A quick plug for Progresswear.com, who have just despatched my latest item of clothing - a T-shirt with this legend... That’s one to wear on 18 Doughty Street next time I appear.
Showing posts with label 18 Doughty Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 18 Doughty Street. Show all posts
October 01, 2007
Tease shirt
A quick plug for Progresswear.com, who have just despatched my latest item of clothing - a T-shirt with this legend... That’s one to wear on 18 Doughty Street next time I appear.
May 15, 2007
Me off the telly
If you would like to watch me on internet telly station 18 Doughty Street’s BloggerTV discussing, inter alia:
My fellow guests were: Charlie Beckett of POLIS, Helen Szamuely from the EU Referendum Blog, and Paul Burgin of the Mars Hill Blog. Iain Dale was, of course, the host.
- why journalists blog
- how independent political blogs can be
- the Blair legacy
- the Labour leadership race, and
- breast-feeding in public
- (oh, and me becoming Oxford’s deputy Lord Mayor),
My fellow guests were: Charlie Beckett of POLIS, Helen Szamuely from the EU Referendum Blog, and Paul Burgin of the Mars Hill Blog. Iain Dale was, of course, the host.
March 27, 2007
Detritus: 18 Doughty Street, liberal blogging and David Cameron
Let’s get the plugs out of the way straight off - if you want to watch last night’s Blogger TV on 18 Doughty Street, in which I appeared alongside fellow Lib Dem blogger Andy Mayer, click here.
To my left, geographically and politically, was Chris Ames, author of the excellent Iraq Dossier website, which “is dedicated to telling the truth about the British government's September 2002 dossier Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction - that it was, after all, "sexed-up" by the government's spin doctors.” Do visit it.
Slightly to my surprise we spent a good chunk of the early part of the programme discussing the state of the Lib Dem ‘blogosphere’ with über-blogging presenter Iain Dale.
And here I must issue a mea culpa - when asked to name a new blogger who had caught my attention I correctly named Tom Papworth at Liberal Polemic. I then incorrectly suggested he was the Lib Dem candidate in Folkestone. The T.P. who hopes to take over Michael Howard’s constituency is of course Toby Philpott at Liberal Legend - who also has a very good blog. Apologies to them both.
There are also lots of other good new blogs which I didn’t have chance to mention, though I’m trying to highlight the best postings via the ‘Golden Dozen’ round-ups on Lib Dem Voice. [That’s enough grovelling. - Ed.]
A question which occurred to me (pretty much as I was speaking) is how the Lib Dems can fit blogging into our traditional community politics and engagement. The Internet is a highly paradoxical force. In one sense it atomises us, as we each bury our heads behind our own individual computer screens, reading or writing our transient e-phemera.
And yet there is a virtual blogging community. We get to know each other through our articles - begin to understand what motivates, angers, delights or interests us - and probably reveal far more about ourselves than we ever do in person to fellow Lib Dems in our local constituency parties.
How can we combine pavement politics with virtual politics? Flock Together has begun the process, together with the ever-growing number of Liberal Drinks around the country. And Facebook is connecting party members at a frighteningly exponential rate. (Though I still don’t really understand what it’s for - if ever there were a sign I’m getting old…)
Websites such as Neighbourhood Fix-It perhaps point the most powerful way ahead - why phone or e-mail your local councillor to report a pot-hole or faulty street-light if you can alert the local council directly? If it takes off, this site has the potential to transform the relationship between residents and councils, as each problem is logged and residents track how long it takes the council to respond.
Perhaps councillors will become less of a glorified Yellow Pages for those with a gripe, and take more responsibility for ensuring local government systems are geared-up to cope with residents-as-consumers?
PS: last night’s BloggerTV also had an interesting discussion of David Cameron in which Iain Dale accepts that ConservativeHome’s traditional right-wing agenda is more in tune with most Tory members than Mr Cameron’s Blair-lite direction of travel.
Iain reckons this won’t matter for as long as Mr Cameron is seen to be a winner. For the record, I half-agree - the Tory Party is desperately hungry to beat Labour, which is why Tory traditionalists are currently biting their tongues... at least for as long as Mr Cameron is in the ascendant.
However, at some point the party’s hunger to beat Labour must give way to a hunger to form a Conservative government. And I cannot see Mr Cameron rousing the Tory faithful with (eg) a pledge to increase taxes on air travel. How he squares this circle is the great unknown of the current Tory mini-revival.
To my left, geographically and politically, was Chris Ames, author of the excellent Iraq Dossier website, which “is dedicated to telling the truth about the British government's September 2002 dossier Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction - that it was, after all, "sexed-up" by the government's spin doctors.” Do visit it.
Slightly to my surprise we spent a good chunk of the early part of the programme discussing the state of the Lib Dem ‘blogosphere’ with über-blogging presenter Iain Dale.
And here I must issue a mea culpa - when asked to name a new blogger who had caught my attention I correctly named Tom Papworth at Liberal Polemic. I then incorrectly suggested he was the Lib Dem candidate in Folkestone. The T.P. who hopes to take over Michael Howard’s constituency is of course Toby Philpott at Liberal Legend - who also has a very good blog. Apologies to them both.
There are also lots of other good new blogs which I didn’t have chance to mention, though I’m trying to highlight the best postings via the ‘Golden Dozen’ round-ups on Lib Dem Voice. [That’s enough grovelling. - Ed.]
A question which occurred to me (pretty much as I was speaking) is how the Lib Dems can fit blogging into our traditional community politics and engagement. The Internet is a highly paradoxical force. In one sense it atomises us, as we each bury our heads behind our own individual computer screens, reading or writing our transient e-phemera.
And yet there is a virtual blogging community. We get to know each other through our articles - begin to understand what motivates, angers, delights or interests us - and probably reveal far more about ourselves than we ever do in person to fellow Lib Dems in our local constituency parties.
How can we combine pavement politics with virtual politics? Flock Together has begun the process, together with the ever-growing number of Liberal Drinks around the country. And Facebook is connecting party members at a frighteningly exponential rate. (Though I still don’t really understand what it’s for - if ever there were a sign I’m getting old…)
Websites such as Neighbourhood Fix-It perhaps point the most powerful way ahead - why phone or e-mail your local councillor to report a pot-hole or faulty street-light if you can alert the local council directly? If it takes off, this site has the potential to transform the relationship between residents and councils, as each problem is logged and residents track how long it takes the council to respond.
Perhaps councillors will become less of a glorified Yellow Pages for those with a gripe, and take more responsibility for ensuring local government systems are geared-up to cope with residents-as-consumers?
PS: last night’s BloggerTV also had an interesting discussion of David Cameron in which Iain Dale accepts that ConservativeHome’s traditional right-wing agenda is more in tune with most Tory members than Mr Cameron’s Blair-lite direction of travel.
Iain reckons this won’t matter for as long as Mr Cameron is seen to be a winner. For the record, I half-agree - the Tory Party is desperately hungry to beat Labour, which is why Tory traditionalists are currently biting their tongues... at least for as long as Mr Cameron is in the ascendant.
However, at some point the party’s hunger to beat Labour must give way to a hunger to form a Conservative government. And I cannot see Mr Cameron rousing the Tory faithful with (eg) a pledge to increase taxes on air travel. How he squares this circle is the great unknown of the current Tory mini-revival.
March 26, 2007
Be careful what you wish for
The best reality show on telly, The Apprentice, returns tonight on prime-time BBC1.
The winner of the top slot can look forward to working alongside Siralan Sugar for one year for a not-to-be-sniffed-at retainer of £100k.
But, if the trend of the previous two series continues, one of the losers will wind up elected a London Tory councillor:
Seems a harsh punishment.
But, then, it's pretty harsh on BBC2 as well, who have had yet another ratings banker poached by BBC1, with The Apprentice following in the footsteps of Have I Got News For You and Trinny & Susannah.
PS: of course, its ratings are likely to suffer a down-turn this week, owing to a scheduling clash with 18 Doughty Street. Andy Mayer, Christopher Ames and me are the rival attraction at 9pm on Iain Dale’s Blogger TV.
The winner of the top slot can look forward to working alongside Siralan Sugar for one year for a not-to-be-sniffed-at retainer of £100k.
But, if the trend of the previous two series continues, one of the losers will wind up elected a London Tory councillor:
- Series 1: Matthew Palmer, fired in week 5;
- Series 2: Ben Stanberry, fired in week 1.
Seems a harsh punishment.
But, then, it's pretty harsh on BBC2 as well, who have had yet another ratings banker poached by BBC1, with The Apprentice following in the footsteps of Have I Got News For You and Trinny & Susannah.
PS: of course, its ratings are likely to suffer a down-turn this week, owing to a scheduling clash with 18 Doughty Street. Andy Mayer, Christopher Ames and me are the rival attraction at 9pm on Iain Dale’s Blogger TV.
December 11, 2006
It's all about choice
I’m appearing again on Iain Dale’s Vox Politix show over at internet TV station 18 Doughty Street at 9pm tonight. Fellow panellists (attendees? interviewees? - what is the noun?) are Paul Burgin, Kerron Cross and Barckley Sumner.
So, as a service to you all, here are your alternatives:
BBC1: New Tricks.
BBC2: The Choir. (I enjoyed last week’s.)
ITV1: Film - Analyze That.
C4: Monarchy by David Starkey.
Five: Film - Blown Away.
So, as a service to you all, here are your alternatives:
BBC1: New Tricks.
BBC2: The Choir. (I enjoyed last week’s.)
ITV1: Film - Analyze That.
C4: Monarchy by David Starkey.
Five: Film - Blown Away.
December 06, 2006
Cleggy live and unleashed - UPDATED
Housewives' favourite*, Nick Clegg, was on Iain Dale's Vox Politix show last night, over at 18 Doughty Street.
UPDATE: If you missed the live performance, I'm reliably informed by Iain Dale that you can watch again by clicking here. In my view, it's especially worth watching for the bit where Nick refers to me as "the great blogger".
* I understand he is also Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary.
UPDATE: If you missed the live performance, I'm reliably informed by Iain Dale that you can watch again by clicking here. In my view, it's especially worth watching for the bit where Nick refers to me as "the great blogger".
* I understand he is also Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary.
December 05, 2006
Cleggy live and unleashed
Housewives' favourite*, Nick Clegg, is on Iain Dale's Vox Politix show tonight from 9pm over at 18 Doughty Street.
* I understand he is also Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary.
* I understand he is also Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary.
November 23, 2006
Uphill, done Dale
Who can refuse once tagged by Iain Dale? Okay, let’s leave that question hanging... in the meantime here’s my list of:
Top 10 things I would never do
10. listen to the weather forecast and remember anything about it 5 minutes later;
9. wear white socks;
8. return a library book on time;
7. watch any programme involving Robert Kilroy-Slick (unless he’s being mocked);
6. look forward to turning 30;
5. I would never do without my wi-fi broadband;
4. listen to Quote Unquote;
3. eat an olive (despite friends’ insistence that I must like them really);
2. swear in front of my parents;
1. speak ill of a fellow liberal.
Number 11 of course is: inflict this meme on anyone else. But if you’re feeling short of blogging inspiration - or, like Iain, haven’t fulfilled your statutory five blog posts before lunchtime - then go the heck for it.
PS: was just tooo hectic to blog on Monday, partly ‘cos I dashed down to London to guest again on Iain’s Vox Politix show on 18 Doughty Street, alongside Devil’s Kitchen (Chris Mounsey), Ross Clark and Ashley Crossley.
If you missed it because you were otherwise occupied - as if - you can Watch Again by clicking here, and choosing the show labelled ‘Local Government Finance (20/11/2006)’. Even if I have been credited as Stephen Toole… (I’ve been called worse.)
Top 10 things I would never do
10. listen to the weather forecast and remember anything about it 5 minutes later;
9. wear white socks;
8. return a library book on time;
7. watch any programme involving Robert Kilroy-Slick (unless he’s being mocked);
6. look forward to turning 30;
5. I would never do without my wi-fi broadband;
4. listen to Quote Unquote;
3. eat an olive (despite friends’ insistence that I must like them really);
2. swear in front of my parents;
1. speak ill of a fellow liberal.
Number 11 of course is: inflict this meme on anyone else. But if you’re feeling short of blogging inspiration - or, like Iain, haven’t fulfilled your statutory five blog posts before lunchtime - then go the heck for it.
PS: was just tooo hectic to blog on Monday, partly ‘cos I dashed down to London to guest again on Iain’s Vox Politix show on 18 Doughty Street, alongside Devil’s Kitchen (Chris Mounsey), Ross Clark and Ashley Crossley.
If you missed it because you were otherwise occupied - as if - you can Watch Again by clicking here, and choosing the show labelled ‘Local Government Finance (20/11/2006)’. Even if I have been credited as Stephen Toole… (I’ve been called worse.)
October 18, 2006
New vidcast: behind the ferns at Doughty Street
October 17, 2006
Delayed-blogging 18 Doughty Street
Well, I survived my first 18 Doughty Street experience. Quite enjoyed it, too. Whether viewers did, I’ve no idea. I’m typing this on the train back from Paddington to Oxford, and haven’t yet looked at the Vox Politix blog to see what the reaction’s been.
Iain Dale had been a gentleman and given us - me, Alex Hilton (aka Recess Monkey) and Phil Hendren (aka Dizzy Thinks, who was a bit disturbed to discover I’m also an Evertonian) - advance warning of the topics up for discussion. So I knew he was going to start with Michael Brown’s disputed £2.4m donation to the Lib Dems. My defence of the party - that the worst we were guilty of was stupidity/naivety, and that even that wasn’t proven - was probably a tad over-defensive.
But for me this is the crux of the issue. Cash-for-peerages - if it happened - is about corruption. Michael Brown is just embarrassing, with the (remote?) possibility that it might also be expensive.
The discussion wandered onto state funding of political parties - which all of us opposed, though I suggested there was a case for funding some specifics, such as the printing of manifestos and party political broadcasts. Ie, stuff which aims to inform the public, rather than (eg) the dire tribalism of advertising billboards.
Next up was the story in today’s/yesterday’s The Times suggesting Labour has skewed hospital closures towards seats represented by the Tories and Lib Dems. (Fortunately I’d nabbed a discarded copy of the demi-Thunderer on the train, so at least knew the paper’s version.)
Impossible to know the fairness or otherwise of the story - but I would be amazed if political pressure were absent from the decision-making process. If so, I don’t imagine Labour is uniquely guilty… Perhaps the only news about this particular story is that, for once, we’ve found out about it? There’s only one right response to this story, regardless of party: if there have to be hospital closures - and there will be from time to time as health-care advances and patients’ needs vary - it must always and everywhere be on the basis solely of clinical care.
We touched briefly upon Labour minister Phil Woolas’s intemperate comments, prematurely urging the sacking of teaching assistant Aishah Azmi before her employment tribunal has yet reported. All of us agreed he should have kept his nose firmly out. I didn’t quite succeed in making the point that liberals are always and everywhere about allowing people to be what they want, un-enslaved by conformity (or ignorance and poverty, for that matter). But I hope it was kinda implicit in what I said.
One point I did get to make - which I half-blogged yesterday, but didn’t post - was my fed-upness with Labour MPs saying they’re ‘starting a debate’, but then refusing to state their views - like naughty boys ringing a doorbell and running away. Step forward Peter Hain and Shahid Malik, who spent most of Sunday mouthing this empty platitude when defending Mr Woolas.
Finally, I had the mild embarrassment of my homage to Webcameron being broadcast as a prelude to talking about how the Internet is transforming politics. (It did at least give me the opportunity to deliver a live-on-air apology to my parents for my unclothedness.)
All too clearly, politicians are still feeling their way into the Internet age, unsure either of the limits or the extent of its reach. As a result, folk like Sion Simon - the Labour MP whose one-joke YouTube spoof of Webcameron, caused faux-outrage last week - have come a cropper. Yet in France, the likely Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal has embraced blogging via her ‘Future Wishes’ site, with huge success. The web has the power to stymie a political career, or to launch one. So small wonder risk-averse politicians are regarding it sceptically.
All done in an hour. Think/hope I avoided dropping a clanger or making too many sweeping generalisations with scant regard to fact. And I’m returning home with a dinky little video camera to enable me to become one of 18 Doughty Street’s citizen reporters. Only trouble is I have to be in work at 8 am tomorrow/today.
PS: I’m aiming to stitch together some of the video footage I scrabbled together while I was there to offer you, my loyal readers, some behind-the-scenes footage of what really takes place at Tim Montgomerie and Iain Dale’s house of ill repute.
However, as everyone was on their best behaviour the moment I switched my camera on you’re getting considered sound-bites, rather than any back-stage bitches or last minute hitches. And, though Guido Fawkes was there lurking, I didn’t even try to capture him on film. I know he has standards. Or something.
Iain Dale had been a gentleman and given us - me, Alex Hilton (aka Recess Monkey) and Phil Hendren (aka Dizzy Thinks, who was a bit disturbed to discover I’m also an Evertonian) - advance warning of the topics up for discussion. So I knew he was going to start with Michael Brown’s disputed £2.4m donation to the Lib Dems. My defence of the party - that the worst we were guilty of was stupidity/naivety, and that even that wasn’t proven - was probably a tad over-defensive.
But for me this is the crux of the issue. Cash-for-peerages - if it happened - is about corruption. Michael Brown is just embarrassing, with the (remote?) possibility that it might also be expensive.
The discussion wandered onto state funding of political parties - which all of us opposed, though I suggested there was a case for funding some specifics, such as the printing of manifestos and party political broadcasts. Ie, stuff which aims to inform the public, rather than (eg) the dire tribalism of advertising billboards.
Next up was the story in today’s/yesterday’s The Times suggesting Labour has skewed hospital closures towards seats represented by the Tories and Lib Dems. (Fortunately I’d nabbed a discarded copy of the demi-Thunderer on the train, so at least knew the paper’s version.)
Impossible to know the fairness or otherwise of the story - but I would be amazed if political pressure were absent from the decision-making process. If so, I don’t imagine Labour is uniquely guilty… Perhaps the only news about this particular story is that, for once, we’ve found out about it? There’s only one right response to this story, regardless of party: if there have to be hospital closures - and there will be from time to time as health-care advances and patients’ needs vary - it must always and everywhere be on the basis solely of clinical care.
We touched briefly upon Labour minister Phil Woolas’s intemperate comments, prematurely urging the sacking of teaching assistant Aishah Azmi before her employment tribunal has yet reported. All of us agreed he should have kept his nose firmly out. I didn’t quite succeed in making the point that liberals are always and everywhere about allowing people to be what they want, un-enslaved by conformity (or ignorance and poverty, for that matter). But I hope it was kinda implicit in what I said.
One point I did get to make - which I half-blogged yesterday, but didn’t post - was my fed-upness with Labour MPs saying they’re ‘starting a debate’, but then refusing to state their views - like naughty boys ringing a doorbell and running away. Step forward Peter Hain and Shahid Malik, who spent most of Sunday mouthing this empty platitude when defending Mr Woolas.
Finally, I had the mild embarrassment of my homage to Webcameron being broadcast as a prelude to talking about how the Internet is transforming politics. (It did at least give me the opportunity to deliver a live-on-air apology to my parents for my unclothedness.)
All too clearly, politicians are still feeling their way into the Internet age, unsure either of the limits or the extent of its reach. As a result, folk like Sion Simon - the Labour MP whose one-joke YouTube spoof of Webcameron, caused faux-outrage last week - have come a cropper. Yet in France, the likely Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal has embraced blogging via her ‘Future Wishes’ site, with huge success. The web has the power to stymie a political career, or to launch one. So small wonder risk-averse politicians are regarding it sceptically.
All done in an hour. Think/hope I avoided dropping a clanger or making too many sweeping generalisations with scant regard to fact. And I’m returning home with a dinky little video camera to enable me to become one of 18 Doughty Street’s citizen reporters. Only trouble is I have to be in work at 8 am tomorrow/today.
PS: I’m aiming to stitch together some of the video footage I scrabbled together while I was there to offer you, my loyal readers, some behind-the-scenes footage of what really takes place at Tim Montgomerie and Iain Dale’s house of ill repute.
However, as everyone was on their best behaviour the moment I switched my camera on you’re getting considered sound-bites, rather than any back-stage bitches or last minute hitches. And, though Guido Fawkes was there lurking, I didn’t even try to capture him on film. I know he has standards. Or something.
October 16, 2006
Live at nine
I'm one of the three bloggers who will be guesting on Iain Dale's Vox Politix over at Internet telly channel 18 Doughty Street, live from 9pm tonight.Not too sure what's up for discussion... "We’ll be looking at the coming week in politics and what’s on the blogs," is what Iain's e-mail told me. Doubtless we'll dissect the entrails of Webcameron and Sian Simon a little bit more. There may even be some time to chat about things which matter a toss.
I'm also hoping while I'm there to be able to film some behind-the-ferns footage to unleash on y'all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
