Tag Archives: politics

gyronny of eight #4: the restart…

Gyronny of Eight

Liberal Democrat Conference

It’s been quite a while since we had a round up of blogs that I have enjoyed in the past week so with Liberal Democrat Conference all over for the year 2011, I thought I’d have a go and find the posts that had me grinning from ear to ear.

In reverse order,

№ 8 – Lib Dem Conference Review 2011

It seems that Anders has been going to Party Conference for longer than I have been a party member – but only a year before I joined! He’s now getting old and can’t keep the pace…

№ 7 – Day 3912: IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MEEEEEEEEE… but it was DADDY ALEX! HOORAY!

Our favourite fluffy elephant’s take on the BOTYs…

№ 6 – Why was this Lib Dem conference cheerful? Simple: because it mattered.

Stephen Tall tells us on Lib Dem Voice why our conference is different. And he is so right.

№ 5 – Shush! it’s a secret from Free Radical.

№ 4 – In which the Alliance health spokesperson doesn’t get it

Okay so this one is not from Conference well not exactly. But it is connected.

№ 3 – After the voilence against women motion at #ldconf, a useful rape analogy

Only one comment from me: it’s not just women that face these problems when reporting rape to the Constabulary.

№ 2 – I’ve been a fool LibDem Voice and I’m sorry

Spidey makes a very brave statement.

№ 1 – The awkward moment when Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael was …….

It must be hard when you’re Chief Whip of the Liberal Democrats, but The Rt Hon Alastair Carmichael MP seems to do quite well – even when faced with questioning about Conference Glee Club…

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September 23, 2011 0 Comments Short URL , , Blogging, Gyronny of Eight

Today is brought to you by the numbers 72, 66 and 5…

The Total Politics Blogger Top 100 Lib Dem blogs 2011 list is out.

Well done Stephen Glenn for being in the top 10!

Much to my surprise, Gyronny Herald comes out at number 66, the collaborative Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland blog comes in at number 72 (up from 75 last year), and Stephen Glenn’s Stephen’s Liberal Journal comes romping in at number 5 which is two up from on last year.

The full list can be seen here:

There are a few quirks in the list including the interloper The Will Patterson Notebook from the SNP! And lucky Craig Murray being in at number 40 and number 100. I suspect that there will be some tweaking in the next while.

I am sure that Stephen Glenn will not mind being beaten into fifth place by the late Andrew Reeves’ Running Blog, and together with Caron Lindsay’s Caron’s Musings being at number 2, there are quite a number of Scottish Liberal Democrat membership card holders at the top of the list. Congratulations to everyone.

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September 16, 2011 0 Comments Short URL , , , , , , , , , , , Blogging, Lib Dems, SNP

the battle for democracy at Lib Dem Conference

papers_please

It is very nearly time for Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference, but many of us who would normally know by now that they are attending do not. Some know that the Party that they have served for years does not now want them to attend on the advice of the Greater Manchester Police. One of those is Gareth Epps, a longtime attendee, and I thought well respected party member, has said on his blog:

The concept of ‘processing’ party members is anathema to many: we are Liberals and against this sort of thing.  However, the incompetence of the police system (fuelling suspicions that it is a job-creation exercise for Greater Manchester Police, without any genuine basis in providing security) is endangering the basis of having a democratic political conference itself.

As readers will know, I find myself unable to answer the stupid questions in the registration form for police accreditation. I am intending to travel to Birmingham to make my voice heard. We need to stand up to those who are attempting to bully our party into submission.

Those of us who have been elected as representatives of our local parties at our local AGMs have the right to represent our local parties at Federal Conference each year. What right has the constabulary to tell us we cannot attend. This issue has now hit the national press (see The Independent). This is a mighty big row, and it is not going to be allowed to settle down.

I’m sure that, like Gareth, I shall be posting on this issue a lot more in the forthcoming days and weeks.

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August 29, 2011 0 Comments Short URL , , , , , , , Birmingham, GMP, Independent, Lib Dems

Passport issues for Lib Dem Conference

LibDemConf1

This passport remains the property of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and may be withdrawn at any time.

p. 2 of my UK Passport

This may seem a strange quotation with which to begin a blog post but it really is relevant. I have finally decided that I ought to register for the forthcoming Liberal Democrat Conference in September. I was prompted to do this by the news from Gareth Epps that he has not made it through the conference vetting.

Now, I have hit a snag in the process myself.

I have started to fill in the forms online. The next question poses me quite a dilemma.

Do you own a passport?

Well, I have a passport: but do I own it? I wonder what will happen if I click on the No.

Eh? What?

It is quite simple really,

1. I have checked in my passport and it states that it

remains the property of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom and may be withdrawn at any time.

2. I want to answer the questions truthfully.

Therefore what do I say?

If I check No, and the powers that be run a check they will find that I have a passport.

If I check Yes – then I am lying.

It seems that we cannot win.

Maybe I should go to conference and register in person?

And if I don’t get through, I’ll have  a nice trip in and around Birmingham.

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August 26, 2011 2 Comments Short URL , , , , , Birmingham, GMP, Lib Dems, Police

blogged elsewhere: Vote Andrew Reeves №1

Over on the Liberal Democrats in Northern Ireland blog, I wrote:

Andrew and Roger Reeves cutting their wedding cake.

Stephen Glenn posted earlier in the week about the Total Politics Blog Awards. Having been somewhat busy this week and also under the weather I only got told about his post when he and I were talking this morning about a project of ours. So, I quote:

Yeah it is that time of year where I have to decide whether I should be upfront and blatant of like Uriah Heep and ever so humble. This year for the Total Politics Blog Awards I have have no such qualms.

GIVE YOUR NUMBER ONE TO

Yeah I’ve lost a great friend and the world has lost a great blogger. Many of my readers will probably also have been readers of Andrew’s blog either because you follow me since I’m a fellow Lib Dem, spent time in Scotland or are a fellow politico. If you did you should also have been aware of Andrew Reeves’ blog. If not Caron has a good summation of what he covered over the last year until his untimely death in early June. As she says “Andrew wrote punchy, pugnacious posts which made their point with all the subtlety of a pneumatic drill.” The most fitting tribute I could have for him is to finish behind him for the first time in the Total Politics Blog Rankings.

So follow the link the survey you have to fill in at least 5 blogs for your vote to count but you can vote for 10. Just remember.

And just like Stephen, I say

Of course as you have to vote for at least 4 more a preference for me would be appreciated.

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August 19, 2011 0 Comments Short URL , , , , , , , Blogging, Lib Dems

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