By Will Howells
| Sat 1st November 2008 - 12:41 pm
Tuesday sees the culmination of the latest US presidential election. With three days until polling day, Something for the Weekend returns for a one-off video – yes, I did say a video.
The sound you can hear at the beginning is hail – much better to be inside spouting a load of old nonsense for you than being pelted with ice. So make yourself a cup of tea and watch away…
I pondered on my blog at the weekend whether Baroness Ashton’s appoint as European Commissioner would require her to leave the House of Lords, and whether this might cause the Government to act to allow life peerages to be given up. This is similar to an issue which affects one of our MEPs, Baroness Ludford, because from next year Members of the European Parliament will not be allowed to sit in national parliaments (this came into force for the last European elections, but existing MEPs who were members of the House of Lords were given a free pass).
By Will Howells
| Thu 18th September 2008 - 12:56 pm
A final round-up of speeches by Shadow Cabinet members from party conference in Bournemouth. First off, here’s Shadow Chancellor and Deputy Leader Vince Cable:
By Will Howells
| Wed 17th September 2008 - 1:49 pm
The Liberal Democrats’ latest party political broadcast will go out on TV across the country tonight to mark the end of conference, but you can watch it first right here.
Its themes link in with Nick’s conference speech: listening to people and tackling the economic pressures households are now under. Here it is:
By Will Howells
| Tue 16th September 2008 - 10:08 am
The first of yesterday’s speeches from members of the party’s front bench team was by Norman Lamb, our Shadow Health Secretary. And, by the magic of teh internets, here it is:
By Will Howells
| Thu 11th September 2008 - 10:13 am
As the judges finalise the winners of the Liberal Democrats/Liberal Democrat Voice Blog of the Year AwardsTM, I thought I’d take the opportunity for one final shameless plug of the awards ceremony. It’s in Old Harry’s Bar at the Highcliff Marriott Hotel on Saturday night from 9.45pm. Do come along if you’re in Bournemouth, meet Liberal Democrat bloggers and help us celebrate some excellent blogs.
Big thanks to our sponsors, ALDC and the LGA Liberal Democrats Group. Because of their generosity, we’re able to provide some free refreshments on arrival (although there’ll also be a cash bar if those don’t …
The shortlists do, of course, represent the subjective opinions of the judges, so congratulations if you’ve been shortlisted but don’t worry if you haven’t – as always, the standards were high and there were tough decisions to make. The awards are a bit of fun that we hope will highlight some of the best examples of Liberal Democrat blogging and introduce you to some blogs you might not have read before.
I know you’re on tenterhooks, but assuming you haven’t skipped this bit already I have three announcements before we proceed.
The first is a reminder that the winner of the Best non-Liberal Democrat politics blog category will be decided by a public vote here on Liberal Democrat Voice, so please have a read of the nominated blogs and then head on over to the sidebar or to the bottom of this post to cast your vote.
Secondly, a plug for the awards ceremony itself. If you’re coming to party conference in Bournemouth, do head along to Old Harry’s Bar in the Marriott Highcliff Hotel from 9.45pm on Saturday. They’ll be refreshments on arrival (thanks to soon-to-be-announced sponsors), so come early!
Finally, I’m very pleased to announce that, with the kind agreement of Tim’s widow, Baroness Garden, the award for the best blog by a Liberal Democrat holding public office will from now on be known as The Tim Garden Award, in honour of Lord Garden, a blogger for many years, who died last year.
A quick reminder that you have until Sunday 31st August to get your nominations in (by email to [email protected]) for the Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Awards. The categories and additional information are in my original post.
The awards will be presented at a ceremony at party conference in Bournemouth on Saturday 13th September from 9.45pm.
The Blog of the Year Awards, run in conjunction with Liberal Democrat Voice, are back for their third year. As usual, they’ll be awarded in a budget lavish ceremony at the party’s autumn conference in Bournemouth.
We have retired a few categories from last year and introduced some new ones. This year’s awards are:
Best new Liberal Democrat blog (started since 1st August 2007)
Best blog from a Liberal Democrat holding public office
Best use of blogging or social networking by a Liberal Democrat
Best posting on a Liberal Democrat blog (since 1st September 2007)
As my roast cooks away in the oven, there’s just time for a quick Something for the Weekend. OK, I’ll probably do this blog post and then start cooking, but it sounded better the other way. Anyway, enough culinary procrastination. Let’s see what this week’s mélange has for us.
Boris wants your lack of expertise
Boris Johnson’s stock is falling, but you can help him out by submitting your design for the new Routemaster bus. This, you’ll remember, is Boris’s popular but expensive and largely pointless project to turn the clock back to the imaginary golden age of the 1950s.
Through the meduim of an exciting-looking website, Mayor Boris invites you to submit your “fun ideas for a future bus design”. In case you’re worried that you know nothing about the subject, the site is ready to reassure you: “No expertise required!”
Good fun though a competition sounds, with a top prize of £25,000 (of taxpayers’ money?), I can’t help wondering if actually getting someone with some expertise might have been a better long-term plan.
In case any of you are thinking of entering, I should warn you that you’ll be up against some stiff competition from yours truly:
I’m afraid Tfl can’t return your drawings.
Meanwhile, in the London Assembly…
Apologies to readers everywhere else, but it’s not time to leave London just yet.
Hampstead and Kilburn PPC Ed Fordham went along this week to see Assembly members put questions on crime and policing to Deputy Mayor Kit Malthouse. With the issue of the estates strategy – and the closure of Hampstead police station – on the agenda, Ed was shocked to see his Assembly Member Brian Coleman (he of the bling and the expenses) leave the room when this was discussed.
As a picture paints a thousand words, Ed captured the moment by photographing Mr Coleman’s empty chair. You can see the photos and read more on his blog.
In the news
The White House has apologised for inadvertently briefing the press that Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi is a political “amateur”, “hated by many” and “one of the most controversial leaders” of a country “known for governmental corruption and vice”.
Afternoon. Welcome to this week’s collection of odds and sods from the twin worlds of Politics and Not-Politics. Just step this way…
If you see Doug, tell him
Labour MP Doug Henderson wants your views – if you’re one of his constituents in Newcastle North.
His household survey is a mix of leading questions (“Should tougher penalties be imposed on those who deal in drugs, blighting our communities and inflicting misery on individuals?”) and absent proofreading (I know, I can talk).
The pièce de resistance, though, is question 6, which I present for your delectation:
Meanwhile, in Tyne Bridge…
Doug’s local Labour colleague David Clelland, the MP for Tyne Bridge, also takes an unorthodox approach to dealing with his constituents’ voting intentions.
In a textbook example of the drawbacks of the safe seats producted by the first-past-the-post electoral system, 23-year MP Mr Clelland responded to criticism from a constituent thus:
I accept your offer not to vote for me again I do not want your vote so you can stick wherever best pleases you.
The constituent in question, IT salesman Gary Scott (who was around four years old when David Clelland became an MP), had written a letter to Mr Clelland complaining that he was supporting an out-of-touch and authoritarian government.
Wales’s culture minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas took a leaf out of Terry Wogan’s book this week when he announced the wrong winner of the Wales Book of the Year award – before announcing the correct winner, 84-year-old writer and poet Dannie Abse, for his memoir The Presence.
Another gong for Vince
While we’re on the subject of awards, congratulations to our Shadow Chancellor and Deputy Leader Vince Cable who was recognised again this week for his sterling work.
It’s taken all day for me to get over last night’s Doctor Who cliffhanger. So now that’s done, let’s get on with this.
Beanz Meanz Bigotz
Heinz have got themselves lots of free publicity this week by first releasing and then withdrawing this ad:
So the controversy surrounds the footage of a man kissing a man – or, rather, a man kissing a woman played by another man. 207 outraged idiots complained to the Advertising Standards Authority, under the impression that if their kids saw the ad they’d have to explain homosexuality to them. Perhaps they should ask their kids to explain the ad to them as they’d clearly missed the point.
Heinz now face the embarrassment (aka more publicity) of more people complaining about their pulling of the ad than complained about it in the first place. In their attempt to avoid losing business from a minority of vocal homophobes, the food giant risks losing the custom of, well, people with brains.
The decision to withdraw it has not only offended many gay, lesbian, transgender – and straight – people, it also represents a backward step in attempts to combat homophobia in Britain today, not to mention a collective loss of humour.
I am asking you to reverse this decision and reinstate the advert.
Kissing on TV is, of course, a very good way for gay men to draw attention to themselves – so exactly the kind of thing the Home Secretary helpfully recommends to those in Iran.
Responding to a letter from our own Lord Roberts of Llandudno, who has called for a moratorium on deportations to Iran for all who fear execution, Jacqui Smith dismissed the idea that sexuality alone was an issue:
Good evening and welcome to this week’s Something for the Weekend. Allons-y…
There’ll be bluebirds over…
Tory MEP Den Dover has been back in the news again amid claims that he bought two BMWs using parliamentary expenses. He’d already been accused of channelling public money into a company run by his wife and daughter. Fellow Conservative MEP Giles Chichester has also been accused of paying hundreds of thousands of pounds of expenses to a family business.
Most important in this, of course, is that we get more of Den Dover in the news and the chance to hear his great name over and over again.
In the news
Following on from last week’s news about top secret documents being left on a train, annoying minister Hazel Blears has had a computer containing “restricted government information” stolen from her constituency office.
A United airline flight from Salt Lake City to Denver was cancelled after the pilot was left too upset to fly by an argument about his hat.
It’s been an exciting week in the Westminster Village, with MPs pulled this way and that (it was the annual Commons-Lords tug of war) and a shocking House of Commons resignation (Andrea Simmons has stood down after fifty-six years as chair of the Palace of Westminster Parking Regulations Committee). Oh, and Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis (a man from the Paddy Ashdown school of BEING ABLE TO KILL YOU WITH ONE FINGER) has announced he’s going to fight a by-election in his own seat on the issue of 42-day detention without charge. So welcome to Something for the Weekend’s 42-Day Seaside Special.
The answer to the ultimate question of pre-charge detention
Members of Parliament voted this week to give police the right to lock up terrorist suspects for up to six weeks. There was a distinct smell of pork barrel politics in the air as the nine Democratic Unionist Party MPs voted with Government – turning a potential loss by nine votes in a majority of nine for Gordon Brown. The DUP insisted they voted on principle, but it’s not entirely clear which principle.
Despite the excitement of a power cut in this bit of south London earlier on, this week’s Something for the Weekend is here. Right here. Just carry on reading from here.
We’re all going on a summer weekend of enforced Britishness
Labour Minister Liam Byrne put his foot in it with the Scots this week, being forced to backtrack before he’d even made the speech he was promoting.
He had floated the idea of turning the August Bank Holiday into the festival of Britishness Fife MP Gordon Brown’s been so keen on – and what could be more Labour than attempting to instil patriotism through centrally-dictated celebration.
But it was quickly pointed out that the August Bank Holiday in England and Wales is at the end of the month while Scotland’s is at the beginning of the month. (The BBC’s clumsy turn of phrase: “the August holiday is on a different date in Scotland to what it is in England and Wales.”)
According to the Beeb, the Minister said he had just been doing what Labour Ministers seem to spend much of their time on: trying to “get the debate started”. And according to theguardian, he believed that a weekend of Britishness would “help frame the progressive case for controlled immigration” – something to which the British population would no doubt love to dedicate a weekend.
MP cautioned for climbing over van
Liam Byrne’s West Midlands Labour colleague Rob Marris, the MP for Wolverhampton South West, has also been in the news this week.
Readers of Colin Ross’s site may recall that Mr Marris – Colin’s MP – had been arrested in April and charged with causing criminal damage after climbing over the bonnet of a parked van to get to a bus.
Mr Marris has now admitted the offence and accepted a conditional caution. My favourite quote is from the CPS’s district prosecutor: “The van was not parked to his liking.”
I’m opening… I’m closing…
Readers up-to-date with all the latest in exciting internet technology and stuff like that will probably already be avid users of Twitter. For those that aren’t, here’s something to make you change your mind: Twitter updates from Tower Bridge.
If you’ve not already seen it, I recommend taking a look at the Henley by-election blog which, in a by-election first, the Acting Returning Officer David Buckle and his team are using to explain their vital role in the election and their work in the run up to polling day on June 26th.
Surely no-one involved in politics could be geeky?
Speaking of geeks and of blogs, as we were, Liberal Democrat Voice’s own Mark Pack, finding he had some time on his hands, has joined the team of bloggers at PoliGeeks. Mark’s first post is here.
CCTV is everywhere
Courtesy of Popbitch comes perhaps the least appropriate place in Barcelona for a CCTV camera:
Prime Minister’s Questions is on Wednesday at noon. Our representative on Question Time on BBC One on Thursday is Shirley Williams.
And finally
To play us out, a celebration of British/Englishness (he blurs the distinction) from American nerdcore rap artist MC Lars. I warn you now the sound quality isn’t great. But it is the only song I know that mentions Guildford.
The Crewe and Nantwich by-election has been and gone but there are still stories to tell. And here they are (thanks again to Tim Harkchild), with assorted other bumpf in your mostly-weekly Something for the Weekend.
The by-election’s been and gone
But thoughts of it still linger
A dog behind a letterbox
Has anyone seen my finger?
Saying different things in different places
The Chancellor borrowed £2.7 billion on behalf of the UK as he attempted to convince the people of Crewe and Nantwich to vote Labour. While in London the Government was denying that this was a “by-election bribe”, the party’s own leaflets in Crewe proclaimed candidate Tamsin Dunwoody’s role in securing the tax tweak.
She was challenged on Radio Stoke by someone not impressed by claims that she’d rung up Alistair Darling and talked him into the fiscal fudging. Her response? “You’re only jealous.”
Double-u-double-u-double-u-dot
Here’s a tip, courtesy of Labour’s campaign. If you’re putting a web address on thousands of pieces of literature, on flyers, on posters and on stakeboards across the constituency, it’s only sensible to check that it’s actually correct.
Take a look:
Unfortunately, creweandnantwichlabour.org.uk – without the “www.” at the beginning – is not a live website. Bonus points to Labour for going through the entire campaign without noticing.
It’s nice to be recognised
An MP visiting Crewe and Nantwich to support the campaign was recognised in the street by a local voter. The voter told the MP – who shall remain nameless – that his photograph had been in the picture round of the pub quiz he had taken part in a few days earlier.
“I’m afraid I didn’t know who you were,” the MP was told. “Actually, I still don’t. Sorry.”
One person who would expect to be recognised – beyond Edward Timpson and Elizabeth Shenton, whose faces were on stakeboards across the borough – was Miss Great Britain, the “sexy not sleazy” candidate, flaunting her manifesto on the front cover of Zoo (so I’m told). But despite hoping to poll well (fnarr fnarr), she got roughly half as many votes as the Monster Raving Loony candidate.
Labour activists in the constituency may have preferred not to be recognised. The story goes that a group of comrades from Merseyside were actually chased out of a housing estate by angry residents.
“Today marks the beginning of the end for New Labour,” Mr Cameron said. “Britain is tired of Labour’s faceless, bureaucratic, authoritarian government, and the people are recognising the Conservatives’ brand of faceless, bureaucratic authoritarianism as the way forward.”
Meanwhile, in other news…
A tinplate image for Margaret Thatcher has sparked a row after it was installed in the Senedd building in Cardiff. (My south Wales Howellses used to work the tin mines, incidentally.)
Never quite prying enough into our lives to satisfy itself, the Government now wants to know about every phone call we make and email we send. At this rate, we’ll soon have to log each time we speak to a neighbour. If you like the idea of the Government spying on us, I recommend you get yourself a copy of The Lives of Others asap.
Send him a cheque, mate
Earlier today, Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black took on former world chess champion Boris Spassky to raise money for Childline. Spassky simultanously played against 19 other opponents, including comedian Dom Joly.
With polling day in the parliamentary by-election just five days away, there’s an extra Crewe and Nantwich slant to this weekend’s collection of random stuff (with thanks to Tim Harkchild for emailing from Crewe). So if you’re sitting comfortably, we’ll begin.
Leaders on the line
Nick Clegg and David Cameron both returned to Crewe on Wednesday, and both were affected by train problems. It was Nick, though, who was doing a phone-in on Radio Stoke when this was mentioned and quickly pointed out that it was Cameron’s party that privatised the railways.
DC himself had been on Radio Stoke a few days earlier, when he referred to the by-election in “Crewe and Nuneaton”. Well done, Dave.
CU@by-election
The Lib Dems are taking the by-election very seriously, of course, so a mass text message from Nick went out to members encouraging us to head to Crewe to help Elizabeth Shenton’s campaign. At least one recipient didn’t need the encouragement: Elizabeth was out campaigning with Nick himself when the text message arrived on her phone.
Public Whip gets cracking
The Public Whip, a site set up to track parliamentary voting records, is using these data to help undecided voters choose who to back in the by-election. It’s a little flawed – it makes a big deal about issues of interest to the geeks behind the site, like ID cards, the right to protest near Parliament and Freedom of Information while omitting to ask about healthcare and schools – but it’s worth having a go. It told me I was closest to the Liberal Democrats, surprisingly.
On the fringe
Of course, it’s not just the big three parties fighting it out in Crewe and Nantwich. Our old friends then English Democrats are here, with another video to delight and entertain:
We’re back after the parliamentary recess and positively brimming with news, so let’s jump right in.
Tony Blair, Fare Dodger
Former president Tony Blair has been caught on the Heathrow Express without a ticket. He was, as the First Post puts it, “doing a Queen” and travelling with no cash or cards, but had forgotten the £24.50 pocket ticket money that an aide had given him.
Heathrow Express said that even former prime ministers – including Blair, who opened the £550m Heathrow Express service in 1998 – must pay for the train service. “Our policy is that everyone pays regardless of who they are.”
So, of course, the ticket inspector waived the fare and let the cash-strapped former PM travel for free.
Cheerio!
David Cameron whipped out one of the most awful puns ever committed to Hansard this week.
Yesterday, Mark previewed Brian Paddick’s election broadcast. While that’s on air this evening in London, the rest of England and Wales will be treated to our election broadcast for the local elections taking place across the country.
Also focusing on crime, and our strong record on tackling crime in local government, this one is fronted by party leader Nick Clegg:
There’s snow outside and protesters on the streets, which must mean that it’s time for Something for the Weekend. I have a cold, so apologies for any typos.
Carrying the Something for the Weekend torch today: baggage handlers; overage drinkers; the Egg McMuffin man; taxpayers’ money; and more!
» Good Week
It’s been a good week for me. From the beginning of the new financial year, which is today, I get a small income tax cut. Thanks, Gordon. The biggest winners, though, are those earning around £35k.
It’s been a less good week for those earning under around £18,000, who will see the amount of tax they pay go up in order to fund the tax cuts of people who earn much more. See, Labour do believe in redistribution – just not in the traditional direction…
Dreary weather outside: check. Nice cup of tea and some biscuits: check. ABBA: The Definitive Collection on random shuffle: check. Then let’s rock and roll.
Loading up on the Something for the Weekend DVD player today: Norman Baker gets musical; MPs bring the pork home; flippertygibbets; a couple of bears; and more!
Welcome to Something for the Weekend, which this week comes to you live from Production Office 1 in the Artists’ Village, deep in the heart of Liverpool’s new Arena and Conference Centre.
On the Something for the Weekend speakers’ podium today: bikinis; a liberal singalong; the steam pipe trunk distribution venue; and more!
Welcome to this week’s fun-packed Something for the Weekend, looking back over the last week from a Liberal Democrat perspective with a squint glint in our eye.
Storming out of the Something for the Weekend chamber today: two by-elections in Louth; more from HMRC; witches, prostitutes and charlatans; and more!
By Will Howells
| Sun 24th February 2008 - 11:14 am
Hello from Llandudno, North Wales, where you find me wi-fi-ing away in Venue Cymru, the conference centre currently hosting the Welsh Liberal Democrats’ spring conference.
Rare bits in today’s innuendo-packed Something for the Weekend from Wales: Jenny Willott’s future; David Steel’s past; Nick Clegg’s tongue; Vince Cable’s underwear; and more!
As the Police seem to have forgotten the Wilson doctrine recently, I’ve decided to overlook the Monkhouse doctrine which bans bugging of comedians. As a result, all of the humour in this week’s Something for the Weekend was stolen from Joe Pasquale’s latest script meeting. As a result, this week’s Something for the Weekend is not funny.
In the Something for the Weekend serious selection box today: Nick Clegg gets international; Bigfoot gets interplanetary; Boris Johnson gets fingered; and more!
» Good Week
It’s been a good week for fans of Afflecks Palace in the centre of Manchester, whose future seems to have been secured. The lease on the shopping emporium was due to expire later this year, but new landlords Bruntwood have struck a deal to keep it trading, according to the Beeb:
In a joint statement, Bruntwood and Afflecks’ management team said: “After 26 years of trading, Afflecks management has sold their company to Bruntwood in an agreement that protects the future of Afflecks.
“Bruntwood will manage Afflecks while they look for a new owner.”
A Bruntwood spokesman added: “Never in our 30-year history have we bought one of our customer’s businesses but Afflecks is a Manchester icon that we wanted to protect.
“We aren’t however expert in managing markets, so will look for a suitable long-term owner.”
» Bad Week
It’s been a bad week for “Oven” Mitt Romney, who has abandoned his bid for the White House. In a relatively poor showing on Super Tuesday, he lost out in particular to frontrunner Senator John “Oven Chip” McCain. Arkansas Governor Mike “Fire and Brimstone” Huckabee remains in the race.
Pop fact: Mitt Romney’s father George launched his own presidential campaign in 1967. He didn’t win.
Jack Nicholls Outstanding analogy, though no responsible local authority can now afford a leopard. Even Windsor....
Adam "I understand there have been some indirect communications with HTS in recent years around combating IS, but that’s it."
Considering that the leader curren...
Jonathan Brown It was more than "Bashar's ineptitude" that resulted in Russia, the US, Türkiye, Israel, etc. getting involved... There was the small matter of him killing aro...
Jonathan Brown Thanks Matthew.
Ahmad, I think conflict with Israel is the last thing HTS has on its mind, though if Israel keeps bombing and grabbing more land I guess that...
Joseph Bourke The UN Special Envoy, Norwegian diplomat Geir Pedersen has called for “urgent political talks” in Geneva to secure a peaceful future for Syria, and said th...
It’s been a bad week for “Oven” 
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Jack Nicholls 
Adam 
Jonathan Brown 
Joseph Bourke 