Two things I forgot to say earlier:
Congratulations Ros on the start of your term as party President - I still get a little frisson of delight at seeing that result and it was enhanced by hearing one of your opponents on radio 4 earlier this evening.
Secondly - it is with some trepidation and pleasure that I can announce that my term as Convener of the Ochil Liberal Democrat Local Party commenced about an hour ago. Wish me luck folks. The poor sods don't know what they've let themselves in for!
Actually there is a third thing I wanted to mumble about - (Lady) Mark, Alix & Jennie have all helped to make last year a better place - ta.
Showing posts with label Lib Dems. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lib Dems. Show all posts
Thursday, 1 January 2009
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
A little self indulgence on blogging
As my 'bloggers block' seems to have burst today I thought I'd witter for a few lines about blogging and me. I generally blog when I'm angry or amused about something (see earlier posts today regarding Cameron and the Tories) and when I feel that I may have something to contribute to a debate on issues. I'm fully aware that my style can be a touch awkward and my punctuation would have a teacher of English reaching for a shotgun but this is mine, my outlet, my rant & scream at this big, bad, unjust old world which, if the media were to be believed, is populated only by Tories, Gnats and fumbling Labouristas. It may not be the most articulate Lib Dem voice and may often criticise the 'establishment' in our party but at least it's another heart-felt advocate of Liberalism.
What constantly astounds me is that other people read this. To be voted at number 32 in the Lib Dem list and number 26 in the Scottish list by the readers of 'Total Politics' had me go WTF????? Then to discover that I made it into position 99 of the Wikio top 100 political blogs really stunned me, particularly as both came after a period of blogging inactivity.
There are many, many better, more informative, more interesting and more rounded blogs than this, which I regularly read. Probably my absolute favourite - certainly amongst Lib Dem blogs - is that of Alix Mortimer (now I'll have caused great huffs in hundreds of Lib Dem bloggers across the country). The People's Republic of Mortimer won 3 of the 6 categories at the recent Lib Dem bloggers awards. If I compared Alix's efforts to a beautiful hand-built Bentley then an appropriate comparison of my efforts would be a 1980's Lada or, if truth be be told, a 70's Trabant. But that's not to denigrate my own stuff - it's just different and I simply do not have the talent with words and punctuation which Alix and many others do.
I fully intend to continue to enjoy blogging and to keep writing, from the heart, in the usual 'machine-gun' style and I will always continue to be amazed that not only do people read it, but they come back for more! Thanks for stopping by.
What constantly astounds me is that other people read this. To be voted at number 32 in the Lib Dem list and number 26 in the Scottish list by the readers of 'Total Politics' had me go WTF????? Then to discover that I made it into position 99 of the Wikio top 100 political blogs really stunned me, particularly as both came after a period of blogging inactivity.
There are many, many better, more informative, more interesting and more rounded blogs than this, which I regularly read. Probably my absolute favourite - certainly amongst Lib Dem blogs - is that of Alix Mortimer (now I'll have caused great huffs in hundreds of Lib Dem bloggers across the country). The People's Republic of Mortimer won 3 of the 6 categories at the recent Lib Dem bloggers awards. If I compared Alix's efforts to a beautiful hand-built Bentley then an appropriate comparison of my efforts would be a 1980's Lada or, if truth be be told, a 70's Trabant. But that's not to denigrate my own stuff - it's just different and I simply do not have the talent with words and punctuation which Alix and many others do.
I fully intend to continue to enjoy blogging and to keep writing, from the heart, in the usual 'machine-gun' style and I will always continue to be amazed that not only do people read it, but they come back for more! Thanks for stopping by.
Friday, 5 September 2008
Democracy Dragons Den
This is an event being held at Lib Dem Federal Conference in Bournemouth. I certainly intend to go along.
Democracy Dragons' Den
Electoral Reform Society with Lib Dem Voice
What's your one big idea to improve democracy in this country?
Submit your idea to democracy@electoral-reform.org.uk .
Then come to the Electoral Reform Society stand at conference in Bournemouth over Saturday and Sunday, and vote* to select the top five ideas submitted.
The top five win the opportunity to pitch their idea, Dragons' Den style, to the Electoral Reform Society's expert panel at our fringe event on Monday lunchtime. The panellists will be:
Julia Goldsworthy MP
Richard Reeves, chair of Demos
Ken Ritchie, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society
Stephen Tall of Lib Dem Voice
Plus, we'll give the top five a signed copy of Richard Reeves' new biography of John Stuart Mill.
This opportunity to shine is open to any Liberal Democrat party member attending conference. Give your proposal a title of not more than eight words, and summarise it in fewer than 30. You can provide more detail if you wish, but we won't be able to fit it on the ballot paper to select the ideas that get pitched to the panel.
Think the unthinkable, be bold, be positive, and give us your one big idea!
See you in Bournemouth,
Amy
Amy Rodger is the Electoral Reform Society's Scotland Director as well as the Liberal Democrat PPC for East Lothian.
*Single Transferable Vote, ERS rules! ;-)
Democracy Dragons' Den
Electoral Reform Society with Lib Dem Voice
What's your one big idea to improve democracy in this country?
Submit your idea to democracy@electoral-reform.org.uk .
Then come to the Electoral Reform Society stand at conference in Bournemouth over Saturday and Sunday, and vote* to select the top five ideas submitted.
The top five win the opportunity to pitch their idea, Dragons' Den style, to the Electoral Reform Society's expert panel at our fringe event on Monday lunchtime. The panellists will be:
Julia Goldsworthy MP
Richard Reeves, chair of Demos
Ken Ritchie, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society
Stephen Tall of Lib Dem Voice
Plus, we'll give the top five a signed copy of Richard Reeves' new biography of John Stuart Mill.
This opportunity to shine is open to any Liberal Democrat party member attending conference. Give your proposal a title of not more than eight words, and summarise it in fewer than 30. You can provide more detail if you wish, but we won't be able to fit it on the ballot paper to select the ideas that get pitched to the panel.
Think the unthinkable, be bold, be positive, and give us your one big idea!
See you in Bournemouth,
Amy
Amy Rodger is the Electoral Reform Society's Scotland Director as well as the Liberal Democrat PPC for East Lothian.
*Single Transferable Vote, ERS rules! ;-)
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Your chance to be in Who's Who in the Lib Dems
Jo Christie-Smith has taken on the daunting challenge of Editing the next edition of "Who's Who in the Liberal Democrats" and is actively encouraging all party members to have an entry. If you would like to join me in having an entry in the next edition, which is being published online, then drop Jo a line to: info@whoswholibdems.org.uk
In Jo's own words:
We’re looking to increase the number of entries from Liberal Democrats like never before; you may think you’re a small cog in the big Lib Dem wheel but you’re really interesting to us and to our Who's Who Readers. So, please sign up to be included! We want everybody, councillors, MPs, local party officers, bloggers, any sort of candidates, party leaders, blog readers, leaflet delivers...everybody!!
I'd probably include your membership number in your email too.
In Jo's own words:
We’re looking to increase the number of entries from Liberal Democrats like never before; you may think you’re a small cog in the big Lib Dem wheel but you’re really interesting to us and to our Who's Who Readers. So, please sign up to be included! We want everybody, councillors, MPs, local party officers, bloggers, any sort of candidates, party leaders, blog readers, leaflet delivers...everybody!!
I'd probably include your membership number in your email too.
Wednesday, 19 December 2007
Belated congratulations to Nick
It's not through any grand huff that I haven't yet blogged my sincere congratulations to Nick and sympathies to Chris, for whom I voted, it's simply that I've not had he time thanks to a Scottish all members mailing being sent from Edinburgh HQ.
My congratulations to Nick is genuine - I always felt and have gone on record as such that whoever of the two contenders we chose we would have a first class new leader. The one suprise was that the result was so close. Some of the Clegg team seemed, at times, to believe their own propoganda about being miles ahead.
One disappointment however was that only 64.4% of members bothered to vote.
My congratulations to Nick is genuine - I always felt and have gone on record as such that whoever of the two contenders we chose we would have a first class new leader. The one suprise was that the result was so close. Some of the Clegg team seemed, at times, to believe their own propoganda about being miles ahead.
One disappointment however was that only 64.4% of members bothered to vote.
Monday, 26 November 2007
Bye bye Saj
So Saj Karim (MEP NW England) has buggered off and joined the Tories in a major cream puff. Oh dearie, dearie me my morale has shot through the floor - not!
I can't remember if I've actually met the guy during one of my various trips out to Brussels (speaks volumes for him in it's own right), but the general word on the street amongst those with ears to the ground in Brussels is that he wasn't in the first division amongst LDEPP.
A few comments from Saj:
On Human Rights: "This is just another example of how the Labour and Conservative parties are completely aligned on stripping away our human and civil rights..."
On Conservative Homophobia: With their failure to support a resolution condemning discriminatory remarks by political and religious leaders targeting homosexuals, the Tories have shown their true colours." "Their apathy in the face of rising homophobia should come as no surprise. The Conservative camp is today rife with contradiction. Cameron attempts to paint a glossy image of a gay-friendly party in the UK while desperately trying to get into bed at European level with Poland's homophobic 'Law and Justice' party."
On Kashmir: "I can honestly say that that whilst the British Conservative and Labour delegations were trying to make political capital out of the human rights situation of the Kashmiri people, the Liberal Democrats and Greens were the only MEPs to vote on the substance of the amendments, regardless of who their authors were."
On Animal Welfare: "...it is an issue that the Liberal Democrats in Europe take very seriously. The fact that the Tories have adopted such an untenable position on animal welfare indicates how out of touch they are with the European consumer. Astonishingly, the Tories were against the mandatory labelling of products to ensure the traceability and quality of food and related products"
On Education: "There are very clear differences between what the Liberal Democrats say and what the Conservatives and Labour are saying. For a start we say very very clearly that there ought to be a standard of education that is available right across the board. We don't accept that specialist schools of the sort that are being proposed by both Labour and Conservatives are the way forward. That's the first distinction that we make." "What the Labour Party have done since they have come into power is carry forward the Conservative policies so far as bringing forward league tables, creating greater discrepancy in the provinces of the standard of education that is being provided. This is not acceptable..."
I wonder if his departure is in any way related to the fact that he came a poor second to Chris Davies MEP in the recent Euro selection contest for NW England, or am I being cynical?
I can't remember if I've actually met the guy during one of my various trips out to Brussels (speaks volumes for him in it's own right), but the general word on the street amongst those with ears to the ground in Brussels is that he wasn't in the first division amongst LDEPP.
A few comments from Saj:
On Human Rights: "This is just another example of how the Labour and Conservative parties are completely aligned on stripping away our human and civil rights..."
On Conservative Homophobia: With their failure to support a resolution condemning discriminatory remarks by political and religious leaders targeting homosexuals, the Tories have shown their true colours." "Their apathy in the face of rising homophobia should come as no surprise. The Conservative camp is today rife with contradiction. Cameron attempts to paint a glossy image of a gay-friendly party in the UK while desperately trying to get into bed at European level with Poland's homophobic 'Law and Justice' party."
On Kashmir: "I can honestly say that that whilst the British Conservative and Labour delegations were trying to make political capital out of the human rights situation of the Kashmiri people, the Liberal Democrats and Greens were the only MEPs to vote on the substance of the amendments, regardless of who their authors were."
On Animal Welfare: "...it is an issue that the Liberal Democrats in Europe take very seriously. The fact that the Tories have adopted such an untenable position on animal welfare indicates how out of touch they are with the European consumer. Astonishingly, the Tories were against the mandatory labelling of products to ensure the traceability and quality of food and related products"
On Education: "There are very clear differences between what the Liberal Democrats say and what the Conservatives and Labour are saying. For a start we say very very clearly that there ought to be a standard of education that is available right across the board. We don't accept that specialist schools of the sort that are being proposed by both Labour and Conservatives are the way forward. That's the first distinction that we make." "What the Labour Party have done since they have come into power is carry forward the Conservative policies so far as bringing forward league tables, creating greater discrepancy in the provinces of the standard of education that is being provided. This is not acceptable..."
I wonder if his departure is in any way related to the fact that he came a poor second to Chris Davies MEP in the recent Euro selection contest for NW England, or am I being cynical?
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