Alex Finnegan at the Mandate blog has identified Burnley as one of the key seats to watch at this year’s general election, with the Lib Dems tipped to take the challenge to Labour in one of its heartland seats:
With former Government Minister Kitty Usher standing down because of her expenses’ claims, Burnley is the sort of seat the Liberal Democrats need to gain from Labour in order to do well. The Lib Dem candidate, Gordon Birtwistle, is the current leader of Burnley Council and has strong local roots and the Liberal Democrats have performed well in recent local elections.
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Nick Clegg has taken the opportunity of a speech today to the Royal Society – on the relationship between science and politics – to press for reform to the UK’s “stifling” libel laws. Here’s how the Press Gazette reports it:
There appears to be a growing political consensus that Britain’s libel laws are too waited [sic] in favour of rich claimants and money-grubbing lawyers. Today Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is set to use a speech to the Royal Society to call for libel laws to be reformed, The Independent reports.
“Libel tourism is making a mockery of British justice,” Clegg
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The Conservatives think they can improve education in this country by making the teaching profession “brazenly elitist” but it looks like they haven’t done their homework. David Cameron’s latest wheeze would actually exclude Carol Vorderman, the Tories’ own Maths Taskforce chief.
David Cameron made a speech today at a south London school, outlining Conservative pledges:
The Tory leader said he wanted to make teaching the “noble profession” and would bar students with a poor degree from taking government cash to train for the classroom.
And in what was almost certainly a conscious echo of Labour rhetoric, Mr Cameron said: “Good education is the right of the many not the privileged few.”
Michael Gove, the Shadow Education Secretary, went further in confronting head on claims that the Conservatives’ policies favour the better off.
An incoming Conservative government would be guided by a “moral purpose” to make opportunity more equal, he said, adding that it was a ’scandal’ only 79 boys in receipt of free school meals achieved three ‘A’s at A-level nationwide compared with 175 pupils from Eton alone.
“It’s a scar on our conscience and we are pledged to reverse it,” said Mr Gove.[Times]
However, “breaking open the supply of education” won’t be achieved by discouraging graduates with lower classes of degree.
Today’s FT has an interview with wannabe Chancellor George Osborne, where he once again fails to give any real details of the Conservatives’ economic plans, should they win the next election. Osborne talks about his admiration for Sweden, although he is unable to put his finger on exactly why, saying:
“I’m no expert on Swedish society but I am a regular viewer now of Wallander”.
What next: Chris Grayling telling the Daily Mail that he is changing the Conservatives’ policies on drugs after catching up with a few episodes of Van der Valk?
Happy Monday morning, everyone.
On this day, in 1788, Britain established a penal settlement at Botany Bay in Australia; while, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt sent the first transatlantic radio transmission originating in the United States to King Edward VII. Even more excitingly, it’s the birthday of AA Milne (b. 1882), Oliver ‘Laurel &’ Hardy (b. 1892), Cary Grant (b. 1904) and Peter Beardsley (b. 1961).
But without further tarrying …
What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here’s are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:
The first act of the budget drama plays out this week. Let’s hope that the process is more serious production and less pantomime farce.
I once saw a blogger, a smart, impassioned, left-wing blogger, comment to the effect that his £40,000-odd salary was not that high.
Eric Pickles has, we hear, labelled Paddy Ashdown “frail and confused”. It seems an odd charge for the lifelong political hack and current Tory chairman, Mr Pickles, to level against Paddy – a former Marine, diplomat and spy, who’s placed himself in danger in service of his country more times than Eric’s had hot dinners (no mean feat).
Here’s a picture of Eric. 
And here’s a picture of Paddy (taken just last week, I believe). 
And now let’s
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It’s an issue that arouses passions on either side. For some, home schooling is an absolute right, for parents to be able to educate their children in the manner of their choosing without interference from the state. For others, the concern is to ensure that children whose parents are not suitable to home school do not suffer for the rest of their lives as a result.
Where, as liberals, do we draw the line between the rights of parents to know better than the state; and the rights of children to achieve the best possible education?
Lynne Featherstone wrote about home …
Nick Clegg made some waves this week by calling for full gay equality, and challenging the Tories and their leader David Cameron to follow his example. Well, now Lib Dem research has shown what an uphill battle the Tory leader will have on his hand even convincing his own shadow cabinet to back such moves – let alone his even more right-wing backbenchers – as The Guardian reports:
Nearly a third of David Cameron’s shadow cabinet voted against gay rights legislation at some point over the last two parliaments, demonstrating their “shameful” record in tackling discrimination, according to the
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Tories claim Labour is using taxpayers’ money to fund election advertising campaign – Telegraph, 15.1.10
“The Conservatives accused Labour of “raiding” taxpayers’ money to fund their election campaign. New figures uncovered by the Conservatives show that spending on advertising has increased to £232 million, which is a 39 per cent increase on the previous year.”
A tenth of schools fail to meet GCSE targets – The Guardian, 14.1.10
“One in 10 secondary schools in England failed to meet basic targets for GCSEs last summer and academies were disproportionately represented among the failing institutions, government statistics published today reveal.
“David Laws, the Liberal Democrats’ education …
What was the typical total on the constituency election expense returns from candidates in the 1910 general elections who fought contested elections? Answer in today’s money is below the jump.
Lib Dem pensions spokesman Steve Webb has claimed the total pension deficit of local authorities in England and Wales is likely to hit £60 billion this year.
If true, it would mean the deficit has increased by nearly a billion pounds a month since 2007.
As the BBC reports:
Using the Freedom of Information Act, Mr Webb obtained internal estimates from some councils, which showed:
- 83 of 87 local authorities were in deficit at their last official valuation in 2007 before the stock market slump and recession.
- Since then, 10% of funds have conducted their own valuations which showed
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Here’s the verdict of The Economist’s columnist on British politics, the pseudonymous Bagehot:
In some ways, miraculous to report, the Liberal Democrats have the most mature position on the deficit. Nick Clegg, their leader, this week demoted some of the party’s spending pledges (for example, on pensions and university funding) to aspirations, pre-emptively narrowing his manifesto to a few, affordable core themes. He has not promised to protect any departmental budgets. Vince Cable, his Treasury spokesman, has a longer list of items for the chop than Mr Osborne, including some cherished defence projects, but accepts that the axeman’s hand should
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So the Independent reports figures unearthed by Paul Holmes MP:
Innocent people’s DNA profiles are being removed from the national database at a rate of barely one a day, figures showed today.
Home Office minister Alan Campbell said just 377 profiles were deleted in 2009 after appeals to police chiefs.
Liberal Democrat policing spokesman Paul Holmes, who uncovered the figures through a written parliamentary question, described the situation as a “disgrace”.
Mr Holmes said chief constables were being discouraged from removing the genetic fingerprint of innocent people until new legislation is passed, which he insisted would not happen before the general election.
The DNA
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From the BBC:
Ministers offer concessions on copyright changes
Ministers have given a concession over what critics claimed were “draconian” powers which would enable them to crack down on online copyright infringement.
A clause in the Digital Economy Bill would have allowed ministers to amend existing laws on online piracy without the need for further legislation.
Google and Facebook were among firms to complain about the measure, saying it would hamper digital innovation…
Section 17 of the bill, which has attracted the most anger, would give ministers “reserve powers” to draft fresh laws to tackle net-based copyright infringement without needing parliamentary approval.
Ministers argued that
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Nick Clegg has taken the opportunity of an interview with The Independent’s Johann Hari for Attitude magazine to lay out a comprehensive range of measures to promote gay equality – and has laid down the gauntlet to the Tory leader David Cameron to justify his ‘liberal Conservatism’ by following suit.
Here’s how the paper summarises Nick’s proposals:
* Force all schools – including faith schools – to implement anti-homophobia bullying policies and teach that homosexuality is “normal and harmless”.
* Change the law to allow gay men and women the same marital rights as straight couples, including the symbolic right to use
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In his blog post in today’s Daily Telegraph Lord Tebbit asks, “Why won’t the two main parties do anything about the madness of taxing the poor?’.
“And I hate to say it, but only one party leader seems to have grasped that, if you construct a system where unskilled people are worse off by taking a job than by staying on welfare, they remain trapped in poverty – and that is Nick Clegg.
There’s been a lot of debate over the last few months about the merits, or otherwise, of holding General Election counts on the Friday instead of counting through the night on polling day.
But no-one has seriously suggested it might be an opportunity for politicians of any party to break into ballot boxes and fix the election. After all, such a claim would be the cheapest of smears, based on zero evidence.
Step forward Labour Minister and MP for Newcastle East and Wallsend, Nick Brown.
Criticising Newcastle’s plans for a Friday count, Brown said
The reason the votes are counted immediately after
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LDV yesterday reported that Elaine Bagshaw has resigned as Chair of the party’s Liberal Youth organisation. Well, two quick updates to that story:
First, the Liberal Youth executive has issued a statement thanking Elaine for her contribution as Chair since 2008. You can read it in full here.
Secondly, James Shaddock, Liberal Youth’s Vice-Chair Communications, has today followed Elaine in resigning his post. You can read his statement here.
An eventful 24 hours in the life of Liberal Youth. Feel free to contribute your informed speculation below …
Greg Stone yesterday resigned as Lib Dem PPC for Newcastle East, a month after revelations over comments he posted anonymously on Guido Fawkes blog.
Reporting the story on 19th December, the Telegraph wrote:
Using the pen-name Inamicus, Mr Stone left his comments on the Guido Fawkes website as part of a weekly live discussion of Prime Minister’s Questions in the Commons, in which many contributors make personal criticisms of MPs.
Among Mr Stone’s targets were David Miliband, the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, the justice secretary, and Jacqui Smith, the former home secretary.
He twice attacked Hazel Blears, the communities secretary, once asking
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The Sunday Telegraph and Mail on Sunday both ran very similar stories at the weekend:
The professional body that represents health-and-safety experts has warned businesses not to grit public paths. (Mail)
The professional body that represents health and safety experts has issued a warning to businesses not to grit public paths. (Telegraph)
Both then went on about health and safety gone mad etc.
Only one problem.
The experts had said nothing of the sort.
The Sunday Telegraph had approached the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health who in fact gave a comment which said the opposite of what the newspaper subsequently reported. Far …
Back on-line
Because I'm a sucker...
Centrefold model in election
Gay friendly Tories are just wolves in sheep's clothing
Baha'i Seven on Trial
When confidential means confidential
Day 3305: the Naked Truth - How Scottish Justice wastes HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of POUNDS on LITERALLY NOTHING!
The best teachers aren't always the best graduates, just as top football managers weren't always great players
The election team has roared into life
Monday
