Liberal England

From the Richmond & Twickenham Times:

A highly respected literary and academic figure failed to attend a talk he was due to give for a literature festival, after getting confused over the date.

Professor of philosophy Anthony Grayling, of Birkbeck College, University of London, had arranged to speak about his latest book, The Choice of Hercules.

His talk was part of Richmond’s 17th annual literature festival.

The book reflects on the challenges of duty versus pleasure.

Thanks to Crooked Timber.

Not me, but a 176-year-old tortoise from St Helena.

The Daily Telegraph report also reveals the pleasing fact that the governor of the island in the 1930s was Sir Spencer Davis.

Labels: Awards

While Damian Green is enjoying an unexpected period of celebrity, it is time to remind readers of the time that he was thrown into the Cherwell by Dominic Grieve.

Labels: Damian Green, Dominic Grieve

The Amnesty website reports that speak at an event at the Human Rights Action Centre, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2 on 10 December. His address will be followed by a conversation between Nick Clegg and Krishnan Guru Murthy of Channel 4 News and questions from the floor.

The event starts at 6.30 p.m. and is free of charge. Book via the Amnesty website.

Thanks to Liberal Conspiracy.

Labels: Nick Clegg

Not a very edifying performance, was it?

Fraser Nelson at the Spectator Coffee House blog asks some searching questions.

Following Nick's being overheard on the flight to Inverness, Danny Finkelstein reminds us that he has previous.

In May 2006 Kevin Maguire wrote:

That thrusting young Minger Nick Clegg should learn to swivel his head to spy who is sitting within earshot before shouting into a mobile phone about an aged Olympic sprinter off to a poor start.

While waiting on Bournemouth station for the London train, it was impossible for your columnist not to overhear the Lib Dems' home affairs chap itemising, between sips of Red Bull, his leader Sir Ming Campbell's political crimes. Ming the Mediocre, according to Clegg, is hesitant and disorganised, commits avoidable errors and lacks momentum but - this was the loyal bit - is capable of recovering.

At least we are only worrying about our leader's Red Bull habit these days.

Labels: Nick Clegg

Yesterday I reported the striking news that a Conservative councillor from Croydon had resigned her cabinet post after admitting she had close ties with the Provisional IRA in the early 1970s.

Time reviewed Maria Gatland's book, which was written under her maiden name of Maria McGuire, in 1973:

Dave O'Connell, the Provisional I.R.A.'s political-military swing man, took Maria along as interpreter on an arms-buying trip to Europe. Their mission began as Irish low comedy and ended in fiasco. In Amsterdam their cover was blown, their planeload of Czech bazookas, rocket launchers and hand grenades was impounded, and Maria and Dave lammed out just ahead of the cops.

Labels: Conservative Party, London, Northern Ireland

Unmitigated England pays a visit:

The tramway closed in 1966, but you can still see the space in front of the houses where it ran, and the odd crumbling shed. There is a dinner table game where you proffer a time in history you would like to visit. After Doctor Feelgood doing Route 66 at the Kursaal in Southend around 1972, I think the hour's journey on this railway amongst the cabbages and sugar beet comes a close second.

Labels: Railways

Labels: Music, Radio, Spencer Davis Group, Steve Winwood

From our You Couldn't Make It Up department.

The BBC reports:

A Croydon councillor has quit her cabinet post after admitting she had close ties with the Provisional IRA in the early 1970s.

A council spokesman said Conservative Maria Gatland confirmed that she is the author of To Take Arms: My Year with the Provisional IRA.

Mrs Gatland wrote the book under her maiden name, Maria McGuire.

When confronted with her past by a local schools activist, Mrs Gatland offered her resignation from cabinet.

The council spokesman said in addition to stepping down as cabinet member for children and young people, fellow councillors were urging Mrs Gatland to resign from the council.

This may seem rather unfair when you consider everyone was happy for Martin McGuinness to be in charge of education in Northern Ireland for many years.

Later: I have found a review of her book.

Labels: Conservative Party, Education, London, Northern Ireland

As someone pointed out to me, the Sunday Mirror's exclusive about Nick Clegg slagging off his shadown cabinet colleagues whilst on a flight to Inverness is obviously true. No journalist would go to the trouble of making up a story about people whom most of his readers have never heard of.

Labels: Nick Clegg, Steve Webb

Ed Balls today received the report on children's services in Haringey this morning. You can read the full text of his statement on the Independent website.

As a result of the report's contents, George Meehan, the leader of Haringey Council, and Liz Santry the cabinet member for children and young people, have both resigned. Sharon Shoesmith has been removed from her post as director of children's services and five other members of staff connected with those services in Haringey have been suspended or are under review.

Lynne Featherstone writes:

So - the report finds Haringey Council guilty - and then some. I have never seen such a damning and devastating criticism of an authority as this litany of failure - both systemic and personal, and at every level and more or less in every agency. But particularly singled out for special damnation - Haringey Council.

And this has been the story here all along: the fact that Haringey Council is no good at protecting children. Those bloggers who thought the real villain here were David Cameron or the press, or thought that the whole affair was simply to ghastly to mention, mystify me.

Lynne also says:

As to the resignations of George Meehan and Liz Santry - it's a shame it took until they publicly had nowhere to go in the face of such extreme criticism before they finally acknowledged their responsibility.

And none of this sadly goes to the heart of the rotten culture in Haringey which is secretive, arrogant, rank-closing and abuses power. Lord knows I have been shouting this from rooftops for long enough. Now at least I have Ed Balls and the Government shouting the same thing with me!

It is this culture that is at the heart of the political debate over the death of Peter - to give Baby P his real name.

Over at the dear old Guardian, Patrick Butler does his best to rally the troops by writing of Sharon Shoesmith:

A journalist who met her two years ago, shortly after she had taken up her current role, recalls her as appearing relaxed, confident and competent, with a clear understanding of the wider children's policy agenda ...

Shoesmith, 55, appears widely respected among her peers in Haringey: an open letter signed by 61 primary and secondary school headteachers in the north London borough last month called her an "outstanding public servant" who had in her previous role revitalised Haringey's once embarrassing and demoralised education service. It said: "Should the Child P case result in her loss from the borough, then our children and young people will lose one of their most effective, determined and committed champions."

Surely, all that does is make you worry about the judgement of headteachers in Haringey?

Later. See this Lib Dem Voice story about Haringey's chief executive too.

Labels: Baby P, Lynne Featherstone

I am talking about Gordon Tonkinson of Bridgnorth District Council, of course.

You really should read the Shropshire Star.

Labels: Shropshire

Paul Barnett, a guest blogger on Ruscombe Green, shares his enthusiasm for this ships' graveyard on the banks of the Severn estuary:

it has been established that the site, which stretches 1.5km to the north of Sharpness New Dock entrance, is the final resting place of 81 vessels and encapsulate steel, timber and concrete constructions.

Amazingly, ongoing research has established that the site is now deemed to be the largest of its kind in the UK and is formed in distinct layers including mighty ocean going schooners, reliable Severn Trows, sturdy Wich Barges, revolutionary concrete lighters and extremely rare Stroudwater and Kennet barges.

Thanks to Britblog Roundup 198 and to Ruscombe Green for the photo.

The current Speaker has once last chance not to go down in history as one of the most partisan and discredited figures to occupy the role.

Iain Dale reports that Harriet Harman's plans for a meeting to discuss the Speaker's statement on the arrest of Damian Green have been leaked to the Conservatives. It is clear from the memo that she is trying to tell him what he should say. And it is clear from the list of those invited that she is acting purely out of party interest.

As Iain says:

Invited to the meeting are Jacqui Smith and Jack Straw, as well as Cabinet Secretary Gus O'Donnell, Jill Pay, the Serjeant at Arms and the Parliamentary Clerk, Malcolm Jack and a representative from the Speaker's Office. Strangely the Tories and LibDems have not been invited.

The Speaker should tell Harman that he will decide with whom he discuss his statement and he will decide what he will say.

Sadly, I doubt that he has the courage, the independence or the intellect to do so.

Labels: Damian Green, Harriet Harman

At Philobiblon.

Labels: Britblog Roundup

Danny Finkelstein lists the many examples of Gordon Brown making use of leaked documents whilst in opposition.

Has the man no shame? (Brown, not Finkelstein, that is.)

Labels: Gordon Brown

The leader of the house has become the first cabinet minister to distance herself from the arrest of the Tory immigration spokesman. The BBC reports:

Harriet Harman has said she is "very concerned" by the arrest of Conservative immigration spokesman Damian Green.

Ms Harman also said she understood MPs' anger at the way police officers had raided Mr Green's Parliamentary and constituency bases.

And she said protection of MPs' offices from police raids must be reviewed.

A sign of the way the wind is blowing?

Labels: Damian Green, Harriet Harman

As John Denver kindly explains, this is the band that Rod Argent formed after the Zombies. You will see that Argent himself (on keyboards) has followed the change in fashion between the mid sixties and the early seventies assiduously.

It's a great record, even though I am not convinced anyone can play two guitars stuck together like that.

Labels: Music

Yesterday's Independent reported how they got on.

There have been two developments in the case of Baby P - or Peter, to give him the dignity he was denied in life. Both involve excessive secrecy.

Lynne Featherstone has now read the Serious Case Review. You may recall that Ed Balls was at first unwilling to release it even to directly interested MPs and tried to hide behind the Information Commissioner.

Having read the report, Lynne writes:

What I can say is that having read the document I am even more of the opinion that it would be in the public interest for it to be published - obviously with some parts anonymized and with a tiny - very tiny - bit of editing of any personal information around the family.

Otherwise - how will all those who have an interest or experience or knowledge or expertise be able to judge Ed Balls action when the investigative report comes in on Monday? That report he has said he will publish - but surely the wider audience can only benefit from understanding how resonant the original document is and was.

The second point is that the sentencing of the three people convicted over the child's death has been postponed for at least three months. But we are not told why beyond the usual formulation of "legal reasons".

There may be good reasons for this and for the anonymity of all involved in the case. but unless we are given some clue as to what these reasons are, it is hard to see why the public should have confidence that justice is being done.

Labels: Baby P, Lynne Featherstone

Speaker Lenthall, 1642

"May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as this House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here; and humbly beg your Majesty's pardon that I cannot give any other answer than this to what your Majesty is pleased to demand of me".

Speaker Martin, 2008

"Help yourself, his office is down the corridor."

People used to behave that, true to his earlier working life, Michael Martin used to behave more like a shop steward for MPs than a Speaker. They won't be saying that any more.

Incidentally, one of the five members Lenthall was protecting was Arthur Haselrig. At the height of the Lib Dem hegemony in Market Harborough, the Tories had to bring in two members of the Hazelrigg (as it is now spelt) family from distant Noseley Hall to fight and lose town seats.

It is sad to see a good radical family fallen so low.

Labels: Market Harborough

From the Hemel Hempstead Gazette:

My House Points column from today's Liberal Democrat News.

Kettles of fish

MPs assembled the other day for a great Commons occasion. Not the pre-budget report but the annual debate on fisheries. It featured a figure that this column has become obsessed with over the years: the Minister for Fish. Last Thursday there was a new one in plaice: Huw Irranca-Davies.

Hansard calls him the "Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs," but we know what that really means.

It is always an important debate for members with fishing interests in their constituencies, and many of them are Liberal Democrats. Alan Beith, Alan Reid, Andrew George and Alistair Carmichael all took part. Even Ming Campbell lowered his sights from the finer points of international diplomacy to plead for the lobster fishermen of Pittenweem.

The history of the fishing industry is a tragedy. The apparently endless bounty of the oceans has been all but exhausted by overfishing. This has inevitably led to regulation, but the absurdities of centrally imposed rules lead to fish being thrown back dead because it is illegal to land them.

Most MPs called for more local regulation of fishing. Though some may dream of a return to a free-for-all, for most this was just a wish for more sensible regulation.

Others will point out that fishing is now regulated by the EU via its Common Fisheries Policy and wonder if their industry was uppermost in Edward Heath’s mind when he negotiated Britain’s entry. It is easy to imagine an allegorical painting entitled The Sacrifice of Poseidon to Europa. In it Heath lies chubbily naked on a bed of haddock with his arm around the neck of a bull… Just me, then.

Perhaps there is a parallel with the pre-budget report after all. The seemingly bottomless sea of credit has also been fished out. Individual voters now realise they will have to pay back every penny they have borrowed, and their debts are no longer being made to look insignificant by rising house prices.

In this light Alistair Darling’s cut in the rate of VAT looks very like a red herring. And soon we will have to find the money to pay for it too.

No cormorants were harmed in the writing of this column.

Labels: Environment, Europe, House Points

File under "Ludicrous Populism".

Labels: Gordon Brown, Music, Television

The arrest of a shadow cabinet minister under anti-terrorism powers can only have taken place with sanction from the highest level. And, if the Daily Telegraph is correct, then it is clear that Green's offence is embarrassing the government:

It is understood that the inquiry is focusing on four Home Office documents allegedly obtained by the Conservatives. Last November, documents from the private office of Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, were leaked to the opposition.

They showed that ministers had known for four months that thousands of illegal immigrants had been cleared to work as security guards but had not told Parliament.
Other documents included information about an illegal immigrant working at House of Commons and a list of Labour MPs preparing to vote against the Government's anti-terrorism measures.

Moreover, by acting in this way the government will only strengthen the public perception that it has something to hide on immigration. You would have to be quite extraordinarily stupid to think anthing else. In fact, it hard to think of anyone who who could be so mind-numbingly stupid as to approve this action.

Hello, my name is Jacqui Smith.

Labels: Damian Green, Jacqui Smith

Last night's 15 Minute Musical on BBC Radio 4 dealt with the travails of the Liberal Democrat leader:

I would kill myself, but I can see the headlines now: "Boss of Cheeky Girl's ex-fiancé dies alone and friendless."

But it has a happy ending of sorts.

Labels: Nick Clegg, Radio

I am clearly fated never to win Lib Dem Blog of the Year, but I did win the Non-Fiction Award at the Annual Dinner of the Leicester Writers Club this evening.

It's the first time I have had custody of a silver cup since I gave up chess.

Labels: Leicester

Yesterday I questioned Phil Willis's attitude towards those who suggest there may have been some dumbing down of standards in universities.

Labels: Education, Phil Willis

Following yesterday's posting about the National Cartoon Archive, a correspondent writes to tell me of an interview with Nick Hiley on The Bloghorn - the diary of the Professional Cartoonists' Organisation.

Nick is the curator of the exhibition Giles: One of the Family, which is now on at the Cartoon Museum in London.

rhetorically speaking... has a nice posting on the unique logic used by the Daily Mail columnist:

Unlike lesser practitioners of the art, Phillips doesn't ignore contradictory or inconvenient evidence. Rather, she incorporates such material as the central proof of whatever she's arguing.

As an example of this the blog quotes yesterday's piece for the Spectator website:

For sure, [Obama] has made some solid and reassuring appointments, such as his Treasury team. But did anyone really believe that a radical president would appoint obvious radicals to key roles in his administration? Maybe he really was a centrist all along. But if not, the one thing Obama is not going to do is torpedo his presidency at the very start by displaying a radical bent.

In other words, "Obama's failure to behave like a crazy radical is in fact proof that he is a crazy radical."

Labels: US Politics

Despite - or rather, come to think of it, because of - my love for the original series in the 1970s, I did not watch the new version of Survivors.

But there is a very good thread about it on Crooked Timber. It takes in the sociological significance of that original series, 1990 (so I am not the only person who remembers it) and John Wyndham.

Labels: Television

Imagine an inquiry into an aspect of government policy. Would you have any confidence in that inquiry if its chairman called on critics of the policy to "put up or shut up" and challenged them "to come out from the woodwork"?

You would have very little confidence at all. You would probably conclude that the chairman was a Labour hack. You might even worry about what was going on in the darker recesses of his mind. Rats and cockroaches live in the woodwork, don't they?

Except that the person speaking in Phil Willis, Lib Dem MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough and the chairman of the Commons innovation, universities, science and skills select committee.

Yet the Times Higher Education Supplement, which reports Willis's remarks, recently ran a survey on the subject and found:

Labels: Education, Phil Willis

Late yesterday evening someone from Liverpool Googled:

rutland water leonard cohen

Labels: Awards

Even among Labour backbenchers, the MP for Edinburgh South stands out.

Guido Fawkes has the story.

Labels: Awards

Another triumph for the Johnson family. Boris's sister Rachel has defeated Alastair Campbell, amongst others, to win this year's Literary Review Bad Sex in Fiction award.

The magazine's deputy editor Tom Fleming said of her work: "It's a mixture of cliché and euphemism, but it's also very spirited – A plus for effort."

If you go to the Guardian website you can judge for yourself.

Labels: Awards

From Associated Press:

Labels: Chess

The latest Calder's Comfort Farm is up on the New Statesman website: