Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Greens must apologise
Liberal Democrat-controlled Uttlesford District Council has just turned down a planning application from BAA to expand Stansted Airport, with local councillors saying that they were "concerned about the impact expansion would have on the local environment".
That must come as news to Green Party principal speaker Caroline Lucas MEP, who said
Will Dr. Lucas now apologise for this distortion of our position?
That must come as news to Green Party principal speaker Caroline Lucas MEP, who said
"Lib Dems use green rhetoric to get into office, only to support road-building schemes, incinerators, airport expansion and even backing GM crops when in power."upon the launch of our green manifesto last year.
(emphasis mine)
Will Dr. Lucas now apologise for this distortion of our position?
Monday, November 20, 2006
Blair gets his just desserts
This new e-government lark is working out well for Tony:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stand on his head and juggle ice-cream.The reason?
If he's not going to resign, the least he can do is provide us with some entertainment.Go on, sign it, you know it makes sense. Well, more sense than that whole Iraq thing, anyway.
(Incidentally, the originator of the petition was one Tim Ireland of bloggerheads, who did our excellent NewToryLabour animations and seems to have his fingerprints on everything nowadays...)
Technorati tags: Blair, dairy products
Non-violence: is Gaza getting it?
I wouldn't start comparing them to Quit India just yet, but seeing Gazans respond to a threat of air-strikes not with more suicide bombings, but with that staple of non-violent protest - the human shield - fills me with a certain hope.
I'm certain that neo-con bloggers will already be rushing to condemn Hamas and those that protect them from "justice". But that would be to miss the point.
Nevertheless, perhaps a Gandhi quote would be appropriate at this time:
I'm certain that neo-con bloggers will already be rushing to condemn Hamas and those that protect them from "justice". But that would be to miss the point.
Nevertheless, perhaps a Gandhi quote would be appropriate at this time:
"For this cause I too am prepared to die, but for no cause, my friend, will I be prepared to kill."While I'm quoting the Mahatma, here's one that Liberal Democrat activists should easily identify with:
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Cameron, Brown and Iraq
Serious post this time - click "play" above to watch a truly excellent Party Political Broadcast from the Lib Dems.
Great voiceover from Nick Clegg, great production values - the more of these we do the better.
Time for a video on the Great Repeal Act / Freedom Bill?
Cameron gets YouTubed... again
Much as I hate driving up the traffic to WebCameron, this was just too juicy to leave alone.
It seemsDavid Cameron Mr. Funny Face ran a competition last week on his blog. Punters could win an appearance on the Tory Party Policial Broadcast by answering this question:
And yes, that video really is on the Tory website... Ain't technology wonderful?
It seems
Just complete the sentence: For our NHS, I’d like…All very innocent, you'd think. That was until Channel 4's This is a Knife got hold of it... and this is what they did.
And yes, that video really is on the Tory website... Ain't technology wonderful?
Rob Fenwick is a genius
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Be afraid - be very afraid
Good advice - if anyone wants me, I'll be hiding behind the sofa...Friday, November 10, 2006
Friday spot-the-context competition
"The researchers also concluded that Conservative leader David Cameron, unlike Tony Blair or Gordon Brown, has features prone to make people laugh."Oh, all right - BBC link.
From now until Further Notice, Cameron will be referred to on this blog as "Mr. Funny Face."
Thursday, November 09, 2006
I left it in a taxi, honest
"Is that Mr. Robinson? I have a highly confidential memo I think you need to see."
"You know, you sound an awful lot like Ming Campbell."
*click*
Lib Dems 'prepare for snap poll'
Guido likes Clegg - pass it on
Guido - and a surprising number of his readers - and Iain Dale have both come out (kinda, sorta) in favour of the Great Repeal Act publicised by Nick Clegg today (plug, plug). The GRA was of course launched at the Lib Dem Autumn Conference (thus proving that nobody pays any attention to our conference but us).
As everyone knows, Guido is a trend-setting new-media visionary when he agrees with us and a troublemaking gossip-monger whom nobody reads anyway when he doesn't. I mention Iain of course in a vain attempt to progress higher than #91 in his Top 100 Lib Dem Blogs list - an accolade that should be all the proof you need that there are only 100 Lib Dem blogs.
Guido's comments were naturally thrown open to suggestions of troublesome laws to repeal - one wag calling himself Anthony Blair suggested
As everyone knows, Guido is a trend-setting new-media visionary when he agrees with us and a troublemaking gossip-monger whom nobody reads anyway when he doesn't. I mention Iain of course in a vain attempt to progress higher than #91 in his Top 100 Lib Dem Blogs list - an accolade that should be all the proof you need that there are only 100 Lib Dem blogs.
Guido's comments were naturally thrown open to suggestions of troublesome laws to repeal - one wag calling himself Anthony Blair suggested
"The Honours (Prevention of Abuses) Act 1925 please"
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Democrats to win Senate?
More from the US mid-terms.
It seems like the Republicans are trailing - perhaps fatally - in the remaining two Senate races:
In Virginia, just a handful of precincts remain, largely in traditionally Democrat areas. Montana has just one county to report in - the aptly-named Meagher - which is so small it had fewer votes cast in 2004 than Tester's 1,735-vote lead.
Recounts notwithstanding, I make that 51-49 to the Democrats - a gain of six seats.
Just to put that in context for a second: 33 Senate seats were up for grabs this time round, and the Republicans were defending just 15. Only managing to hold on to nine of those is something of a rout.
It seems like the Republicans are trailing - perhaps fatally - in the remaining two Senate races:
Montana:
Tester [D] 49% (194,914)
Burns [R] 48% (193,179)
99% reporting
Virginia:
Webb [D] 50% (1,170,564)
Allen [R] 49% (1,162,717)
99% reporting
Recounts notwithstanding, I make that 51-49 to the Democrats - a gain of six seats.
Just to put that in context for a second: 33 Senate seats were up for grabs this time round, and the Republicans were defending just 15. Only managing to hold on to nine of those is something of a rout.
A good night for New Hampshire Democrats
As the Democrats have gained control of the House of Representatives, we learn that in New Hampshire the Dems have not only re-elected state governor John Lynch by a landslide, but somehow managed to pick up both New Hampshire House seats.The New Hampshire 1st was such a surprise, in fact, that it wasn't even on CNN's Key Seats list!
Looking at the results in 2004, we can see why:
NH-01: GOP 63% Dem 37%
NH-02: GOP 59% Dem 38% Lib 3%
West Wing fans will, of course, rejoice at the news.
It's going to be a rough night for the Republicans...
UPDATE: NH Democrats have also won both houses of the state legislature. I wouldn't like to be a New Hampshire Republican at this point in time, they're becoming something of an endangered species...
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