After the calls for his resignation appeared to fall on Tony's deaf ear the big news today is that Charles Clarke has gone. John 'Bulldog' Reid has taken over at the Home Office, I'm waiting for the outcry for a Scot having a say over so many matters that are devolved.
John Prescott has retained his title as Deputy Prime Minster but lost his departmental duties, no word yet as to how this will be filled or split.
Friday, 5 May 2006
Up All Night
Well after yesterday’s lie in I went and spoilt it by not sleeping all night but arrived at work this morning refreshed.
Obviously I couldn’t go to sleep until both the English council areas I’ve lived in had declared. Kingston was the later of the two to declare. Of the three wards I lived in Tolworth and Hook Rise and Chessington North and Hook both declared a full slate of Lib Dems. The first ward did so easily but the second saw fellow blogger Mary Reid just see off the strongest Tory challenge by only 18 votes. Old Malden the third ward I lived in sadly saw two Tories take the first two spots but Ian McDonald squeezed into the third spot by a mere 7 votes. However, it was good to see that the Liberal Democrats retain control of the council.
The other area where I’ve voted in English council elections is Coventry where I’m most be so out of the loop. I had no idea that the Tories were that close to taking control of the city when I was there in 1992 that would have been unheard of. Mind you last night they finally crossed the threshold for the first time in heaven knows how long and put the city of Lady Godiva into the Blue column. I think I'll go off and try and find out when the Conservative last controlled the city now.
Obviously I couldn’t go to sleep until both the English council areas I’ve lived in had declared. Kingston was the later of the two to declare. Of the three wards I lived in Tolworth and Hook Rise and Chessington North and Hook both declared a full slate of Lib Dems. The first ward did so easily but the second saw fellow blogger Mary Reid just see off the strongest Tory challenge by only 18 votes. Old Malden the third ward I lived in sadly saw two Tories take the first two spots but Ian McDonald squeezed into the third spot by a mere 7 votes. However, it was good to see that the Liberal Democrats retain control of the council.
The other area where I’ve voted in English council elections is Coventry where I’m most be so out of the loop. I had no idea that the Tories were that close to taking control of the city when I was there in 1992 that would have been unheard of. Mind you last night they finally crossed the threshold for the first time in heaven knows how long and put the city of Lady Godiva into the Blue column. I think I'll go off and try and find out when the Conservative last controlled the city now.
Thursday, 4 May 2006
A Dozen of the Worse
The Gruaniad online has this interesting little retropsective of six of some and half a dozen of the others of Tony Blair's worse weeks.
Who knows maybe a bakers dozen may be made by the end of today and this week.
Who knows maybe a bakers dozen may be made by the end of today and this week.
Strange to Have a Lie In
Every year since 2003 around this time of year, and a a few by-elections as well, I've had one day I've got out of my bed at the crack of dawn knowing I wouldn't see it until I was near to exhaustion on most occasions the following day about 24 hours after leaving it, the exception being the European election. So it feels somewhat strange this morning that most of my fellow Lib Dem bloggers will probably have been out and out and about in their various council areas for hours while here in Scotland all is quiet on election front (first time all year some say it might appear). Not that I'm complaining, people might think I deserve a bit of a rest after the hectic 18 months I've just lived through.
Anyway all the best to the Lib Dem teams across England I'll be tuned in to my TV until the small hours following your progress tonight.
Anyway all the best to the Lib Dem teams across England I'll be tuned in to my TV until the small hours following your progress tonight.
Wednesday, 3 May 2006
Scottish Water Insurance Scam Bursts
Where in the UK would you, the costomer, have to pay should you water supply pipe burst at a point after it enters your property. The answer is only one place Scotland. In 1997 all the water authourities in Great Britain agreed guaranteeing free repairs of services into customers home, except for Scottish Water.
In fact Scottish Water have been sending out letters to costomers encouraging then to pay £16 for insurance cover on their supply pipes, if every Scottish Water took them up on this offer it would more that cover the cost of the few instances of water supply pipes bursting within costomers property boundaries.
So why is Scotland alone in the UK for facing these charges? If I could get an alternative water supplier like I can my gas and electricity and there was a service provided free by the others I would change or at least consider changing. This is not ano option with water however. Water is a basic necessity of life, however with the companies currently running our supply looking for profit in such scurrelous ways is it not time to return these area monopolies to be returned to public ownership or become a non-profit organisation?
In fact Scottish Water have been sending out letters to costomers encouraging then to pay £16 for insurance cover on their supply pipes, if every Scottish Water took them up on this offer it would more that cover the cost of the few instances of water supply pipes bursting within costomers property boundaries.
So why is Scotland alone in the UK for facing these charges? If I could get an alternative water supplier like I can my gas and electricity and there was a service provided free by the others I would change or at least consider changing. This is not ano option with water however. Water is a basic necessity of life, however with the companies currently running our supply looking for profit in such scurrelous ways is it not time to return these area monopolies to be returned to public ownership or become a non-profit organisation?
Tuesday, 2 May 2006
Can McConnell recover From Blair's Mess?
Well most eyes are turned to the elections 2 days away Peter Jones in The Scotsman has turned his attention to the election a year away tomorrow. With Labour imploding at Westminster he notes that this is having a knock on effect north of the border.
In Deunfermline first and foremost and in Moray last week he notes that the Liberal Democrats were the main beneficaries on both occasions. He says 'for political commentators and pundits, it all looks teerribly exiting'. He muses that once a party starts a slide downhill is is difficult to pull out of that slide.
He muses over the possible outcomes of next years Scottish Parliamentary elections and it make bad reading for Jack McConnell and Alex Salmond. He wrtites, and is possibly the first commentator to do so, that the Lib Dems might win enough seats of Labour for the Lib Dems to return to Governement, but with Nicol Stephen as first minister. Whether that is will an ailing Labour party, the SNP or an anti-nucleur power Lib Dem/SNP/Green coalition is open to debate, so he thinks.
Meanwhile in The Times Peter Riddell is drawing comparisons about the issues regarding Mr Blairs closest allies absence of badly bruised presence in his cabinet leading to a a similar isolation to Margaret Thatcher in her last days at number 10.
No doubt it will be easier staying awake on Thursday night for the election coverage than it was waiting for Graeme Dott to finally beat Peter Ebdon last night.
In Deunfermline first and foremost and in Moray last week he notes that the Liberal Democrats were the main beneficaries on both occasions. He says 'for political commentators and pundits, it all looks teerribly exiting'. He muses that once a party starts a slide downhill is is difficult to pull out of that slide.
He muses over the possible outcomes of next years Scottish Parliamentary elections and it make bad reading for Jack McConnell and Alex Salmond. He wrtites, and is possibly the first commentator to do so, that the Lib Dems might win enough seats of Labour for the Lib Dems to return to Governement, but with Nicol Stephen as first minister. Whether that is will an ailing Labour party, the SNP or an anti-nucleur power Lib Dem/SNP/Green coalition is open to debate, so he thinks.
Meanwhile in The Times Peter Riddell is drawing comparisons about the issues regarding Mr Blairs closest allies absence of badly bruised presence in his cabinet leading to a a similar isolation to Margaret Thatcher in her last days at number 10.
No doubt it will be easier staying awake on Thursday night for the election coverage than it was waiting for Graeme Dott to finally beat Peter Ebdon last night.
Monday, 1 May 2006
Labour's Week in the Tardis
Labour’s last week was a real horror story, more like a script for the new Doctor Who series than normal political life.
So says William Rees-Mogg in today's Times.
Of course Rees Mogg is talking up Chameleon Dave in the article. However, looking at Russell T Davies latest plot-lines obviously John Prescott wants to avoid meeting or hearing about anymore Sarah Jane Smiths from his past and John Reid had better check his kitchen for vats of noxious liquids. But most scarily is has Charles Clarke released Daleks or Cybermen into the community instead of deporting them to Skaro and Telos respectively, never mind any other races.
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