CAMPAIGN FOR GENDER BALANCE
Bringing Balance through Support
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CAMPAIGN FOR GENDER BALANCE Bringing Balance through Support |
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| CAMPAIGN FOR GENDER BALANCE | <info@genderbalance.org.uk> | 9th February 2010 |
Don't know what blogging is? Check out the BBC's webwise website. Campaign for Gender Balance Blog AwardsThe Campaign for Gender Balance has announced the shortlists for its Blog Awards, to be announced at the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference. The shortlists are as follows: 
Best Blog by a Woman Liberal DemocratThis shortlist will form the basis of two awards - the Judge's Choice and the Peoples' Choice. To vote in the People's Choice category, follow this link: http://cgbblog.notlong.com/ 
Best Blog Post by a Woman Liberal Democrat
Best Blog by a Woman Non-Liberal DemocratWe are sad to report that Rose Hacker died on 4 February, one month before her 102nd birthday. Her remaining columns are continuing to be published by the Camden New Journal. Congratulations to everyone who has been shortlisted and commiserations to everyone who was not. The final results will be announced at the Campaign for Gender Balance Blog Awards' Drinks Reception, taking place on Saturday 8th March 2008, between 8.00pm and 9.30pm, at Canada Suite, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Liverpool. The awards will be decided by a prestigious team of judges:
To read blogs by Liberal Democrats (women and men), see the Lib Dem Blogs website (http://www.libdemblogs.co.uk). Latest Lib Dem BlogsTue 9th Feb 2010: Joanne Cash, Tory PPC for Westminster North resigns. Conservative Home is reporting; Ms Cash resigned at a special meeting of the Association tonight - also attended by Eric Pickles and Lord Strathclyde - following internal tensions in the local party. 9.45pm: CCHQ mounting effort to reverse decision. Will Minigolf save the Meridian South Piazza? The Meridian South development in Hither Green was born under good auspices. Laying perfectly across the Greenwich Meridian line, it retains some of the features of the Hither Green Hospital that stood there before, a local architectural gem designed by Edwin T. Hall, also architect of Liberty department store. To potential buyers Meridian South presented itself ... New Demos pamphlet makes the Lib Dem case for equality. In association with The Equality Trust, Demos have today published three pamphlets focusing on equality from the perspective of each of the main political parties. The Liberal Democrat one, A Wealth of Opportunity, is written by Julia Margo and William Bradley and has a foreword by David Laws MP. A concern with inequality lies deep in liberal DNA. More than a century and a half ago, John Stuart Mill argued for a cap on inheritance so that wealth might be more fairly distributed in society. His views jarred with Victorian attitudes. Would they be more accepted now? This pamphlet argues ... A warning from the English NHS. Figures released today by the Liberal Democrats have revealed that the NHS in England is facing a £63bn bill for PFI hospitals which are only worth £11bn. The figures also reveal that: The first payments for hospital PFIs began in 1999 and the NHS still owes £58bn on 106 PFI contracts over the next three decadesThe NHS will have to pay back £7.3bn in PFI payments over the next Parliament alone (2010-2015)The most expensive PFI contract was for Wythenshawe Hospital where the NHS will pay back 16 times the original capital value Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb, ... Electoral Reform Bill must give voters real choice - Howarth. The Liberal Democrats have tabled amendments to the Government's proposals for a referendum on electoral reform that would: · Offer voters a real choice between first-past-the-post and a truly proportional system (Single Transferable Vote), rather than AV · Bring forward the date of the referendum to next May · Close a loophole allowing the next Government to kill the proposals without an Act of Parliament Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: "Voters deserve a real choice - between the discredited status quo and a system where every vote matters and there are no safe seats. "The Alternative ... Lack of exit checks is the biggest hole in the student visa system. Commenting on the announcement by Alan Johnson on the student visa system, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "The biggest hole in the student visa system is caused by the Tory and Labour abolition of exit checks, which means we do not know if someone has left once their visa runs out. "We need to restore immediate control of our borders." Denis Mollison has an article on Next Left about how STV would work in practice. He also shows off a map of how the UK could be divided up into multi-member constituencies. I really like what Mollison has done here. He hasn't simply drawn lines on the map but created constituencies based on local ... So John Terry has been sacked as the England football captain. I'm afraid that I don't read the tabloid press and I don't particularly want to but I have managed to gather that he has been playing away more than he has been playing at home. I don't know what his wife thinks about this. I don't know what anyone connected to the breaking of his marriage vows thinks about it although there may be a great deal written. However I have managed to read that the health minister Mike O'Brien has feels that the decision to take away the ... Championing higher standards in and around private rented housing in Reading. Regular readers of my Redlands blog will know that I have been actively campaigning along with my Lib Dem colleagues for several years to get Labour-run Reading Borough Council to address issues connected with the private rented sector and Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs). This week I welcomed news that the Labour government has listened to councils and councillors and has amended the law so that planning permission will soon be required to turn a house into an HMO. This is something that required action at a national level. As a ward councillor I have picked up many complaints from ... Mon 8th Feb 2010: Tescos - win some - lose some! First - the good news! After complainng to Council officers that there was no site notice covering the the alcohol license application, I received the following email from the head of Public Protection: "Whilst we have evidence that the applicant placed an advert in the CNJ on 14 January 2010, the applicant is not able to prove that they have displayed a notice on the premises site for a period of 28 consecutive days. The applicant contends that the notice was displayed but a visit by one of our enforcement officers to the site on 3 February 2010 established that ... Tory PPC for Westminster North resigns. Conservative Home reports: Ms [Joanne] Cash resigned at a special meeting of the Association tonight - also attended by Eric Pickles and Lord Strathclyde - following internal tensions in the local party. Northern Ireland Positioning Carries On. You thought the agreement last Friday to devolve police and justice to a Northern Irish Ministry would be the end of the arguments. Well hold the horses don't be so confident. There is still debate as to who will take up the post. It had long been assumed that the Alliance Party would be the most acceptable party to hold the post and give the position a degree of neutrality. But the Ulster Unionist and SDLP are upset that this goes against the d'Hondt system of allocating Ministers by proportion of representation in the Assembly. David Ford the Alliance Party ... A polite round of applause directed towards The Times. I wasn't expecting that. The Times has reported its latest opinion poll. It has reported the changes in party share of the vote. And then Peter Riddell has said, These shifts are within the margin of error Why's that impressive? Because nearly every opinion poll only shows changes within the margin of error (you've usually got to look over a wider pattern to see statistically significant changes), but that doesn't stop newspapers writing up their stories as if the changes in support are significant and therefore ones we can be sure actually happened. It's as if the newspapers think, "Look, ... What's happening on Wednesday? I'll be chairing the South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee as usual this Wednesday. Everyone is welcome to come along and join in the discussions. The meeting will start at 7.30pm at the Hook Centre. But the Neighbourhood Manager, Barry Allen, will be available from 6.30pm if you want to drop in and chat with him about anything to do with the Neighbourhood. He is usually joined by one of the local Police Safer Neighbourhood Teams. The main planning item is the proposed development on the site of St Mary's Church Hall in Church Lane. The church have now taken ... Digital Economy Bill may breach human rights laws. The BBC reported over the weekend: An influential group of MPs and peers has said the government's approach to illegal file-sharing could breach the rights of internet users. The Joint Select Committee on Human Rights said the government's Digital Economy Bill needed clarification. It said that technical measures – which include cutting off persistent pirates – were not "sufficiently specified". In addition, it said that it was concerned that the Bill could create "over-broad powers". You can read the full story here. Why don't the Tories come clean on Lord Ashcroft's tax status? Sir George Young has always seemed one of the more decent Conservatives. I felt sorry for him when Michael Martin was hoisted into the Speaker's chair ahead of him because of unthinking backbench determination that a Labour House should have a Labour Speaker. But his performance on the Today programme this morning, where he twisted and turned every way to avoid giving a straight answer on Lord Ashcroft's tax status, was embarrassing. It will be hard to regard him in the same light after that. The Guardian website has a transcript of this interview, together with excerpts from several others ... Cameron's speech - Seeing through the spin. David Cameron spoke today in an attempt to blame Gordon Brown for the expenses scandal. The press seem to have allowed Cameron to be quoted, but not put any of his quotes in context. Cameron said "Last week we had the latest revelations from Parliament. The details might be new but the feelings they provoke are all too familiar. Disappointment. Despair. Even disgust. But as I argued in my speech at the Open University in May last year, anger at the expenses scandal is just the most forceful expression of a deep frustration people feel with our whole political system." ... A few latest updates! * Blackness Court Sheltered Housing - I have been campaigning for some time to have the footpaths near to the sheltered housing improved. On Friday, along with two residents, I had a useful site visit with a City Council roads inspector who has promised to progress pavement improvements at the Rosefield Place/Blackness Road junction and at the pedestrian crossing used by the sheltered housing residents to cross Blackness Road to get to the Post Office and other local shops. Residents have also complained that the yellow lines in Rosefield Place are worn and cars park on ... Enough with the late night phone calls asking for money.. It's like having an acoholic ex-girlfriend, except if I did she would probably be more liberal than this party.. quarter to nine pm, knackered, 2 kids asleep and the phone rings.. yet another call from central office asking for more money. For f... I have seen Tomorrow at Ten, the film at which a kidnapped small boy is locked in a room with an exploding golliwog. It is certainly not a lost gem, though there are a few things of interest about it. Because the child is menaced in this way, the kidnapper is free to talk openly to his father and even to the police. He holds all the cards until... But that would give the plot away. There are a couple of interesting points in the casting. The villain is effectively played by Robert Shaw, 11 years before he starred in ... There's a downside to canvassing in Penrith and The Border. We keep falling in love with little villages, such as Lazonby, Brampton, Longtown, Wigton, Langwathby, Hesket Newmarket, Winton, Crosby Garrett, Kirkby Stephen - the list goes on and on! There's literally dozens and dozens of beautiful little places where one day long in the future we could see ourselves retiring to - a little cottage with roses around the door and a border collie by the fire! Choices, choices! Crowded House: action needed for local families. I've been campaigning for many months now to raise the profile of the problem of overcrowding in Reading. As far as I'm concerned this is one of the most serious issues many families in our Town face and it is causing huge damage to the lives of children, young people and families. We know that there are around 5,000 people currently waiting to move into social housing in Reading but we don't really know exactly how many families are living in overcrowded accomodation. As Chair of the Housing Scrutiny Panel in Reading I have asked officers to produce a report ... Licensed to ill: Police join Lib Dem fight against nuisance skips. Over the past four years I have received a number of complaints from residents in the wards about skips - skips taking up parking spaces for weeks and full-to-the-brim skips have become a nuisance or an eyesore. My (unscientific) study of the problem over the past few years based on what I've seen whilst out and about in the ward and from emails I've received from constituents has led me to conclude that the worst affected streets in Redlands are Donnington Road, Donnington Gardens, Granby Gardens and Blenheim Road. Yes, you guessed it - areas of Redlands and other parts of Town with high ... On Radio Four's PM tonight (which will be available here sooner or later), Ed Davey made an extremely strong condemnation of Jack Straw visa vis the Iraq Enquiry, culminating in a call for Straw to resign. The Liberal Democrat website has more: Straw's breach of ministerial code must be considered by Cabinet Secretary says Davey "He has tried to hoodwink the Cabinet, Parliament and the British people in his cover-up," said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary. Commenting on today's appearance by Jack Straw at the Iraq Inquiry, Edward Davey said: "Jack Straw has failed yet again to explain or ... Meeting on Bangladesh this morning. Bangladesh meeting Monday Welcome to Mr Mirza Fakrul Islam, senior secretary general of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and an ex Minister, and we're also honoured by the presence of H E Professor Dr Syedur Rahaman Khan, the High Commissioner. We are pleased to learn that the BNP is rejoining the parliament tomorrow after a long absence, and we look forward to hearing about the policies they will be advocating on democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and I certainly hope they won't be deterred by the Prime Minister's gratuitous statement in Parliament about the grave of the late president ... After the meeting on caste and the Equality Bill. [IMG: Posted by Picasa] The cosy consensus needs breaking. I was disgusted to see the three Labour MPs (one of whom is my in-laws MP!) trying to claim Parliamentary Privilege, the age old principle that most of us thought was there to enable MPs to have full freedom of speech in the chamber, to stop them being taken to court against charges of fiddling their expenses. This Labour government (and indeed the Tory opposition) has been late in the day to realise the need to reform expenses. MPs like the Lib Dem Norman Baker and Labour MP Kate Hoey were in the minority taking the house of commons to ... Local Blog: Cut Councillors Pay to Save the Look In Cafe. Bracknell Council Labour Leader Anne Shillcock has called for a 5% cut in allowances to help pay for the Look In Cafe. To pay for the Look In Cafe the reduction in allowances would have to be more like 10% because it costs £60,000 to run the Look In Cafe. I spoke to the former Lib Dem Councillor and current PPC Ray Earwicker and he confirmed that the Lib Dems would be willing to take a cut if they were on the council. He also informed me that he did not accept a rise in allowances while he was a ... Ramsgate - Boulogne and wannabe experts - And what's the fuss about. I know pretty much damn all, about the recent controversy concerning Euroferries, proposed ferry service from Ramsgate Port to Boulogne. I'm vaguely aware that two local bloggers Adem Djemil (The Big Blog) and ECR were sent correspondence from legal firms acting on behalf of the ferry company, I'm also aware that this country has rather draconian laws of defamation which have created a new bread of customer for Britain's specialist law firms which deal with Libel. Please note before more avaricious lawyers get briefed, I'm not referring to specifics cases, but it seems the custom in this country that if ... EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE: Meet London's first IDiot. And so the first Londoner has signed up to Blunkett's dog tag scheme, citing "convenience" and "proof of age" on his forthcoming trip to the Netherlands, and proving his originality of thought by giving the reason "if you've nothing to hide, you've nothing to fear". Disregarding the fact that he'll be unable to use it on the ferry, I'm sure that as Mr Fawcett has nothing to hide he'll not mind this video of him in action while on holiday in Ibiza a couple of years ago. It appears a fool and his money are soon parted; In addition, his ... A second outing for this new feature: Harry's Place suggests that we may never hear about another aspect of the MPs' expenses scandal: the payments they made to their staff. (It seems some Lib Dems would be in the frame here)The suspension of Gita Sahgal, the head of the Gender Unit at Amnesty International, over an article in the Sunday Times is covered by Bartholomew's Notes on Religion. Personally, I have never felt as warm towards Amnesty since it watered down its emphasis on political prisoners and became a generic human rights organisation.Dare to Know discusses how home schoolers should ... MPs who opposed expenses reform: how did the three Labour MPs facing trial vote? A footnote to my post about the subsequent expenses revelations regarding the 21 Conservative MPs who voted down expenses reform in 2008, before the Daily Telegraph revelations forced everyone's hand. Of the three Labour MPs now facing criminal charges, two also voted against reform (David Chaytor and Elliot Morley) whilst the third, Jim Devine, abstained on the vote. Well there you go. Stations we have lost... Swansea Victoria. Close to the Conference hotel in Swansea was a old railway embankment which, once upon a time, carried trains to Swansea Victoria station. The picture, courtesy of Swansea Heritage, was taken in 1964, not long before the station was closed, leaving the old High Street station as the only one remaining in use. Fortunately, this piece of South Walian heritage has not been lost forever, as it is now the National Waterfront Museum, in itself well worth a visit. It has been announced that the mac (Midlands Arts Centre) in Cannon Hill Park will reopen on 1 May 2010. There will be a series of events over the Bank Holiday, including free activities for everyone who wants to explore the new building.The £15 million redevelopment programme, part funded by Birmingham City Council, that has taken two years was designed to create a more integrated building as The Yardley Labour Party are complaining that National Express Group have simply axed the 41 regardless of criticism.That is because of the bus management or regulation system. It is no good Labour complaining about the system, but also criticising me for asking the Prime Minister about bus regulation.They have had 13 years during which the system in Birmingham could have been changed to run the Campaigning for a fair deal for Council tenants. It may not have generated many headlines but the Labour administration's decision to put the rent up on Reading Borough Council properties will hit many Council tenants - namely those who are not in receipt of benefits and who account around 30% of all RBC tenants (there are around 7,300 Council tenants in total). As Chair of the Housing Scrutiny Panel in Reading I been actively monitoring the impact on the recession on residents in Reading over the past year to ensure people who needed help were getting it from the Council, and a couple of sad things this study ... Why isn't Iain Duncan-Smith being questioned by the Iraq Enquiry? It really is incredible that Iain Duncan-Smith is not being questioned by the Iraq Enquiry. Similarly, William Hague and Michael Ancram should also be questioned. Duncan-Smith was the leader of the Tories when they supported the war. Hague and Ancram were the appropriate frontbenchers. One of the things which Blair has to back up his judgment on the invasion, is that Her Majesty's Opposition, the Tories, supported his decision. And they had access to background information on Privy Council terms. So why, oh why, oh why, isn't IDS being brought to explain what he knew, when he knew it, what ... David Cameron is "disgusted" that Labour MPs are attempting to hide behind the Bill of Rights and Parliamentary privilege to avoid prosecution for expenses fraud. Errrr, what about feeling disgusted about the Tory peer who is doing the same?---Sent via BlackBerry Making Women Bishops is a mistake the Synod is warned. "For those of us ordained since 1992, our understanding, in good faith, was that proper legal provision would be made for those who did not agree that women should have the overall leadership of a church." Those are the words of the Revd Rod Thomas, of St Matthew's Church, Elburton, Plymouth. Revd Thomas is the chairman of the evangelical group Reform, described on their own website as a network of individuals and churches within the Church of England committed to reforming the Church of England from within according to the Holy Scriptures. I am astounded at this outrageous sexism, and ... Total Place - a real way forward. [IMG: Richard Kemp] I hope by now that every Lib Dem Councillor knows something about Total Place. Although it is described as a Treasury idea that is not correct, although the Treasury are providing important backing for it. This was an idea that originated with the Leadership Centre for Local Government and has been enthusiastically supported by us. So what is it? Total Place asks two basic questions: How much does the public sector spend in totality on dealing with a problem? What outputs and outcomes do we need to achieve if we are satisfactorily to deal with that problem? ... "No Council Tax rise" victory for Manchester Liberal Democrats. Manchester Lib Dems have successfully campaigned to freeze Council Tax next Year, despite Labour previously opposing plans. I think this is excellent news, I believe Manchester residents should not have to worry about a rise in their Council Tax next year whilst we continue to fight the effects of the recession in the city. This move will put more money back into local people's pockets. My colleague Cllr Paul Ankers said: "This is great news, the Council needs to be much more careful about how they spend tax payers' money" Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Manchester Councillor Simon Ashley ... Sustainable Communities Act - where next for Hounslow? Some of you may remember that last Summer I was encouraging local people to feedback through TakeBackPowerHounslow.org on the Sustainable Communities Act. Unfortunately Hounslow did not consult local people and get local ideas in before the "wave one" deadline. However a commitment was made that Hounslow will make a submission in the "second wave". It is not clear at present when this will take place and concern that it was not clear in the original legislation that there would be a second wave has caused some MPs to table a Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill. This would require governments to ... A masterclass in risk-taking from the New Orleans Saints. [IMG: sean-payton-with-superbowl-trophy] Big occassions need big men. Men that will rise to the challenge, galvanise their team and take some big risks - when it really counts. When history is in the making you dont want Mr Timid knocking at the door. Opportunity rewards the bold and the brave. So it was with sheer delight that I watched the underdogs - the New Orleans Saints- scoop the biggest prize of all - the Superbowl. If you did not watch the game, this may mean nothing to you - go watch it. But Sean Payton (the Saints coach) proved himself to ... Parking enforcement in Cheadle - again! Pam and I have been wrestling with the issue of parking enforcement, especially in Cheadle, where most the complaints arise. I'll write more about it when I've time, but for now I'm pleased to report a boost for this week with two parking attendents spending the week in Cheadle village centre. This is not a permanent measure - we're all looking for longer-term fixes - but we're hoping it will make a difference. Former Green Student blogger Kristofer Keane has been on a bit of a Political journey himself. he say he started supporting the Scottish Socialist Party, then in the 2007 elections supported the Scottish Nationalist Party, when he went to University he joined the Greens but now has left them to join the Liberal Democrats. He gives 3 different break downs on a recent blog post of why he has come to his decision. On Political Position he says: "I have never really expressed great support for Green policies on other matters though, and this was exemplified recently by the debate ... Dreamliner contract is great news for Luton. It is great to see the announcement that GKN Aerospace in Luton has landed a £100m contract to manufacture a component to keep the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner's wings free of ice This sort of high technology industry is just what Luton needs to revive the local economy. Over the 20 year life of the programme this should create 60 to 70 jobs, which could be great news for young people looking to stay and work in our town. "The Power of Creativity" - launching a new Arts policy. I'm not known for a particular interest in policy, nor do I tend to get involved too much in it. Normally, that is. However, last Thursday evening, I had the unusual experience of attending a Liberal Democrat policy launch. "The Power of Creativity", the Party's new policy publication on the Arts and Creativity, was launched at a star-studded event in the House of Lords, and attended by a surprising large number of creative artists from all fields, key players in arts and culture administration from across the country and a broad cross-section of our Parliamentary teams in both Houses. I ... Sir George Young demonstrates why he didn't become Speaker. I have to admit that I'd always considered Sir George to be one of the better sort of Conservatives. Still a Conservative, but a decent cove nonetheless. This morning, under pressure from Evan Davis on the 'Today Programme', he indicated that he might be struggling with the concept of relative ethics. He had been rolled out to condemn the Labour Party for its response to the announcement that charges will be laid against Messrs Chaytor, Devine and Morley, especially given the news that the Labour Party's lawyers are providing advice to the three of them. Unfortunately, he ran into some ... Here's the reasoned piece on class war that I originally promised HoT: The longer I am involved in politics the more I grow to dislike class war. The world in which class war exists is a world where no one holds political viewpoints beyond their own vested interests. That's a bleak view of humanity isn't it? Allowing class war to be successful is a consequence of an apologist society. If you are an administration that has been in power for 12/13 years you should not be able to absolve yourself from failure by simply saying "we're not toffs". The prospect ... Conservative Future chariman suspended for Nazi gaffe. On Saturday, I blogged about the Tories Twitter Rules for Twits and the fact that the Conservatives quite obviously do not trust their candidates but given recent gaffes by Chris Grayling MP, George Osborne MP and their leader, David Cameron MP you can possibly understand why. However on Saturday a slightly more sour gaffe was uncovered by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the chairman of West Yorkshire Conservative Future (the Conservative youth group) David Bolt, son of the deputy leader of the Conservative group on Kirklees Council, Councillor Martyn Bolt. David had written in a monthly email newsletter - "In effect, ... [IMG: schumpeter] Today is the birthday of Joseph A. Schumpeter, the Moravian philosopher largely responsible for the term "creative destruction". Here's one quotation of his on the subject: "The process of Creative Destruction is the essential fact about capitalism ... it is not [price] competition which counts but the competition from . . . new technology . . . competition which strikes not at the margins of profits . . . of existing firms but at their foundations and their very lives." Liberal Vision's Barry Stocker has previously summarised Schumpeter's Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy text: click here to read it. ... Earlier Stories Complete archive on the official site.
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