's bigger on the inside'.
Perfect telly.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Robin Hood in Reverse
So Gordon's final flourish is to tax those on below average incomes a bit more in order to tax those on above average incomes a bit less.
After ten years of New Labour we'd expect nothing less!
After ten years of New Labour we'd expect nothing less!
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Sign this letter
The Independent is rightly highlighting the appalling treatment of British troops and is promoting a letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to improve the situation.
The paper is asking readers to add their name to the letter which I have just done.
I've commented before on the shameful decision to invade Iraq. But whatever my views on the legitimacy of the conflict itself, I believe we have an absolut duty to do right by the brave men and women who risk their lives in service to their country.
Yet Blair, shamefully, refuses to even meet the families of soldiers who have been killed.
The paper is asking readers to add their name to the letter which I have just done.
I've commented before on the shameful decision to invade Iraq. But whatever my views on the legitimacy of the conflict itself, I believe we have an absolut duty to do right by the brave men and women who risk their lives in service to their country.
Yet Blair, shamefully, refuses to even meet the families of soldiers who have been killed.
Congratulations Ed & Dani
Congratulations are due to my colleague and friend Ed Maxfield has a baby Maxfield on the way.
Characteristically his first thought appears to be the cost ;-)
Characteristically his first thought appears to be the cost ;-)
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Liam Byrne should be ashamed of himself
This is yet another example of the Government's utterly shameful approach to refugees which involves picking on the vulnerable easy targets while doing f*** all about the real abuse of the system.
Liam Byrne should hang his head in shame as should anyone who still pays a subscripiton to what used to be a party of principle but has now sold them down the river.
Liam Byrne should hang his head in shame as should anyone who still pays a subscripiton to what used to be a party of principle but has now sold them down the river.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
My seven top things of 2006
Norfolk Blogger wants to know the seven things that tickled my fancy most in 2006.
I could easily just list seven of the gigs I've been to during the year. For me little beats the excitement and atmosphere of live music.
But I guess Nich is interested in a list of rock bands.
So here goes:
1 More time with the Family. A phrase with connotations for politicians, but I mean it in the positive way it should be meant. As a workaholic by nature I have consciously tried to take more time off to see more of themissus and our three kids. The eldest is not always as keen as she used to be to spend time with her Dad, but the younger two love it.
2 Carry on Camping. As a consequence of 1 I've also had more holidays this year. The best holiday (and the cheapest) was a week's camping at a small family site in Somerset with the younger two. They love camping and we had a great week.
3 For Those About To Rock. An excellent year for rock gigs including the Download Festival headlined by Tool, Metallica and Guns 'N' Roses, Fairport's Cropredy Convention and the returning Monsters of Rock one dayer headlined by the ever brilliant Deep Purple at Milton Keynes Bowl. Other gigs included a fantastic gig by Steve Hogarth on his solo 'h natural' tour, Deep Purple, Porcupine Tree, Muse at Wembley, Iron Maiden at Earls Court and another h gig at Swindon.
4 TV Dinners. There has been a lot of fantastic telly in the last few years - some strong BBC dramas such as Spooks and Life on Mars, the brilliant new Doctor Who and its several spin-offs and the rebirth of American Sci-Fi including Battlestar Gallactica. The onset of digital TV with its tendency for each new show to be given three time slots has made it much easier to follow series properly. (On Demand is even better for this - I'm rewatching series 3 of Spooks while typing this). So after many years on not being able to follow Tv series properly because of working so many evenings I am now able to keep up and, as Christoper Ecclestone's Docor would say - it's Fantastic.
5 Promotion bid. I applied for the vacant Director post in the Campaigns Department and, despite not getting it, found the process of applying, thinking through what I think needs to be done and about what I want to do, very positive. The feedback I received was very positive and I am looking forward to working with Hilary Stephenson who will be a great Director of the Department whilst, I'm sure, keeping her feet firmly on the campaigning ground.
6 Helping Oxford East Lib Dems. Our candidate in Oxford East is Steve Goddard and you couldn't meet a more genuinly decent chap. Steve reduced the majority of the Blairite former cabinet minister Andrew Smith from more than 10,000 to less than 1,000 votes at the last election. Steve was reselected early in the year and it has been a pleasure working with him to build up the campaign team and win excellent results in the City Council elections. We've just appointed a new team of staff to support local campaigning so we'll have capacity to do even more next year.
7 Book ends. I spend a lot of time on trains and I try and spend as much of it as possible reading books. This year I re-read a large chunk of the Virgin Doctor Who New Adventures series - the books that were published after the good Doctor left our TV screens for a few years - along with books five and six in Stephen King's Dark Tower series and the hilarious Husbands by my good friend from University days, Adele Parks. I also spent a lot of time reading various Dr Seuess and Enid Blyton books to the kids along with the genuinly funny Horrid Henry books. I also read a few of the new Doctor Who books to Jimmy.
So that's it. Except for the films which came eighth. And the blogging.
Looking at the list I probably ought to take up some less sedentary hobbies.
I hope Nich finds this interesting ;-)
I could easily just list seven of the gigs I've been to during the year. For me little beats the excitement and atmosphere of live music.
But I guess Nich is interested in a list of rock bands.
So here goes:
1 More time with the Family. A phrase with connotations for politicians, but I mean it in the positive way it should be meant. As a workaholic by nature I have consciously tried to take more time off to see more of themissus and our three kids. The eldest is not always as keen as she used to be to spend time with her Dad, but the younger two love it.
2 Carry on Camping. As a consequence of 1 I've also had more holidays this year. The best holiday (and the cheapest) was a week's camping at a small family site in Somerset with the younger two. They love camping and we had a great week.
3 For Those About To Rock. An excellent year for rock gigs including the Download Festival headlined by Tool, Metallica and Guns 'N' Roses, Fairport's Cropredy Convention and the returning Monsters of Rock one dayer headlined by the ever brilliant Deep Purple at Milton Keynes Bowl. Other gigs included a fantastic gig by Steve Hogarth on his solo 'h natural' tour, Deep Purple, Porcupine Tree, Muse at Wembley, Iron Maiden at Earls Court and another h gig at Swindon.
4 TV Dinners. There has been a lot of fantastic telly in the last few years - some strong BBC dramas such as Spooks and Life on Mars, the brilliant new Doctor Who and its several spin-offs and the rebirth of American Sci-Fi including Battlestar Gallactica. The onset of digital TV with its tendency for each new show to be given three time slots has made it much easier to follow series properly. (On Demand is even better for this - I'm rewatching series 3 of Spooks while typing this). So after many years on not being able to follow Tv series properly because of working so many evenings I am now able to keep up and, as Christoper Ecclestone's Docor would say - it's Fantastic.
5 Promotion bid. I applied for the vacant Director post in the Campaigns Department and, despite not getting it, found the process of applying, thinking through what I think needs to be done and about what I want to do, very positive. The feedback I received was very positive and I am looking forward to working with Hilary Stephenson who will be a great Director of the Department whilst, I'm sure, keeping her feet firmly on the campaigning ground.
6 Helping Oxford East Lib Dems. Our candidate in Oxford East is Steve Goddard and you couldn't meet a more genuinly decent chap. Steve reduced the majority of the Blairite former cabinet minister Andrew Smith from more than 10,000 to less than 1,000 votes at the last election. Steve was reselected early in the year and it has been a pleasure working with him to build up the campaign team and win excellent results in the City Council elections. We've just appointed a new team of staff to support local campaigning so we'll have capacity to do even more next year.
7 Book ends. I spend a lot of time on trains and I try and spend as much of it as possible reading books. This year I re-read a large chunk of the Virgin Doctor Who New Adventures series - the books that were published after the good Doctor left our TV screens for a few years - along with books five and six in Stephen King's Dark Tower series and the hilarious Husbands by my good friend from University days, Adele Parks. I also spent a lot of time reading various Dr Seuess and Enid Blyton books to the kids along with the genuinly funny Horrid Henry books. I also read a few of the new Doctor Who books to Jimmy.
So that's it. Except for the films which came eighth. And the blogging.
Looking at the list I probably ought to take up some less sedentary hobbies.
I hope Nich finds this interesting ;-)
Dishonourable honour
It is utterly astounding that John Scarlett, the author of the 'dodgy dossier' that has led to so much death and destruction in Iraq, has received an honour.
I've always been uncomfortable with the idea that senior civil servants are given honours purely for having done their job for many years, while everyone else has to do something over and above the call of duty.
But the idea that someone is honoured who has clearly failed in the single most important task of their career makes a mockery of the whole system.
Every single person who has served in Iraq has a stronger claim on an honour than John Scarlett.
I've always been uncomfortable with the idea that senior civil servants are given honours purely for having done their job for many years, while everyone else has to do something over and above the call of duty.
But the idea that someone is honoured who has clearly failed in the single most important task of their career makes a mockery of the whole system.
Every single person who has served in Iraq has a stronger claim on an honour than John Scarlett.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Justice for Gurkhas
As I was walking past Parliament yesterday I happened upon a large contingent of Gurkhas along with a few of my Lib Dem firends from Folkestone.
They are campaigning for the Government to honour a promise made two years ago to give equal rights to Gurkhas when they retire.
They have launched a petition to the Prime Minister on the whizzy new Downing Street petitions website.
I've signed it and would urge you to do so to.
Find out more about the issues here.
They are campaigning for the Government to honour a promise made two years ago to give equal rights to Gurkhas when they retire.
They have launched a petition to the Prime Minister on the whizzy new Downing Street petitions website.
I've signed it and would urge you to do so to.
Find out more about the issues here.
Friday, December 08, 2006
More New Labour irony
New arrivals must conform to Britain's standards of tolerance, Tony Blair warns in a major speech.
Yup - we're very tolerant as long as you do exactly what we say!
Yup - we're very tolerant as long as you do exactly what we say!
Friday, December 01, 2006
More h-tunes
Just listening to the latest h concert downlaoded from his nifty 'h-tunes' website.
This gig was recorded in Liverpool's Cavern Club on 1st March this year.
Just h and his piano singing a mix of his solo and marillion songs as well as a large selection of covers including beautiful vesrions of Wichita Lineman (his Dad's favourite song), Famous Blue Raincoat, Too Late and The Whole of the Moon.
h is clearly enjoying himself and sounds delighted to be performing at the home of The Beatles. He also covers Beatles numbers Help, Yesterday and Eleanor Rigby.
I never cease to be impressed by h's vocal ability. I can't wait for the London gig to be available. I had a front row seat at that one.
The other thing with these gigs is that all the between song chats are included - including one or two lengthy stories and bits of his life story.
Great stuff.
This gig was recorded in Liverpool's Cavern Club on 1st March this year.
Just h and his piano singing a mix of his solo and marillion songs as well as a large selection of covers including beautiful vesrions of Wichita Lineman (his Dad's favourite song), Famous Blue Raincoat, Too Late and The Whole of the Moon.
h is clearly enjoying himself and sounds delighted to be performing at the home of The Beatles. He also covers Beatles numbers Help, Yesterday and Eleanor Rigby.
I never cease to be impressed by h's vocal ability. I can't wait for the London gig to be available. I had a front row seat at that one.
The other thing with these gigs is that all the between song chats are included - including one or two lengthy stories and bits of his life story.
Great stuff.
Common sense on Trident
I am delighted to see this very sensible policy being put forward by Ming Campbell and the Trident Policy Working Group.
Their proposal - to maintain Trident for the time being but cut the number of warheads - is a balanced approach to the current system and far more sensible than the Government's plan for an expensive replacement.
The lib Dem position sends out exactly the right signal to the rest of the world - that we are prepared to reduce our nuclear arsenal in line with international non-proliferation policy as we ask others to do the same.
The Government's attitude risks the UK (along with the US) telling the rest of the world - specifically Iran and North Korea - to do one thing while doing the opposite ourselves.
Their proposal - to maintain Trident for the time being but cut the number of warheads - is a balanced approach to the current system and far more sensible than the Government's plan for an expensive replacement.
The lib Dem position sends out exactly the right signal to the rest of the world - that we are prepared to reduce our nuclear arsenal in line with international non-proliferation policy as we ask others to do the same.
The Government's attitude risks the UK (along with the US) telling the rest of the world - specifically Iran and North Korea - to do one thing while doing the opposite ourselves.
Teeside Tin Tin
I have rarely laughed as much as when I found these.
I don't know who did the voice but he doesn't half sound like my brother after a few ales.
WARNING: Contains lots of very bad language.
I don't know who did the voice but he doesn't half sound like my brother after a few ales.
WARNING: Contains lots of very bad language.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
And the biggest tossers of all are ...
So just days after suggesting that young people in debt are all 'tossers' the Tory Party turn out to be the biggest tossers of all.
According to the latest figures from the Electoral Commission the Tories owe a total of £35.3 million pounds.
Of this £3.6 million is owed to 'Lanners Services Limited', a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, £3.5 million to Lord Laidlaw and £2.5 million to 'Morain Investments UK Ltd'.
Around half is owed to the Allied Irish Bank.
The total includes large loans to local Conservative Associations including Harrogate & Knaresborough, Kingston & Surbiton and St Ives. I assume some of those are related to property, but clearly some local associations overstretched themselves printing all those leaflets claiming that the Lib Dems don't know how to manage money properly.
There is a serious issue here. The Conservatives spent money like there was no tomorrow with the aim of unseating Lib Dem and Labour MPs at the last election. It is now clear that they were spending money they didn't have. Would voters in those Tory target seats have been so keen to switch had they known that the Tory campaign was being paid for on the never never?
Labour are clearly deep in the s**t too.
Clearly they should have had Gordon in charge of the pennies rather than Tony.
Labour owe more than £10 million to the Co-operative Bank and more than £4 million to the Unity Trust Bank, a vehicle through which the Unions lend money to the Labour Party.
Much of the rest is owed to wealthy individuals, many of whom were coincidently put forward for peerages by Blair.
Labour's big problem appears be that their income from donations is drying up. This is due to their over-reliance on big donors, many of whom seem to have become somewhat shy of late. (And who can blame them)
This raises the same issue as it did with the Tories. Labour spent millions during the last week of the campaign last time in an attempt to squeeze down the Lib Dem votes. If they had spent within their means they wouldn't have been able to.
Would they have won seats like Islington South, Oxford East and Watford if they hadn't borrowed all that money?
While the Lib Dems do have some debts there are two key differences with the other main parties:
1 The Lib Dems have consistently reported their loans to the Electoral Commission in line with the advice they sought several years ago.
2 The overall level of indebtedness is much lower, compared to regular income, than the other parties.
That is why the Lib Dems are continuing to expand their professional campaign organisation and support on the ground.
According to the latest figures from the Electoral Commission the Tories owe a total of £35.3 million pounds.
Of this £3.6 million is owed to 'Lanners Services Limited', a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, £3.5 million to Lord Laidlaw and £2.5 million to 'Morain Investments UK Ltd'.
Around half is owed to the Allied Irish Bank.
The total includes large loans to local Conservative Associations including Harrogate & Knaresborough, Kingston & Surbiton and St Ives. I assume some of those are related to property, but clearly some local associations overstretched themselves printing all those leaflets claiming that the Lib Dems don't know how to manage money properly.
There is a serious issue here. The Conservatives spent money like there was no tomorrow with the aim of unseating Lib Dem and Labour MPs at the last election. It is now clear that they were spending money they didn't have. Would voters in those Tory target seats have been so keen to switch had they known that the Tory campaign was being paid for on the never never?
Labour are clearly deep in the s**t too.
Clearly they should have had Gordon in charge of the pennies rather than Tony.
Labour owe more than £10 million to the Co-operative Bank and more than £4 million to the Unity Trust Bank, a vehicle through which the Unions lend money to the Labour Party.
Much of the rest is owed to wealthy individuals, many of whom were coincidently put forward for peerages by Blair.
Labour's big problem appears be that their income from donations is drying up. This is due to their over-reliance on big donors, many of whom seem to have become somewhat shy of late. (And who can blame them)
This raises the same issue as it did with the Tories. Labour spent millions during the last week of the campaign last time in an attempt to squeeze down the Lib Dem votes. If they had spent within their means they wouldn't have been able to.
Would they have won seats like Islington South, Oxford East and Watford if they hadn't borrowed all that money?
While the Lib Dems do have some debts there are two key differences with the other main parties:
1 The Lib Dems have consistently reported their loans to the Electoral Commission in line with the advice they sought several years ago.
2 The overall level of indebtedness is much lower, compared to regular income, than the other parties.
That is why the Lib Dems are continuing to expand their professional campaign organisation and support on the ground.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Muse - bombtastic mate!
Sometimes, just sometimes, you get to see a band when they really are on top of their game.
Queen on the Magic tour in '86, Guns 'n' Roses on the Use Your Illusion Tour, Metallica on the Black Album tour.
If you are a fan of live music you will know what I mean.
Last night I saw Muse at Wembley, and boy do they rock.
They do bombast, they do stadium anthems, they do it loudly and proudly. They are hitting heights they they can only have dreamt of when they got going in Teignbridge only a few years ago and they clearly know it and love it.
They wear their influences on their sleeve, coming on to U2's Vertigo and with pretty obvious nods to Queen and others along the way.
And with their new single 'Knights of Cydonia' about to be released they can even claim to be bringing prog rock to the masses.
Enjoy...
Queen on the Magic tour in '86, Guns 'n' Roses on the Use Your Illusion Tour, Metallica on the Black Album tour.
If you are a fan of live music you will know what I mean.
Last night I saw Muse at Wembley, and boy do they rock.
They do bombast, they do stadium anthems, they do it loudly and proudly. They are hitting heights they they can only have dreamt of when they got going in Teignbridge only a few years ago and they clearly know it and love it.
They wear their influences on their sleeve, coming on to U2's Vertigo and with pretty obvious nods to Queen and others along the way.
And with their new single 'Knights of Cydonia' about to be released they can even claim to be bringing prog rock to the masses.
Enjoy...
Friday, November 17, 2006
Spot on
The new Lib Dem video - which you can see on the right - has got the message spot on.
Unlike the spin and imagery of the other parties the Lib Dems stick to the issues, and rightly so.
At the end of the day what really matters in politics is getting the judgement right.
On Iraq Brown and Cameron followed Blair into the lobbies to vote for the invasion.
Ming Campbell and the Lib Dems voted against.
On the environment we have had hot air and gimmicks from Brown and Cameron.
Only the Lib Dems have come up with solid, workable policies.
On the NHS Brown and cameron have continually supported the ideological push towards privatisation and endless reform.
Ming Campbell and the Lib Dems have taken a far more sensible approach.
At the next election the public will have a simple choice: Brown/Cameron spin or Lib Dem substance.
Unlike the spin and imagery of the other parties the Lib Dems stick to the issues, and rightly so.
At the end of the day what really matters in politics is getting the judgement right.
On Iraq Brown and Cameron followed Blair into the lobbies to vote for the invasion.
Ming Campbell and the Lib Dems voted against.
On the environment we have had hot air and gimmicks from Brown and Cameron.
Only the Lib Dems have come up with solid, workable policies.
On the NHS Brown and cameron have continually supported the ideological push towards privatisation and endless reform.
Ming Campbell and the Lib Dems have taken a far more sensible approach.
At the next election the public will have a simple choice: Brown/Cameron spin or Lib Dem substance.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Victory for Webb, Fawcett goes down fighting
Barring something very odd happening in the recount Democrat challenger Jim Webb has taken Virginia by a small margin.
I soent the early hours of this morning in the company of Ken the Militant Moderate and various assorted Oxford students round at Richard Huzzey's gaff.
As well as watching the utterly bizarre Jim Pinkerton (who, I assume, is what Democratc bloggers mean when they call someone a 'wingnut') on Sky we were glued to the Virginia State elections site which added up the votes as the precincts reported. It was nailbit9ing stuff with Webb trailing by anywhere beteen 38 and 20,000 votes as the morning progressed.
I left Oxford at 4.30 ish and listened to the much more sensible Radio 4 coverage on my way home and arrived to put CNN on who were then showing a small Webb lead.
Having had a few hours kip I found Webb's victory speech which is very good and also a good demonstration of some of the differences between us and them. [It doesn't work in Firefox for me but does in Explorer]. Claiming victory at the earliest opportunity is always sensible in these situations as it immediately makes your opponent look like a sore loser if there is a rerun.
Sadly my namesake, and by far and away the better candidate, didn't make it in CO-05. although he did record a very respectable 13% swing from 2004.
I soent the early hours of this morning in the company of Ken the Militant Moderate and various assorted Oxford students round at Richard Huzzey's gaff.
As well as watching the utterly bizarre Jim Pinkerton (who, I assume, is what Democratc bloggers mean when they call someone a 'wingnut') on Sky we were glued to the Virginia State elections site which added up the votes as the precincts reported. It was nailbit9ing stuff with Webb trailing by anywhere beteen 38 and 20,000 votes as the morning progressed.
I left Oxford at 4.30 ish and listened to the much more sensible Radio 4 coverage on my way home and arrived to put CNN on who were then showing a small Webb lead.
Having had a few hours kip I found Webb's victory speech which is very good and also a good demonstration of some of the differences between us and them. [It doesn't work in Firefox for me but does in Explorer]. Claiming victory at the earliest opportunity is always sensible in these situations as it immediately makes your opponent look like a sore loser if there is a rerun.
Sadly my namesake, and by far and away the better candidate, didn't make it in CO-05. although he did record a very respectable 13% swing from 2004.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
In praise of Ruth Archer
At least The Archers provided brief respite from the mounting election excitement.
And, indeed, a respite from mounting altogether.
I was pretty sure Ruth would end up doing the decent thing. I mean, Radio 4 were never likely to, you know, have people, like, 'doing it', were they?
I've been listening to The Archers for as long as I can remember. It was staple listening when, as a child, I used to go with my Dad down to his allotment and he would have it on his radio. I still listen to it regularly now, and it always makes me feel nostalgic, in a good way.
And, indeed, a respite from mounting altogether.
I was pretty sure Ruth would end up doing the decent thing. I mean, Radio 4 were never likely to, you know, have people, like, 'doing it', were they?
I've been listening to The Archers for as long as I can remember. It was staple listening when, as a child, I used to go with my Dad down to his allotment and he would have it on his radio. I still listen to it regularly now, and it always makes me feel nostalgic, in a good way.
Is the US really in a position to lecture anyone about democracy?
There has been much discussion about the US elections - and just now it does look like we are going to be in for an interesting night. (I will be heading for Richard Huzzey's shortly to watch the results with him).
Reading the blogs today - particularly the various threads on Daily Kos - I have been astounded at how the richest country in the world, the only remaining superpower, the country that wants to export democracy to the rest of the world - can't even organise for its own citizens to vote.
There are widespread reports of people having to wait hours to vote, of inadequate staffing, of various types of electronic voting machines that don't work, of election staff who don't know the rules about ID and more.
And that's without the robo-calling, the intimidation of latino and black voters, the deliberate misinformation and the Republicans distributing leaflets claiming that they are democrats in Democrat areas.
Maybe they should restore confidence in theor own system before lecturing the rest of the world?
Reading the blogs today - particularly the various threads on Daily Kos - I have been astounded at how the richest country in the world, the only remaining superpower, the country that wants to export democracy to the rest of the world - can't even organise for its own citizens to vote.
There are widespread reports of people having to wait hours to vote, of inadequate staffing, of various types of electronic voting machines that don't work, of election staff who don't know the rules about ID and more.
And that's without the robo-calling, the intimidation of latino and black voters, the deliberate misinformation and the Republicans distributing leaflets claiming that they are democrats in Democrat areas.
Maybe they should restore confidence in theor own system before lecturing the rest of the world?
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Fawcett for Congress
Obviously it is always sensible to vote Fawcett.
But as this debate shows it is even more obvious if you live in Colarado 5th Congressional District.
(It gets really interesting about 25 minutes in.)
Or you can visit Jay Fawcett's website.
But as this debate shows it is even more obvious if you live in Colarado 5th Congressional District.
(It gets really interesting about 25 minutes in.)
Or you can visit Jay Fawcett's website.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
"the wrong signal"
According to Margaret Beckett having an inquiry into the Government's decision to invade Iraq will send 'the wrong signal'.
What a pathetic argument from a pathetic Government.
The signal it would send is that our Parliament realises that mistakes were made and that they want to find out how and why.
To me this is a pretty good message to send to our troops who know full well that they were sent for the worng reasons and are probably quite keen to see their political masters held to account.
And given our Government's stated aim of helping to establish a stable democracy in Iraq, what better way to help do so than demonstrate how accountability works in a mature democracy?
If that is the best argument the Government can come up with they deserve to be taken to pieces.
What a pathetic argument from a pathetic Government.
The signal it would send is that our Parliament realises that mistakes were made and that they want to find out how and why.
To me this is a pretty good message to send to our troops who know full well that they were sent for the worng reasons and are probably quite keen to see their political masters held to account.
And given our Government's stated aim of helping to establish a stable democracy in Iraq, what better way to help do so than demonstrate how accountability works in a mature democracy?
If that is the best argument the Government can come up with they deserve to be taken to pieces.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Keith Olbermann (whoever you are) I salute you
This is brilliant:
And this is quite funny too:
YouTube is a wonderful thing.
And this is quite funny too:
YouTube is a wonderful thing.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Are Labour playing party politics with hospital closures?
The London Times had a story the other day about how the Government's hospital closure programme (only 24 hours to save the NHS etc...) is targeting hospitals in Tory or Lib Dem held seats.
I'm not convinced that there is a conspiracy in the way The Times suggests, most Community Hospitals tend to be in rural areas which tend to have Tory or Lib Dem MPs.
The bigger issue for me is whether the policy of closing or cutting community hospitals, and reducing the services available at district hospitals, is actually what people want.
I am sure this policy makes sense to NHS management - it much be easier to manage a smaller number of large units and enable economies of scale in equipment etc.
I can understand that many doctors will argue that it is better clinically because it enable a higher level of specialisation in centres of excellence.
What the policy misses out on though is the voice of the public.
Because while the above arguments may be strong ones, it may also be the case that a large proportion of the public actual put a greater value on local access to health services.
Yes the John Radcliffe in Oxford may have better facilities in its Maternity wards for that small minority of mothers who have serious problems during labour. BUT the vast majority may prefer to give birth in a local maternity unit in Wallingford (where my younger two were born) or Wantage, in a small, friendly unit with staff they can get to know.
Yes the John Radcliffe might be needed for the major operation or to deal with a serious illness, but once the elderly patient is recovering from that treatment they may well want to be looked after in Abingdon where they live, and where their elderly friends can visit them without having to get two buses to the JR.
Or maybe the majority will disagree.
The point is that the voice of the patients and public should be heard in this debate. It should be up to local people in each area (Oxfordshire in my case) to decide what it is they value when it comes to health care.
Labour were elected to 'save the NHS'.
Nine years on we are facing the loss of local community hospitals, the loss of services at district general hospitals and, in Oxfordshire's case, hundreds of job losses.
It's a shame Labour don't seem to believe that the public should have a voice.
I'm not convinced that there is a conspiracy in the way The Times suggests, most Community Hospitals tend to be in rural areas which tend to have Tory or Lib Dem MPs.
The bigger issue for me is whether the policy of closing or cutting community hospitals, and reducing the services available at district hospitals, is actually what people want.
I am sure this policy makes sense to NHS management - it much be easier to manage a smaller number of large units and enable economies of scale in equipment etc.
I can understand that many doctors will argue that it is better clinically because it enable a higher level of specialisation in centres of excellence.
What the policy misses out on though is the voice of the public.
Because while the above arguments may be strong ones, it may also be the case that a large proportion of the public actual put a greater value on local access to health services.
Yes the John Radcliffe in Oxford may have better facilities in its Maternity wards for that small minority of mothers who have serious problems during labour. BUT the vast majority may prefer to give birth in a local maternity unit in Wallingford (where my younger two were born) or Wantage, in a small, friendly unit with staff they can get to know.
Yes the John Radcliffe might be needed for the major operation or to deal with a serious illness, but once the elderly patient is recovering from that treatment they may well want to be looked after in Abingdon where they live, and where their elderly friends can visit them without having to get two buses to the JR.
Or maybe the majority will disagree.
The point is that the voice of the patients and public should be heard in this debate. It should be up to local people in each area (Oxfordshire in my case) to decide what it is they value when it comes to health care.
Labour were elected to 'save the NHS'.
Nine years on we are facing the loss of local community hospitals, the loss of services at district general hospitals and, in Oxfordshire's case, hundreds of job losses.
It's a shame Labour don't seem to believe that the public should have a voice.
The thin end of the veil
I have refrained from commenting on the 'debate' about whether Muslim women should wear the veil or not as a) many others have done and b) I have genuinely mixed feelings on the issue.
Having now heard from Phil Woolarse and honest Tony on the issue my initial reaction that Straw's comments had a rather insidious whiff about them has been confirmed.
There is a genuine issue about whether the wearing of the full veil is helpful or appropriate, but of much greater concern is the tone of Blair and his various Minister's comments about the Muslim community.
Woolarse's comments are simply despicable. He must have known better than to comment in such a way while a tribunal is ongoing. It is quite unacceptable that a Minister should intervene in this way.
What I find distasteful about Blair's comments is the suggestion that it is the responsibility of the Muslim or other minority communities to strike the right balance in terms of their integration into 'our' society, whilst failing to mention the responsibility those of us in the majority community have to help integration and to be tolerant of differences.
I object to the idea that ordinary Muslims should be harangued about dealing with extremists in their midst as if they ought to have some magic solution to the problem. It was wrong when all Irish people were treated with suspicion when the IRA were active and it is equally wrong to label all Muslims in the same way.
And now University staff are apparently being asked to keep a particular eye on Muslim students in case there are signs of them being radicalised. That's really going to encourage young Muslim students to feel fully integrated into University life, isn't it.
The obvious results of all of this are that more Muslims will feel that they are being discriminated against by the Government and their reaction is likely to be that they will highlight their 'separateness' even more, sympathy for the extremists is likely to grow rather than lessen, and those inclined to go round pulling veils of Muslim women's faces or other racist activity will feel encouraged.
One final point, if a Muslim woman came to my surgery wearing a veil I would consider it extremely rude to ask her to remove it.
Having now heard from Phil Woolarse and honest Tony on the issue my initial reaction that Straw's comments had a rather insidious whiff about them has been confirmed.
There is a genuine issue about whether the wearing of the full veil is helpful or appropriate, but of much greater concern is the tone of Blair and his various Minister's comments about the Muslim community.
Woolarse's comments are simply despicable. He must have known better than to comment in such a way while a tribunal is ongoing. It is quite unacceptable that a Minister should intervene in this way.
What I find distasteful about Blair's comments is the suggestion that it is the responsibility of the Muslim or other minority communities to strike the right balance in terms of their integration into 'our' society, whilst failing to mention the responsibility those of us in the majority community have to help integration and to be tolerant of differences.
I object to the idea that ordinary Muslims should be harangued about dealing with extremists in their midst as if they ought to have some magic solution to the problem. It was wrong when all Irish people were treated with suspicion when the IRA were active and it is equally wrong to label all Muslims in the same way.
And now University staff are apparently being asked to keep a particular eye on Muslim students in case there are signs of them being radicalised. That's really going to encourage young Muslim students to feel fully integrated into University life, isn't it.
The obvious results of all of this are that more Muslims will feel that they are being discriminated against by the Government and their reaction is likely to be that they will highlight their 'separateness' even more, sympathy for the extremists is likely to grow rather than lessen, and those inclined to go round pulling veils of Muslim women's faces or other racist activity will feel encouraged.
One final point, if a Muslim woman came to my surgery wearing a veil I would consider it extremely rude to ask her to remove it.
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