Monthly Archives: September 2010

I was going to do a blog on this but I’ve got man flu and I thought that the letter spoke for itself! Richard Rt Hon Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Treasury, Whitehall, London SW1 27th September 2010 … Continue reading →

“What do we want?”, “Placed based budgeting!”, “When do we want it?”, “Now” is probably not going to be the slogan that you hear being chanted at demonstrations over the next few months about government proposals to deal with the … Continue reading →

Once again Iain Dale and his Liberal Democrat panel have placed me amongst the 50 most influential Liberal Democrats (29 up from 33 if you really want to know!) I don’t know how Mr Dale comes to that conclusion – … Continue reading →

So the first day of the Lib Dem conference is now over in Liverpool. Some Lib Dems disagreed with each other! Some Lib Dems disagreed with the ‘Leadership’ on some issues. That’s all so terribly, terribly different from any other … Continue reading →

All my friends know that I have always opted for the quiet life. Confrontation – no not for me! Verbal fisticuffs – not my style! Sweetness and light – I always spread them. That is why I have agreed to … Continue reading →

Let’s face it folks I am just like every other middle aged man. I always hope that I will be asked to prove I am at least 25 when buying booze. I take on physical challenges that were probably always … Continue reading →

I suppose that it must be a tremendous irony that the day after I posted a note about one of our great former MPs Jo Grimond another one should pass away. Big Cyril Smith will have had so much written … Continue reading →

The government has a curious approach to local government. Stick in hundreds of rules and regulations and insist through legislation in establishing strait jackets for local government and then when local government does its best to deliver within those constraints … Continue reading →

In 1956 the Liberal Party was all but dead. With 6 MPs three of whom were from the Celtic Fringes and three of whom survived because of pacts in the Pennines with Tories it would have been very easy for … Continue reading →

In January I had a life changing event. For the first time I became a grandpa! Like all such events it gives you the opportunity to take stock and think what you want to achieve and do with the rest … Continue reading →