The Doctor's new assistant
Sara Bedford draws attention to this article in the Daily Telegraph, which speculates that Doctor Who's new assistant might be Lily Allen. My vote goes to Charlotte Church! (more)
Why the number of female MPs matters
The Christmas edition of the Electoral Reform Society's magazine, The Voter carries this short article from me: {Houses of Parliament} Sadly, I am one of only 126 female MPs in a Parliament of 646. Parliament remains an old boys club, with its adversarial style of politics where bully-boy tactics are the norm; any of you who've watched PMQs will be fully aware of this. And this feeds a political system that is so busy being adversarial that it forgets to be effective. This lack of representation is repeated throughout our political system. In local government, women make up just over ... (more)
You need to be sitting down for this... Robert Peston offers some good news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Robert Peston has taken on the role of the "grim reaper" in economic terms over the last few months. So one is almost tempted to reach for the "trebles all round" icon upon reading his good(ish) news for today: ...for biggish British companies this morning, there's some good news on this, the first proper business day of the new year. What I mean by this is that there's no news of any (more)
Surgeries start again on Thursday!
With the school holidays not ending until tomorrow, I don't have my usual surgeries at Harris Academy and Mitchell Street Centre today, but surgeries start again with my Thursday one at Blackness Primary School (staff room) on Thursday at 6.15pm. Details of my three surgeries are below : Mitchell Street Centre (The Base) - Mitchell Street. Mondays - 4.20 pm prompt (except school holidays) Harris Academy (Room 407) - Perth Road. Mondays - 4.50 pm prompt (except school holidays) Blackness Primary School (Staff Room on ground floor) - Pennycook Lane. Thursdays - 6.15 pm prompt (except school holidays) (more)
Lib Dems seek winter salting assurances
Smannell Lib Dems have written to Hampshire Highways to seek an urgent assurance that the main route through the village and to Smannell School will continue to be treated as a priority during icy weather. The lack of gritting on the C99 route through Smannell became apparent in early December when there were 3 accidents reported in one morning. It became apparent to Lib Dem Parish Councillor Nigel Gooding that the main Smannell road to Smannell, Little London and Upper Enham had not been salted despite this road appearing as a "red route, priority one" on Hampshire County Council website. ... (more)
The 12 Op-Eds of Xmas (Day 12)
Throughout the festive season, LDV has offered our readers another chance to read the 12 most popular opinion articles which have appeared on the blog during 2008. The accolade for most-read article on LDV goes to Lib Dem chief executive Lord (Chris) Rennard, and appeared on LDV on 27th June... Chris Rennard writes about the Henley result... I am enjoying this debate and for the record: 1) I don't always comment in detail on things read by our opponents - but I do welcome any constructive debate within the party on these issues - especially contributions from those who also ... (more)
Nine Wishes for 2009 #4: An end to "money for nothing"
I've spent days resisting blogging this wish because, quite frankly, I don't think it will happen. But it certainly is a dearest wish, so it makes the cut. What I mean by "money for nothing" is the tendency of the late 20th and early 21st century to look at everything as if it were capital to be exploited, and yet at the same time to think that capital doesn't behave like capital any more. When the classical economists wrote about capital, they were, in the main talking about widgets - things you build. They can make you a lot of ... (more)
Oh, upsy daisy, how could you?!
Ooh great, a Daily Himmler subject to excite my wrath early in the New Year. The BBC has announced that it will bring out an Upsy Daisy doll around Easter which has darker skin, apparently better reflecting the character in the TV show. Well, what a relief this is! Phew and thank the stars! I shall spend the rest of the day beating by breast and hating myself for my eminent racism I have demonstrated in buying my daughter one of these dolls without even realising that there was any difference. I shall then go home and berate her for ... (more)
Spinning the War on Sex
Another excellent article from the Register on this government's dubious approach to law making: 1. Arrive at a Daily Mail conclusion. 2. Fabricate evidence to fit Of course when they get independent experts to research the evidence they just ignore it. (I thought of linking to the Jacqui Smith Press Release...I mean Daily Mail article but then I thought why give them the clicks... (more)
Age of consent
It is always dangerous to rely on a newspaper for news especially when the article is as speculative as this one, however this morning's Guardian does raise some issues that deserve consideration, even if they have got it wrong. The paper claims that the government is considering raising the school-leaving age to 18 immediately, as a way of combating the huge rise in unemployment, particularly among the young, that it expects to see this year. They say that there are also proposals to accelerate the filling of existing vacancies at local authorities. The Government has of course already passed legislation ... (more)