London Underground responds, but where is Tube Lines?Last week, I emailed London Underground and Tube Lines, as reported in the Hendon Times (if you click the link and scroll down) about the planned programme of weekend closures on the Northern Line. These closures will enormously inconvenience passengers and there are surely other ways of doing this work. I called for the release of Tube Lines' "optioneering" document - the document justifying Tube Lines' decision to go for this option, rather than other options which could include fewer weekend closures. I strongly assume that such a document exists, based on my own experience of working for a utility ... (more) |
International Olympics Committee get their social media knickers in a twistThey aren't the obvious bed fellows are they, Cameron's Conservatives and the International Olympic Committee? but both find themselves in similar tea cup storms this week over installing confusing and potentially un-enforceable rules on how to use social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs. I blogged last week about the Tories Twitter rules for Twits and now the IOC find themselves in a similar state of confusion. The IOC have created a four page rule book consisting of thirteen rules about the use of blogging, facebook, twitter and photos on such sites. Nick Pearson, pictured, was one of ... (more) |
Vancover 2010 Highlights from the Games(more) |
Joanne Cash, Tory PPC for Westminster North resignsConservative Home is reporting; Ms Cash resigned at a special meeting of the Association tonight - also attended by Eric Pickles and Lord Strathclyde - following internal tensions in the local party. 9.45pm: CCHQ mounting effort to reverse decision. (more) |
Will Minigolf save the Meridian South Piazza?The Meridian South development in Hither Green was born under good auspices. Laying perfectly across the Greenwich Meridian line, it retains some of the features of the Hither Green Hospital that stood there before, a local architectural gem designed by Edwin T. Hall, also architect of Liberty department store. To potential buyers Meridian South presented itself ... (more) |
New Demos pamphlet makes the Lib Dem case for equalityIn association with The Equality Trust, Demos have today published three pamphlets focusing on equality from the perspective of each of the main political parties. The Liberal Democrat one, A Wealth of Opportunity, is written by Julia Margo and William Bradley and has a foreword by David Laws MP. A concern with inequality lies deep in liberal DNA. More than a century and a half ago, John Stuart Mill argued for a cap on inheritance so that wealth might be more fairly distributed in society. His views jarred with Victorian attitudes. Would they be more accepted now? This pamphlet argues ... (more) |
A warning from the English NHSFigures released today by the Liberal Democrats have revealed that the NHS in England is facing a £63bn bill for PFI hospitals which are only worth £11bn. The figures also reveal that: The first payments for hospital PFIs began in 1999 and the NHS still owes £58bn on 106 PFI contracts over the next three decadesThe NHS will have to pay back £7.3bn in PFI payments over the next Parliament alone (2010-2015)The most expensive PFI contract was for Wythenshawe Hospital where the NHS will pay back 16 times the original capital value Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb, ... (more) |
Electoral Reform Bill must give voters real choice - HowarthThe Liberal Democrats have tabled amendments to the Government's proposals for a referendum on electoral reform that would: · Offer voters a real choice between first-past-the-post and a truly proportional system (Single Transferable Vote), rather than AV · Bring forward the date of the referendum to next May · Close a loophole allowing the next Government to kill the proposals without an Act of Parliament Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: "Voters deserve a real choice - between the discredited status quo and a system where every vote matters and there are no safe seats. "The Alternative ... (more) |
Lack of exit checks is the biggest hole in the student visa systemCommenting on the announcement by Alan Johnson on the student visa system, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "The biggest hole in the student visa system is caused by the Tory and Labour abolition of exit checks, which means we do not know if someone has left once their visa runs out. "We need to restore immediate control of our borders." (more) |
STV is beautifulDenis Mollison has an article on Next Left about how STV would work in practice. He also shows off a map of how the UK could be divided up into multi-member constituencies. I really like what Mollison has done here. He hasn't simply drawn lines on the map but created constituencies based on local ... (more) |