Parties

Richard Rogers "frustrated" by Boris Johnson regime

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 10 hours ago

From Building Design: London mayor Boris Johnson will attempt to draw a line under the bitter departure of architectural adviser Richard Rogers by appointing Tate boss Nicholas Serota in his place. Serota's appointment is now official, as are those of several other new members of the Mayor's Design Advisory Panel. BD used a Freedom of Information request to obtain correspondence between Rogers and...

The NHS is Nye's - what Beveridges have the Liberals been drinking?

Labourlist (Free subscription) | 8 hours ago

By David Boothroyd Liberal Democrat hacks have been knocking 'Against the Odds', claiming credit for the NHS belongs to Sir William Beveridge. The truth is that Beveridge had a minor role which was over before he even joined the Liberals. Before the NHS, workers who paid National Insurance had family doctor consultations paid for, but people not in work had to pay their own way. By the end of the...

The influence of DNA in crime prevention is underestimated - we must stand up for the DNA database

Labourlist (Free subscription) | 9 hours ago

By Matthew Zarb-Cousin Last week a horrendous knife murder took place on the same road I live on. As of yet, the motives of the killer are unknown, and the police are investigating the incident. Without hypothesising, or getting caught up in the hysteria of such a shocking incident, it is difficult to rule out the possibility of the person - or people - who are responsible, reoffending before they...

Michael Brown donation: we got lucky

Quaequam Blog! (Free subscription) | 9 hours ago

So the Lib Dems won’t be handing back the £2.4m donation from 5th Avenue Partners Ltd after all. Yay. I do hope however (against all the evidence?) that this won’t now result in large numbers of Lib Dems crowing about how the party’s actions have been vindicated and that the was never any question that [...]

From the CEO of UK PLC

John Redwood's Diary (Free subscription) | 9 hours ago

Dear Shareholder, What a great week. We were able to announce record October borrowing levels, and a big leap in inflation. Our strategy of never knowingly underborrowed is going so well. You know you can rely on us to waste more and spend more than anyone [...]

My first Liberal Youth Conference

Liberal Democrat Voice (Free subscription) | 10 hours ago

When I first learned of the location of the 2009 Liberal Youth Autumn Conference, I immediately paid my £15 to register. I had only been to one party conference before – the 2007 South West regional, which included the leadership hustings – so I was unsure of what to expect. I only knew one person who [...]

Comment Is Linked: Asbos for Downloaders

Charlotte Gore Blog (Free subscription) | 10 hours ago

Lucky me! I’ve got another piece on Comment Is Free, in the Liberty Central section. Funnily enough, this may not be the strangest thing that happens today - if the other thing happens there may be a space-time paradox catastrophe event - you’ve been warned. The piece is about whether or not it’s right for the [...]

Balls and his Education team fail GCSE maths?

Dizzy Thinks (Free subscription) | 7 hours ago

Ed Balls MP, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, is a man very proud of children's achievements in schools. He also, as the man who would be Chancellor likes to think of himself as a bit of an economics/maths whizz kid. This makes the following from Parliament from Balls quite funny, because, whilst discussing GCSE questions he said the following, The third question comes from...

Sir Jeremy will stand down as Labour leader of local government and from the NEC

Labourlist (Free subscription) | 8 hours ago

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 Sir Jeremy Beecham announced yesterday that he will not be seeking re-election as Leader of the Labour Group of the Local Government Association, or as Vice Chairman of the Association, at its annual meeting next July. He will also stand down as a member of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee. Sir Jeremy, who turned 65 on 17th November, has been a Newcastle...

Non-whites join the BNP… because they hate Muslims

Pickled Politics (Free subscription) | 10 hours ago

This isn’t surprising at all is it? An elderly Sikh who describes Islam as a “beast” and once provided a character reference for Nick Griffin during his racial hatred trial is set to become the British National Party’s first non-white member. Rajinder Singh, an anti-Islam activist in his late seventies who blames Muslims for the death of [...]

• Hatred of Muslims appeals across party lines in the UK - Antony Loewenstein
• BNP signs its first non-white member... - Lancaster Unity
• See the 4 articles on the same subject

Ed Balls' GCSE Pop Quiz

Labourlist (Free subscription) | 11 hours ago

By Alex Smith / @alexsmith1982 Great stuff from Ed Balls this week, as he talked proudly of Labour's education policies and asked himself and the House whether they could answer GCSE questions. They couldn't, of course. Balls said: "Hard questions, Mr Speaker, in tough exams which our young people are doing very well in. But I have to say there's one question I do know the answer to: why are...

+++ OFFICIAL: Lib Dems cleared by Electoral Commission over Michael Brown’s £2.4m donation

Liberal Democrat Voice (Free subscription) | 11 hours ago

Here’s the full statement just released by the Electoral Commission: Donations by 5th Avenue Partners Limited to the Liberal Democrats: statement 20 Nov 2009 The Electoral Commission, the independent elections and party finance watchdog, today announced the outcome of its investigation into donations made by the company 5th Avenue Partners Ltd to the Liberal Democrats. Donations totalling over...

• Lib Dems cleared by Electoral Commission over Michael Brown donation - Andrew Reeves' running blog
• Watchdog unmoving on Lib Dems' £2.4m donation - Politics.co.uk

Are local council boundaries set to change?

Liberal Democrat Voice (Free subscription) | 11 hours ago

That’s what the Electoral Commission is suggesting in its ‘farewell’ press release to mark the handing over of responsibilities for local government boundaries to a new body: Max Caller, Chair of the Boundary Committee and Electoral Commissioner, said: “The new Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s job will be to keep the map of local government [...]

Belle de Jour?

Labourlist (Free subscription) | 11 hours ago

By Julian Ware-Lane / @warelane It is pleasing when you hear of someone who enjoys their work. In Belle de Jour ’s case she would appear to be in a minority in her chosen area of employment. But that Dr Brooke Magnanti has had to out herself in an act of pre-emption against the Daily Mail perhaps suggests a hint of disingenuousness on her part. Just over three years ago I worked a stint in Amsterdam....

The Total Politics Top Political Journalists

Iain Dale's Diary (Free subscription) | 10 hours ago

For the second year running, Total Politics has conducted it's Top 100 Journalists poll , asking its readers, MPs and journalists themselves to vote. 1. (+3) Nick Robinson 2. (-1) Evan Davis 3. (-1) Jeremy Paxman 4. (+9) Adam Boulton 5. (+18) Eddie Mair 6. (+1) Andrew Marr 7. (+22) Jon Snow 8. (+3) Quentin Letts 9. (+22) James Naughtie 10. (-4) Martha Kearney 11. (-1) Peter Riddell 12. (-9) Matthew...

Slaughter and May Solicitors - "GJH Carroll Forged Signatures" - HM Treasury Tax Evasion Crime Syndicate Case

carrolltrust | 13/11/2009

Slaughter and May partners Glen James Simon Hall and Lucy Wylde are explicity "named" as the Gerald Carroll Carroll Foundation Trust lawyers in compelling criminal evidence dossiers containing forged HM Land Registry Gerald Carroll legal conveyance documentation HM Government DTI Companies House forged and falsified Carroll Trust Corporations share certificates and HM Ministry of Defence Carroll Trust

MI5 Security Services - HM Crown Carroll Trust Interests

carrolltrust | 30/10/2009

FBI "live feeds" Washington DC field office Gerald Carroll Trust named International Offshore Crime Syndicate Goodman Derrick LLP Ian Montrose trust partner resident London UK Haslers Accountants Loughton Essex UK Jon O'Shea tax partner resident Essex UK M J Chappell resident Safron Walden Essex UK Nassau Bahamas A R Clark resident Gibraltar Spain Richard Bray & Co. resident London UK Wendy Luscombe

Kent Police Authority - "Red Self Storage"- LOCKDOWN - MI5 Security Services Gerald Carroll Trust Interests

carrolltrust | 29/10/2009

FBI "live feeds" Washington DC field office Gerald Carroll Trust named International Offshore Crime Syndicate Goodman Derrick LLP Ian Montrose trust partner resident London UK Haslers Accountants Loughton Essex UK Jon O'Shea tax partner resident Essex UK M J Chappell resident Safron Walden Essex UK Nassau Bahamas A R Clark resident Gibraltar Spain Richard Bray & Co. resident London UK Wendy Luscombe