Fifty years ago today, SWRD Bandanaranaike, the Prime Minister of Ceylon, was assassinated by a yellow-robed figure. Foreshadowing several of the troubles which continue in the region today, his enlightened attitude to the Tamils, and his perceived closeness to the Western powers, had antagonised many of his compatriots.
The event did have a momentous outcome. After ten months of a government led by Dudley Senanayake, Bandaranaike's widow Sirimavo was elected as the world's first female prime minister in July 1960.
Saturday, 26 September 2009
Friday, 25 September 2009
Labour has let us down on ageism
The Labour government dragged its feet over legislating to meet the EU requirement to outlaw ageism in the workplace, and, as a High Court judgment has made clear, has done so inadequately.
There can be no objection to releasing workers on genuine grounds that they are no longer capable, but, as B&Q stores have shown, some people well over the traditional retiring age can still do a good job. A compulsory retirement age of 65 is arbitrary, unfair and an anachronism.
There can be no objection to releasing workers on genuine grounds that they are no longer capable, but, as B&Q stores have shown, some people well over the traditional retiring age can still do a good job. A compulsory retirement age of 65 is arbitrary, unfair and an anachronism.
Troughing Tories & Labourites missed a trick
The Indian Army got away (until now) with hiding in the terrorist defence budget their acquisition of golf buggies for generals under the heading "silent reconnaissance vehicles".
Now if Sir Peter Viggers had described his duck house as "secure reception area for foreign guests flying in", or Douglas Hogg had put his moat maintenance down to additional security measures, perhaps they might have been able to put off the day of retirement a little longer.
And Margaret Moran (Labour, Luton South) was clearly providing a large number of safe houses.
Now if Sir Peter Viggers had described his duck house as "secure reception area for foreign guests flying in", or Douglas Hogg had put his moat maintenance down to additional security measures, perhaps they might have been able to put off the day of retirement a little longer.
And Margaret Moran (Labour, Luton South) was clearly providing a large number of safe houses.
Thursday, 24 September 2009
YouTube could make the coming general election the dirtiest yet
The Electoral Commission has announced that it had no plans to police internet material during the general election campaign.
According to a BBC report, a spokesman said: "There is nothing in electoral legislation that would cover that kind of stuff. Our job is to provide guidance for those people taking part in an election and to help them stay within the law."
But he "makes clear that complaints about potentially defamatory material, under electoral laws, remain a matter for the police and that cases will be investigated".
The phrase "don't hold your breath" comes to mind. A serious allegation was made against a candidate in the last Assembly elections in the form of a widely distributed anonymous leaflet. Although the police investigation has not officially been closed as far as I know, there have not yet been any arrests. If the perpetrators of a leaflet, which involves considerable effort to print and distribute, cannot be tracked down, what hope is there of nailing the producer of an online video spoof, which may not even be hosted in the UK?
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Come clean over putative North Wales gaol site
The Justice Ministry should explain why a brownfield site in Caernarfon is not, after all, to be the site of a new prison for North Wales, as reported by the BBC. One can only assume that asbestos contamination is the determining factor, because in all other respects the former Ferodo factory appears ideal. Have the current owners leant on the civil servants to keep dark the condition of the site, for fear it might depress its development value?
Tuesday, 22 September 2009
Floella Benjamin speaks to the Liberal Democrats
Rambler extraordinaire and broadcaster, Floella Benjamin OBE, spoke to the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth at the weekend.
She said: “I have spent many years campaigning for a society that is based on integrity, trust and morality. And it is clear that this belief is at the very core of everything the Liberal Democrats do."
There is more here.
She said: “I have spent many years campaigning for a society that is based on integrity, trust and morality. And it is clear that this belief is at the very core of everything the Liberal Democrats do."
There is more here.
Improving the railways
Liberal Democrat conference this morning passed the following resolution:
F31 Rail Franchises
Conference notes:
i) The growing number of passenger rail franchises now being agreed with substantial and
increasing amounts of premium to be paid to the Treasury.
ii) That rail franchisees also have to pay their share of the costs of Rolling Stock Operating
Companies’ and Network Rail’s charges.
iii) That Britain’s rail fares are already among the highest in Europe.
iv) That in most cases franchisees are awarded a private monopoly with no choice of provider
being offered to the rail traveller.
Conference condemns recent increases in both regulated and unregulated rail fares, which are
higher than the then rate of inflation and bore particularly hard on those who depend on the railway to commute to work.
Conference deplores:
a) The fact that the Labour Government has continued to pursue a highest premium model of
awarding monopoly franchises, with clear problems and stresses now becoming evident
across the rail industry and consequent large fare increases which are little more than a
stealth tax on one of the greenest modes of transport.
b) The way this franchise model has led to companies overbidding for franchises, creating the
situation where both GNER and now National Express have handed back the East Coast
franchise to the Government, leaving the taxpayer with a greater cost to bear.
c) The apparent inability of the Office of Rail Regulation to force transparency in how individual
fares from individual stations are set even for regulated fares, and its past acquiescence in
disproportionate increases imposed on particular classes of passenger who use off-peak
services and in differing fares being applied arbitrarily to apparently similar journeys from
similar stations.
Conference further notes belated moves by the Government to end the situation where individual regulated fares are allowed to increase by more than the RPI+1% cap in ways that further increased fare inequalities as long as the overall ‘basket’ of regulated fares increased by no more than the cap.
Conference demands that:
1. The Government retain the East Coast franchise until the end of the current franchise term
as a public interest franchise, to act as a public sector comparator to drive up standards and
drive down costs across the rest of the rail network.
2. The Government scrap the failing franchise system and replace it with one that prioritises the passenger over higher premium payments; new franchise conditions must lead on quality of service and of passenger experience, including, where possible, fare reductions, with rolling
reviews to ensure standards are being met.
3. The government guarantee that any surplus from franchise premiums should continue to be
invested in rail improvements, to include improved services, more rolling stock, and, where
economically viable, the reopening of stations and lines.
4. As soon as possible overall annual increases in rail fares should be at no more than inflation,
as part of the wider agenda of promoting green forms of travel.
An amendment proposed by Linda Jack and supported by Lembit Opik, which called on the party to consider renationalisation was clearly lost, but attracted considerable support.
During the debate, it was revealed that a survey by the Swiss multinational bank UBS earlier this year showed UK train fares to be not only the highest in the EU, but the highest in the world.
F31 Rail Franchises
Conference notes:
i) The growing number of passenger rail franchises now being agreed with substantial and
increasing amounts of premium to be paid to the Treasury.
ii) That rail franchisees also have to pay their share of the costs of Rolling Stock Operating
Companies’ and Network Rail’s charges.
iii) That Britain’s rail fares are already among the highest in Europe.
iv) That in most cases franchisees are awarded a private monopoly with no choice of provider
being offered to the rail traveller.
Conference condemns recent increases in both regulated and unregulated rail fares, which are
higher than the then rate of inflation and bore particularly hard on those who depend on the railway to commute to work.
Conference deplores:
a) The fact that the Labour Government has continued to pursue a highest premium model of
awarding monopoly franchises, with clear problems and stresses now becoming evident
across the rail industry and consequent large fare increases which are little more than a
stealth tax on one of the greenest modes of transport.
b) The way this franchise model has led to companies overbidding for franchises, creating the
situation where both GNER and now National Express have handed back the East Coast
franchise to the Government, leaving the taxpayer with a greater cost to bear.
c) The apparent inability of the Office of Rail Regulation to force transparency in how individual
fares from individual stations are set even for regulated fares, and its past acquiescence in
disproportionate increases imposed on particular classes of passenger who use off-peak
services and in differing fares being applied arbitrarily to apparently similar journeys from
similar stations.
Conference further notes belated moves by the Government to end the situation where individual regulated fares are allowed to increase by more than the RPI+1% cap in ways that further increased fare inequalities as long as the overall ‘basket’ of regulated fares increased by no more than the cap.
Conference demands that:
1. The Government retain the East Coast franchise until the end of the current franchise term
as a public interest franchise, to act as a public sector comparator to drive up standards and
drive down costs across the rest of the rail network.
2. The Government scrap the failing franchise system and replace it with one that prioritises the passenger over higher premium payments; new franchise conditions must lead on quality of service and of passenger experience, including, where possible, fare reductions, with rolling
reviews to ensure standards are being met.
3. The government guarantee that any surplus from franchise premiums should continue to be
invested in rail improvements, to include improved services, more rolling stock, and, where
economically viable, the reopening of stations and lines.
4. As soon as possible overall annual increases in rail fares should be at no more than inflation,
as part of the wider agenda of promoting green forms of travel.
An amendment proposed by Linda Jack and supported by Lembit Opik, which called on the party to consider renationalisation was clearly lost, but attracted considerable support.
During the debate, it was revealed that a survey by the Swiss multinational bank UBS earlier this year showed UK train fares to be not only the highest in the EU, but the highest in the world.
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Adam Price
It is left to Conservative Glyn Davies to comment on Adam Price's decision to absent himself from the party fray for at least the duration of the next parliament. I thought there might have been some reaction from the LibDem bloggers I habitually follow. Perhaps I am not reading all the right blogs.
My first thought was: what is Price running away from? He has escaped serious questioning about the use of his MP's communications allowance to help Welsh Assembly nationalist candidates. That is not likely to be brought up again, so that can't be it. It is more likely that Plaid anticipates a hung parliament after the next general election, and a deal with another party. History suggests that Plaid will not be too particular as to who that deal is done with, so long as it serves their narrow self-interest. Dissociating himself from a move which is almost certain to end in tears, to return and take over from a discredited leadership in 2014 when he is still young, would seem to be astute and in character.
My first thought was: what is Price running away from? He has escaped serious questioning about the use of his MP's communications allowance to help Welsh Assembly nationalist candidates. That is not likely to be brought up again, so that can't be it. It is more likely that Plaid anticipates a hung parliament after the next general election, and a deal with another party. History suggests that Plaid will not be too particular as to who that deal is done with, so long as it serves their narrow self-interest. Dissociating himself from a move which is almost certain to end in tears, to return and take over from a discredited leadership in 2014 when he is still young, would seem to be astute and in character.
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