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Random Thoughts for 2nd February 2013
No comments on Random Thoughts for 2nd February 2013This is the latest in my series of Random Thoughts posts with links, things found on the web and other stuff that has occurred to me between 28th January 2013 and 2nd February 2013. This is largely catching up on the political news in January. David Laws announced as chair of manifesto working group I don’t have as much problem with Laws in this role as I know some will have — However, it does…
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Random Thoughts for 12th October 2012
This is the latest in my series of Random Thoughts posts with links, things found on the web and other stuff that has occured to me between 3rd October 2012 and 12th October 2012: 10 things the Lib Dem conference has taught us Ten things we learned from the Labour party conference Ten things we’ve learned from the Conservative party conference We’ve reached the end of the party conference season for 2012 and these are…
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The missing element from Luton’s free school meals campaign
The latest edition of the council’s free newspaper, Lutonline, leads with a front page story about a new council campaign to get more people to claim for free school meals. The story claims that more than 5,000 children in Luton are missing out on the free school meals they are entitled to. So the Council wants to make sure that the number of parents claiming rises. This is a good thing. Over recent years we…
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Luton Labour’s appointments to the Bedfordshire Police Authority descends into farce
Over the last few weeks I have been blogging about the ridiculous mess the Luton Labour party have got themselves in over the nominations from Luton Borough Council to fill Luton’s places on Bedfordshire Police Authority. You can read my previous posts on this here: Labour cock up leaves Luton without representation on Bedfordshire Police Authority “Labour Party spokesman” wrong on Police Authority formula Meet the Bedford Labour Councillor the Luton Labour Party want to…
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“Labour Party spokesman” wrong on Police Authority formula
I’m returning to the issue of Luton’s current lack of representation on Bedfordshire Police Authority in order to correct a misleading statement by the Luton Labour Party. Last week I was welcoming Luton on Sunday’s belated reporting of how the insistence by the Labour group on Luton Borough Council that the three people who should represent the town on the Police Authority should be Labour councillors, in the face of the understanding by the other…
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Labour cock up leaves Luton without representation on Bedfordshire Police Authority
As I hinted in an earlier post, there is currently a big row going on about who should represent Luton on the Bedfordshire Police Authority. It seems that arrogance by the Luton Labour party has screwed up the appointment process and left Luton without any members. The police authority is the body that oversees policing in Bedfordshire, sets the police budget, and appoints senior officers. It is made up of independent members and councillors appointed…
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Why Ed Miliband has had a worse week than Ken Clarke
In this post I am not seeking to mount a defence of the Justice Secretary or enter into a debate about rape or the justice system. What I want to comment on is what the row that has centered around Ken Clarke over the last few days reveals about the direction of the Labour party. Ed Miliband has at times tried to set out a more realistic and rational approach to law and order for…
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Sympathy for Ed Miliband
I was initially quite impressed by Ed Miliband’s first moves as the new Labour leader. He was right to quickly to dispatch Nick Brown from the job of Chief Whip and his “I know thee not, New Labour” conference speech was mostly in the right direction. But since then it seems to have gone downhill for Ed. The view that Ed has got time and so he shouldn’t be in a hurry has some merit.…
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A new Conservative councillor on Luton Borough Council
I was concerned the other week about what was happening with Luton councillor Morel Benard. While I still have had no official communication about any change in her status from council officers, it seems that she has left the Labour group and joined the Conservative one. Evidence of this comes in a further change on the council’s website. Although rumours are circulating around the Town Hall, I have no knowledge of the reason for her…
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Labour leadership election – How Luton Labour voted
Credit should go to the Labour Party for their openess in releasing the detailed figures of how their members (and MPs and Unions) voted in their leadership election. I’ve extracted the figures for the two Luton constituency Labour parties and posted them below. ABBOTT, Diane BALLS, Ed BURNHAM, Andy MILIBAND, David MILIBAND, Ed Luton North CLP 30 18 2 191 52 Luton South CLP 17 20 9 89 67 SPOILT VOTES CAST BALLOT PAPERS DISTRIBUTED…
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Why I will support this extraordinary coalition government
I started an interesting and challenging new job this week. Yet, while trying to get to grips with a new organisation, new tasks, and new colleagues I have been acutely aware of those other Liberal Democrats also starting new jobs. Admittedly their new roles are an order of magnitude more interesting and challenging than mine. However, the urge to be home watching the news channels, reading the web and blogging about it all has been…
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Budget reaction: Labour writes off the West Country
The Labour Party, aware that in the South West the General Election is a battle between the Liberal Democrats and the Tories, have decided to write off that part of the country in the coming campaign. Well, how else do you explain the Chancellor, Alistair Darling, singling out cider for a 10% rise in duty? There are reports that, in doing so he as upset The Wurzels, who have issued a statement; “We are all…
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Gordon Brown
One of the things I’ve missed blogging about, grumpily or otherwise, is the great Blair-Brown handover. Whatever your views about the last few weeks it is difficult to deny that it has been politics with a capital ‘P’. Blair, so much the dominant figure in British politics over the last 10 years or so, has gone. Although the great “search for the legacy” will seemingly linger on for a bit. You’d have thought the people…
