Nancy Pelosi discussing tar-sandsNancy Pelosi is in Canada today and tomorrow to discuss the tar-sands issue in a series of meetings with Canadian politicians, campaigners and oilmen. She is accompanied by democrat congressman Ed Markey. Both Pelosi and Markey are known for their support for environmental causes, so this bodes well. (more) |
Who will read this?My letter was published in the Morecambe Visitor yesterday. What was particularly interesting for me was that I gave a reference in the letter to this daily political blog. I'll make sure I check the stats to see if it made a difference. Anonymous wrote recently to criticise the number of followers to the blog. I don't know his or her motive in doing so but I would be happy to have one person read it. In fact it is a record of my daily thoughts that I can look back on myself. Letters are generally read by one person, ... (more) |
Hacking story - Day Nine. I'm sorry but Andy Coulson is toast.Alastair Campbell says there is no Alastair Campbell Golden Rule about the central character being toast if a story goes on for x days. "The rule is that there is no rule" he writes. The Andy Coulson phone hacking story started (again) on September 1st. So, we're now into Day Nine and the story has been given whole new legs today by a Guardian story with lurid details from a new witness. I'm sorry but Coulson just can't survive this. Just read the Guardian story and see what you think at the end of it. The other golden rule of ... (more) |
Camden and Islington councils to share Chief ExecutiveOne of the growing trends in local government has been increased sharing of 'back office' functions between councils. It looks however as if Islington and Camden are about to take a big step beyond that as Richard Osley reports in the Camden New Journal: Camden and Islington are to share a chief executive for the first time, the New Journal has learned. In a unique agreement, the authorities are set to be bonded by one top official. The strategy is part of attempts to cut down on costs. You can read his full story here. As Richard points out on ... (more) |
Best wishes for jewish new yearI would like to take this opportunity to wish the Jewish community and in particular my jewish friends, neighbours, colleagues and associates very best wishes at this special time. Peace, health and happiness. (more) |
The pubs of ClunAs someone left a comment saying they have enjoyed my posts on Clun, there is time for one more about this little town as I relive my recent holiday. The good news is that the Sun Inn is open again - to prove it, I had a drink there. (It's status has been rather, er, fluid of late.) And the White Horse Inn, for a while the town's only pub, still thrives too. The Buffalo will be familiar to readers of The Neglected Mountain, but it is no longer open as a pub. It was already closed when I first ... (more) |
Thanet Council exclude public from Public Scrutiny MeetingTonight despite, a high profile meeting to scrutinise the decision to give away the green in Dalby Square, access was blocked to this meeting (locked doors),by what i don't know I can take a guess and come up with these suggestions incompetence, negligence or a deliberate attempt to prevent public scrutiny,at the time of writing I'm sat in the council chamber having been let in by a cleaner who is not sure whether he's allowed to. As I look around I'm making the quick calculation of just how much the council officers seated in some comfort are earning per year ... (more) |
The Hague Plague Spreads...The 'Hague Plague' is catching on across media nationwide... Is he? Isn't he? But is it really any of our business as to what the sexual orientation of our foreign secretary is? Over the years, in politics, and indeed across society, it would seem attitudes regarding sexuality have become much more relaxed, almost to the extent that having gay MPs is practically mandatory within a party. Being homosexual or even bisexual should not be an issue at all, except perhaps for Hague's wife Ffion. Neither should it matter to the general public as to whether Hague has been disloyal to ... (more) |
Free Schools? Free Lessons and Free Subjects!Probably, like so many people who are outside this debate - looking in, so to speak, I struggle between the fundamentals and the practicalities. The laudable ideals of choice, diversity and local initiatives on the one hand and the practicalities of catchment areas, uniform standards and economies of scale on the other. Either way those that can will travel to get their children to the best rated school (at the time) whether by moving house or by liberal use of their proverbial 4x4's. The choice genie is out of the bottle and the neighbourhood comprehensive ideals undermined. What is and ... (more) |
Helen Duffett rocks on the radioI am lying on the couch listening to Petrie Hosken's show on LBC. For a Scottish girl, I spend plenty time catching shows on London radio! Tonight the Divine Ms Duffett was on with 2 MPs who were so bland and interchangeable that it was hard to tell them apart. Helen added her customary wit & originality to an hour which would otherwise have been very boring indeed. Two things she said made me laugh. Firstly, she told one of the MPs off for his misuse of Twitter. He had been moaning about how his staff made him join Twitter ... (more) |