Between 10 am and 4 pm on Saturday 6th June, the National Waterfront Museum (Maritime Quarter, Swansea) will be officially opening "Hard Rain". This is a display of banners about climate change, poverty and wildlife extinction. The display is linked to what Swansea is doing about sustainability and the display will run for four months at the Waterfront Museum. Swansea is the first place to have the images.
The RSPB West Glamorgan Local Group will be manning a stall.
Sunday, 31 May 2009
A green way to revive the motor industry?
MITSUBISHI Motors in New Zealand is offering a free goat with every Triton ute sold before August, in a novel effort at correcting the economy (reports the Brisbane Courier & Mail among others, quoting a New Zealand Press Association story).
Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand general sales and marketing manager Peter Wilkins said the economy's recovery was in the hands of the rural sector, and goats, like Tritons, were "hardy, versatile units which will integrate directly into existing farm operations''.
Goats improved farm productivity by defending against weeds, were cheaper than toxic sprays, and there was no risk of goat flu affecting the tourism industry, he told NZPA.
"We are aware that three years of drought has severely depleted sheep and beef populations, so what better time to float the goat?''
Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand general sales and marketing manager Peter Wilkins said the economy's recovery was in the hands of the rural sector, and goats, like Tritons, were "hardy, versatile units which will integrate directly into existing farm operations''.
Goats improved farm productivity by defending against weeds, were cheaper than toxic sprays, and there was no risk of goat flu affecting the tourism industry, he told NZPA.
"We are aware that three years of drought has severely depleted sheep and beef populations, so what better time to float the goat?''
Saturday, 30 May 2009
What is driving no2eu?
Freedom Central has already reported on a Welsh TUC Euro hustings from which Liberal Democrats were excluded but to which no2eu was invited. (I trust that the Electoral Commission has made a note of the fact that the event was not inclusive and expects declarations of expenditure from the parties involved.)
Now I have seen the no2eu party election broadcast. It features several trade unionists inveighing against the EU and European Parliament.
Such things as directives on health and safety, working time, agency workers and combatting ageism in the workplace are important for the lives of working people. They would not have been implemented in the UK if we hadn't signed the Maastricht treaty and subsequently the Social Chapter. Indeed, New Labour has obstructed the implementation of at least one of the directives until the last moment.
One expects opposition to the EU from Conservative backers, who are keen to exploit the common European market while getting away with lower employment standards. It is strange to see trade unionists standing shoulder to shoulder with them.
[Later] I see that no2eu is strongly backed by the Communist Party Enough said.
Now I have seen the no2eu party election broadcast. It features several trade unionists inveighing against the EU and European Parliament.
Such things as directives on health and safety, working time, agency workers and combatting ageism in the workplace are important for the lives of working people. They would not have been implemented in the UK if we hadn't signed the Maastricht treaty and subsequently the Social Chapter. Indeed, New Labour has obstructed the implementation of at least one of the directives until the last moment.
One expects opposition to the EU from Conservative backers, who are keen to exploit the common European market while getting away with lower employment standards. It is strange to see trade unionists standing shoulder to shoulder with them.
[Later] I see that no2eu is strongly backed by the Communist Party Enough said.
Will Plaid stick to its line on PR?
Following on last Tuesday's post (corrected in respect of Jack Straw's actual words) it was good to hear Dafydd Wigley repeating his preference for STV on this weekend's "Called to Order".
One has to ask, though, if this is still his party's official line or whether this has also been revised in the light of the Labour/Plaid coalition in Cardiff.
One has to ask, though, if this is still his party's official line or whether this has also been revised in the light of the Labour/Plaid coalition in Cardiff.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Suddenly everyone's talking proportional voting
Alan Johnson wants a referendum on the subject. Jack Straw says on Radio 4 that he was in favour of a debate all along (though he was still agin PR). Roy Hattersley has changed his mind in favour of PR. The people at Make Votes Count are revelling in it. (David Cameron, however, is dead against PR - so far - although he has said he will consider other reforms.)
The question is, what system to use? Alan Johnson's resurrection of the Jenkins plan is more cunning than it looks. Liberal Democrats favour the system of single transferable vote in multi-member constituencies. As the advice on Electoral Reform Scotland's web page explains, "STV gives voters more choice than any other system. This in turn puts most power in the hands of the voters, rather than the party heads, who under other systems can more easily determine who is elected, meaning that under STV MPs' responsibilities lie more with the electorate than those above them in their party."
Roy Jenkins' suggestion of "AV with Top-up", while proportional (if the arithmetic is done correctly), does include an element of party control in that "top-up" candidates are supplied from a list. Jenkins does recommend that voters should be allowed to use their "top-up" vote to distinguish between candidates on their preferred list, but parties would be able to choose who to put on those lists in the first place. Moreover, their opponents would characterise successful "top-up" candidates as "second-class" members, as Labour has done in Wales.
But how could Liberal Democrats object if AV+ were advanced by the government in a referendum? Its proposer was a member of the party and the then party leadership accepted the report when it was first published, followed, somewhat grudgingly, by the membership . The party would be put on the spot, having to choose between accepting a less-than-ideal solution or appearing perverse to the voting public, most of whom are ignorant of the niceties of proportional voting.
The question is, what system to use? Alan Johnson's resurrection of the Jenkins plan is more cunning than it looks. Liberal Democrats favour the system of single transferable vote in multi-member constituencies. As the advice on Electoral Reform Scotland's web page explains, "STV gives voters more choice than any other system. This in turn puts most power in the hands of the voters, rather than the party heads, who under other systems can more easily determine who is elected, meaning that under STV MPs' responsibilities lie more with the electorate than those above them in their party."
Roy Jenkins' suggestion of "AV with Top-up", while proportional (if the arithmetic is done correctly), does include an element of party control in that "top-up" candidates are supplied from a list. Jenkins does recommend that voters should be allowed to use their "top-up" vote to distinguish between candidates on their preferred list, but parties would be able to choose who to put on those lists in the first place. Moreover, their opponents would characterise successful "top-up" candidates as "second-class" members, as Labour has done in Wales.
But how could Liberal Democrats object if AV+ were advanced by the government in a referendum? Its proposer was a member of the party and the then party leadership accepted the report when it was first published, followed, somewhat grudgingly, by the membership . The party would be put on the spot, having to choose between accepting a less-than-ideal solution or appearing perverse to the voting public, most of whom are ignorant of the niceties of proportional voting.
Saturday, 23 May 2009
Alan Hackney
In the wake of Hackney's death last week, it was inevitable that tributes would focus on his (and Peter Sellers') great comic creation, shop-steward Fred Kite. But although Hackney was a Thatcherite before the term was coined, "I'm All Right, Jack" not only attacked petty union dictatorsm, but also inept and crooked management.
"I'm All Right, Jack" will surely be shown by one or other of the terrestrial TV companies in tribute to Hackney. But I hope they will also show its precursor, "Private's Progress", which featured (Kite apart) most of the same cast. The two together show how the crooked NCO and the amateurish officer class of the war comedy transmuted easily into the bent management and boardroom of a certain kind of industrial company.
"I'm All Right, Jack" will surely be shown by one or other of the terrestrial TV companies in tribute to Hackney. But I hope they will also show its precursor, "Private's Progress", which featured (Kite apart) most of the same cast. The two together show how the crooked NCO and the amateurish officer class of the war comedy transmuted easily into the bent management and boardroom of a certain kind of industrial company.
New Labour refuses to tide over historic Bletchley Park
silicon.com draws attention to the government's refusal to stump up more cash to help Bletchley Park stay afloat until the museum can support itself.
In debate following a question in the House of Lords last Tuesday, the chamber was told funding is needed to help keep the site financially viable while restoration work to the home of the World War II codebreakers is carried out.
During the session, Labour peer Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall petitioned the government for more money in the House of Lords.
"The fundraising effort is going pretty well, as is work to improve both the buildings and museum facilities. Visitor numbers are rising very rapidly and it will be self-sufficient once capital building work is completed.
"They are suffering considerable difficulty in continuing in the interim.
"Could he [the government spokesman Lord Davies] encourage his friends at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to reconsider their willingness to support this project?" she said.
It seems that Liberal Democrat peers Wallace and Clement-Jones have family connections to Bletchley Park. Tim Clement-Jones asked: "My Lords, this might not commend itself so much to the Minister: my parents met in Hut 3 at Bletchley Park, as did the parents-in-law of the noble Lord, Lord Wallace. So there are nests of Bletchley Park supporters surrounding the Minister. He has given a lukewarm reply. Is there not some form of scientific heritage funding that could be found for a short period to assure the revenue funding of Bletchley Park before it becomes financially viable? It could then turn into one of our major tourism attractions, demonstrating the full wartime history and the importance of computer science in this country."
Lord Davies of Oldham, the deputy chief whip of the House of Lords, rejected the call for government funding, adding there has already been substantial support for restoration work from English Heritage and Milton Keynes Council, which have donated a total of £930,000 between them towards restoring the manor house and general site improvement.
Lord Davies also rejected the suggestion that Bletchley should be associated with the Imperial War Museum to recognise the importance of its role in cracking codes used by the Nazis during World War II.Friday, 22 May 2009
Welsh sheep tougher than Taiwanese goats
Independent reports that wind generators are suspected of killing 400 goats on Taiwan. The turbines' continuous noise is said to deprive the animals of sleep.
The hundreds of turbines on Welsh hills don't seem to have disturbed the equanimity of our sheep.
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