<< Jun 2009 ICM poll puts Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour if it were a General Election Sunday, May 31st, 2009 - 8:19 pm
ICM also put Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour people were asked how they'd vote if it were a General Election tomorrow:
Conservatives: 40%
Liberal Democrats: 25%
Labour: 22% ICM poll puts Liberal Democrats ahead of Labour for European Elections Sunday, May 31st, 2009 - 8:13 pm
An ICM poll showing voting intentions for Thursday's European Election puts Liberal Democrats above Labour with Greens, UKIP and BNP below Labour:
Conservatives: 29%
Liberal Democrats: 20%
Labour: 17%
Greens: 11%
UKIP: 10%
BNP: 5% Rotten Boroughs and Electoral Reform Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 - 1:48 pm
Liberal Democrats have been calling for electoral reform for years. At last the rest of Britain is finding out why it really matters. That little matter of expenses.
In the 19th Century there were rotten boroughs. In the 21st Century there are some rotten MPs. It seems that the most outrageous expense claims have been made by MPs who have safe seats. Well, who would have thought it?
There shouldn't be any safe seats in my opinion. All MPs should have to work for their constituents and for Britain as a whole. Proportional representation is the best way of ensuring that.
PR would also make the electoral system reflect the wishes of the electorate better. Why would people be so selfish? Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 - 1:31 pm
We went for a lovely walk yesterday. The scenery was great, the sun was shining and many different kinds birds were singing. Most of the way there was no litter, which was great. However we came across a place where a lot of beer bottles and cans had been left. What a shame! On the way back I put them in a carrier bag and removed them. Several of the bottles had been broken and I cut my finger. The Body in the Van Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 - 1:57 pm
At a dinner I attended recently the speaker was the conservationist of Cliffe Castle Museum at Keighley. This is a true story he told:
Cliffe Castle Museum has an Egyptian mummy (nicknamed Shirley) in its collection. Wanting to know more about her the conservationist and a colleague arranged to take the mummy for an X-ray at a hospital in Leeds. This was done at night, partly so as not to get in the way of normal appointments and partly to avoid alarming the other patients.
All went well and they were on their way back to the museum in Keighley, going over the quiet moor road, when a police car came along.
"Ello! Ello! Would you mind telling us what you've got in the back of the van?!
"Well, officer, it happens to be a body!"
I can only imagine the rest of the conversation but, anyway, they all got safely back home in the end. David Attenborough on damage to rain forest in Borneo & South America Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 - 1:50 pm
This morning on Radio 4's Excess Baggage David Attenborough stated that in his opinion the worst environmental devastation was being caused by the destuction of the rain forest in South America and Borneo in order to plant palm oil trees. He said it is making these forests into deserts. I know he has campaigned on this previously. As I have said before my sister-in-law is from Borneo and so it is a a problem that I care about a lot.
The little chap in the picture is in danger. A Note of Caution about "Independent Regulation"; would it just be a government controlled quango? Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 - 1:42 pm
In a discussion about MPs' expenses Roger Beaumont, President of Keighley and Ilkley Liberal Democrats, makes this very valid point about so-called independent bodies:
"My final concern is with the suggestion that the rules should be set by 'an independent body'. At first sight, that seems much better than parliament setting its own rules. However, I'm concerned about just what 'independent' means: someone needs to set up, pay for, and thus control the body. Isn't it going to be a quango that in fact is under the non-democratic control of the Government of the day? I seem to remember 'independent' health boards that were packed with those who sympathised with the political agenda of the government, but with no line of democratic accountability. I'm not sure where that leads, but I'm afraid that it may be somewhere no-one (possibly excepting the PM of the day) in fact wants. Perhaps letting MPs (who are accountable at the ballot box - and in selection interviews) do the job, but simply ensuring that the rules, the reasons for them, and the details of each Member's claim are easily available in the public domain might be a mechanism to build in democratic control of abuses [made possible] both by setting poor rules and by playing the rules for gain." MPs Expenses: The Liberal Democrat Party Federal Executive agreed the following this week: Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 - 1:40 pm
* There will be a code of conduct binding on Liberal Democrat parliamentarians and candidates.
* All Liberal Democrat MPs will support the proposals from Sir Christopher Kelly's review of MPs' expenses. There will be no picking and choosing of which of his recommendations to support.
* Our leader and Chief Whip in the House of Lords will undertake a thorough review of expenses and allowances in the House of Lords.
* We will end the self-regulation of Parliament.
* Any Liberal Democrat MP found to have committed serious wrongdoing will have the whip withdrawn and be referred by the party to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards. Expenses are meant to Assist Democracy not Destroy it. Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 - 1:25 pm
With all the furore about expenses it is easy to lose sight of what they are for: they are supposed to make it possible for someone of humble means to become an MP and be able to stay in London when the business of parliament makes it necessary, whilst staying in their consituency when they are working there. MPs do genuinely have two places of work and could not do the job without two places to live. If they could not claim expenses at all we would go back to the old system where only toffs could be MPs. David Cameron would be able to afford it. I don't think it is in the interests of the British people if our MPs were only from his class. My Declaration of Expenses Saturday, May 23rd, 2009 - 1:18 pm
I get about £600 per YEAR as a Town Councillor - and I do sometimes think I work as hard for the community as some MPs. (There is no actual salary.) In an earlier blog I wrote about how I'd tried to get Keighley Town Councillors to pay for their own refreshments at full Town Council meetings but had lost the vote abysmally. That was on 4th April 2009, before the expenses debacle broke.
Because I don't agree with not paying for refreshments I never have anything to eat or drink at council meetings. Second Stage of Playbuilder Application now in Monday, May 18th, 2009 - 5:19 pm
The second stage of the Playbuilder application for the Delph at Thwaites Brow, which I submitted via Keighley Town Council, has now gone in. A lot of interest from local parents.
I've asked for another date Monday, May 18th, 2009 - 5:05 pm
Unfortunately the police officer wasn't able to attend last week's Neighbourhood Forum to tell us about Neighbourhood Watch so I've asked for another date. Keighley's Own Space Centre Gets Funding Monday, May 18th, 2009 - 1:15 pm
It's really good news that the government is to continue funding the STAR space centre at Keighley (based at the college) where young people can learn about space. A Russian friend of mine has accompanied groups from Keighley to the "Space Olympics" in Russia where they met famous astronauts, learnt more about space and took part in competitions involving working out solutions to practical problems. She told me that the Keighley group came the highest in the competitions of any group from outside Russia. (I believe she said that in Russia space is actually a curriculum subject in specialist schools.)
The space centre can be used by school groups and is an exciting and innovative teaching project, right here in Keighley. Well I didn't vote in that Euro election, but if I could have been bothered ... Sunday, May 17th, 2009 - 7:37 pm
I guess I would have voted for Estonia. Graham Norton more or less warned us not to go voting for the Norwegian by letting us know it was the favourite. Mmmaybe I might have voted for Norway, but he really was impossibly cute (the Norwegian, I mean). And Graham Norton was a worthy successor to Terry Wogan. Nicely scathing where necessary without being ill mannered.
Of course, I don't have anything to do with kitsch!!! Flagstones Story in Keighley News Sunday, May 17th, 2009 - 7:27 pm
Learning that flagstone laying is best left to the experts at the snicket at Thwaites Brow
Commuter Trains on KWVR could Improve Keighley's Traffic Problems Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 - 1:14 pm
There's no denying the fact that Keighley has traffic problems. One idea that Keighley Town Council and the Joint Keighley and Worth Valley Transport Group has been pursuing in partnership with Keighley and Worth Valley Railway is to run weekday commuter trains on the Worth Valley line, in addition to KWVR's vintage trains at weekends.
I think this is an excellent idea. Lots of people have put a lot of work into it for quite a long time now. I really hope that spanners are not thrown into the works by the groups that have the power to give it the go ahead. (Pun intended.)
Trains can transport lots more people than cars and especially for people living in the Worth Valley and working in Keighley or other towns it would be the ideal solution, with the addition of parking places at the Worth Valley Railway stations. It would cut down traffic congestion in Keighley and be good for the environment to have people driving (or walking) to their nearest station and then using trains.
I hope this dream becomes a reality soon. Bus shelter on Dale View Road Monday, May 11th, 2009 - 12:44 pm
Following up a request for a bus shelter on Dale View Road which came up as a result of the Town Council "shop" week. Playground Survey Going Well Monday, May 11th, 2009 - 12:42 pm
My survey about The Delph Playground is going well. Got quite a few replies, some more to do. Then I have to wrestle with the second stage application form, not much time left to the deadline now. Liberal Democrat Action - Are these the Fastest Flagstones ever? Monday, May 11th, 2009 - 12:34 pm
After I co-ordinated a campaign by local people over Bradford Council taking away our flagstones from a snicket in Thwaites Brow last Tuesday they are being re-instated this morning. Got a photo, lost my camera lead. I'll post a picture as soon as I can!
I've heard it on the grapevine that Councillor Anne Hawkesworth was so overwhelmed with complaints about it that she decided we'd better have our flagstones back. Credit where it's due: thanks to Councillor Hawkesworth and the Bradford officials who organised it so quickly!
Read the full report. Churches Together Urge Vote in European Election (against BNP) Sunday, May 10th, 2009 - 3:42 pm
Churches Together have issued a statement urging Christians to use their votes in the European Election on Thursday 4th June and, of course, to vote for a party that is not the BNP. They point out that not voting at all would be helping the BNP, which is not an option for a Christian. What I'm reading Saturday, May 9th, 2009 - 6:26 pm
I've just started reading The Storm by Vince Cable. Need a dictionary but it's riveting all the same. Sad Times Saturday, May 9th, 2009 - 6:17 pm
The day after the celebration for David Ward the memorial to Sharon Beshenivsky was unveiled in Bradford. A very sad occasion. Happy Times Saturday, May 9th, 2009 - 5:22 pm
This week has been sad and happy. On Thursday evening I was a guest at the happy celebration of David Ward, Bradford Liberal Democrat, having achieved twenty five years as a councillor. Dave is a lovely person and an excellent councillor. He works so hard that I doubt anyone could keep up with him. Thanks to him for being an inspiration. Flagstone Thefts Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 - 2:33 pm
It seems that after someone has tried to steal the flagstones from our village snicket (ancient pedestrian pathway) Bradford council officials have decided to finish the job for them and remove the rest "for safe keeping"!! They then think they'll fill in the gaps with tarmac.
Not if I can help it!
We want our flagstones back. What I'm reading Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 - 5:10 pm
I've just finished reading "Full Hearts and Empty Bellies" by Winifred Foley, published by Abacus, ISBN 978-0-349-12218-2
Winifred Foley was born in 1914 and died recently at over ninety years of age. I heard an interview on the radio where she was talking about the book and about her childhood.
It's almost unimaginable now that a family should be so poverty stricken in Britain; but it's within living memory. Her father worked as a miner and yet could hardly afford to feed the family. They only had one set of clothes each, little food and no luxuries. Everyone had to make do and mend. The only way they managed at all was for the children to leave school at fourteen and get work as quickly as possible. For the boys it was going down the pit; for the girls it was leaving home and going into domestic service.
Winifred (known as Poll when she was a child) was a feisty youngster and quite political in her own way. This book makes you realise just how much progress we have made towards greater equality in this country. Enjoyed meeting Keighley shoppers Sunday, May 3rd, 2009 - 5:01 pm
Have been in Keighley town centre this week in my capacity as a Town Councillor. Keighley Town Council had a temporary shop where we could talk to people and ask them for their ideas about what they want for the town, and also about any problems that we might be able to help with. Good to work with other councillors.
We had a great time meeting folk and a good response. Quite a few people were from outside Keighley and it was good to know that shoppers were still coming from other places round about. Congratulations to Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate Friday, May 1st, 2009 - 11:07 pm
Carol Ann Duffy has been appointed Poet Laureate. I like her poetry; I met her a few years ago. Oh and she's the first woman ever to hold the post. Front Page Headline about orang-utan: "Victims of the Oil Rush" Friday, May 1st, 2009 - 9:33 pm
Good to see The Independent's lead story today is the plight of the orang-utan of Borneo. Several national papers have had stories about the orang-utan in recent months, The Times, Guardian, Daily Mail and Sun amongst them. Palm trees are being planted in huge areas of Borneo; they are not naturally found in Borneo and do not provide the habitat that orang-utan and other animals native to the island need. Orang-utan cannot find the food they need and will die out if this continues.
I found out from my sister-in-law, who is from Sarawak, that orang means "people" and utan means "forest", so the orang-utan are "the people of the forest". Oh, and another Dyak word I know is toucan, pronounced more like "twohcann" in Dyak. It is the national bird of Sarawak.
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This week has been sad and happy. On Thursday evening I was a guest at the happy celebration of David Ward, Bradford Liberal Democrat, having achieved twenty five years as a councillor. Dave is a lovely person and an excellent councillor. He works so hard that I doubt anyone could keep up with him. Thanks to him for being an inspiration. 
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