Round-up: PCC Elections not HP

A 66-year-old former helicopter commander who served in Borneo and the Falklands War has been elected as the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley Police, describing it as an 'honour' and a 'privilege'.

The Public Interface: TVP Chief Constable Sara Thornton meets PCC Anthony Stansfeld

Read more about his 'eclectic' background here.

He highlighted the democratic nature of the position provides a direct mandate to get things done. "There is more of a public interface," he said.

Result
Turnout was 226,512 or 13.3% (1st preference; 12.9% 2nd preference). More details here and here.

First preferences: -
Patience Awe - Independent: 14,878
Barry Cooper - UKIP: 19,324
Geoff Howard - Independent: 31,716
John Howson - Liberal Democrat: 20,511
Anthony Stansfeld - Conservative Party: 76,011
Tim Starkey - Labour Party: 56,631

The successful Mr Stansfeld is currently a sitting Conservative Councillor for Kintbury ward on West Berkshire Council, and was a member of the 19-strong Thames Valley Police Authority which he will replace in the new role of Commissioner, stating "the most effective committee is a committee of one."

He commented on his election to the new £85,000/year post which oversees the £400m local policing budget and priorities for 8,000 beat officers and other staff:

"When the results came in I felt a mixture of relief and exhiliration, and also a certain amount of inevitable nervousness in taking on a job like this."

Mr Stansfeld also defended the decision to politicise the election by running under a party banner, "There is nothing less democratic than an Independent, as no-one knows what he stands for."

In total he gained 94,238 1st and 2nd preference votes from an electorate of 1.2m, coincidentally endorsing the supplementary voting system having previously rejected any electoral changes in the recent national referendum.

The balance of results aligned closely with recent local council results, suggesting the outcome was based less on the issues of crime and policing than it was a reflection of current opinion towards Westminster parties.

The Candidates and The Campaign
Right-winger Cllr Richard Willis gave his by-now expected preview of candidates, completely immune from all bias, of course!

Luckily, Earley LibDems are able to fill in a few of the missing gaps for their party candidate.

Elsewhere Whitley Labour party had a chance to listen to their candidate (who only recently joined the party after defecting). He talked about resisting cuts, and followed up with a perverse promise to remember to 'stay' independent.

In review John Redwood MP makes several snide and self-serving remarks about democracy, before condescending to platitudinous levels:

"It is now especially important that the new Commissioners work hard to offer great value for money, and to show how they can choose good Chief Constables, and influence police budgets and priorities in helpful ways."

And in a post exhaustive and exhausting in equal parts, former Labour councillor John Howarth gets his excuses in early by blaming coalition members for his party's failure to win, calling the process a 'step backwards'.

He states that Labour's critique of offering nothing more than a defence of the status quo was 'a woefully poor excuse' for democratic progressive party. With a complete lack of irony he argues the elections were 'unnecessary and inappropriate', adding that the massive PCC constituencies are too large to identify with, that a mid-November election was 'less than clever', and that his side apparently had insufficient opportunity to raise awareness of the issues.

In contrast Adrian Windisch gets sanctimonious and over-emotional in his frustrated told-you-so rant from the sidelines, despite or possibly because of his party's refusal to invest in this democratic exercise. You can't complain about democracy if you don't participate in it!

Meanwhile, via Facebook, former Police Officer Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera offered his condolences to his former colleagues and the public for the result, stating his expectation that Mr Stansfeld is unlikely to change from his usual practice of behaving like an 'absent landlord'.

He offers the warning:

"If he tries to influence the policing of Thames Valley with his outdated, and ill-conceived opinions, then he will make policing worse."

Finally, Alan Renwick, Reader in Comparative Politics at the University of Reading, throws his two cents into the mix.

He looks at the number of spoilt ballots, and considers three reasons for this: confusion over the electoral system; dissatisfaction with the candidates; and disapproval of the elections themselves.

However he concludes the case for deliberate spoiling of ballots is exaggerated, which may inspire lurid headlines of mass rejection of the process, but doesn't reflect the reality of low turnout and the actual level of political disengagement.

Contact Point
As if to prove these professional and academic points, the successful candidate set up and operates a personal website to keep members of the public in touch and up-to-date with news and issues.

Looking at the site, however, one might wonder at the new commissioner's commitment to fulfil this pledge: only one non-syndicated 'news' post (on 23rd July) and one modest 'article' (on 12th September) have been published so far.

Similarly his twitter handle @StansfeldPCC showed initial purpose, but has lain dormant since he thanked well-wishers after his election on 16th November, and can clearly be seen now as more of a public relations/campaigning tool for him than as any serious exercise in democratic engagement.

He can be reached by emailing info@anthonystansfeld.org.uk, but don't hold your breath.

PCC Priorities
John Redwood completes the round-up by providing a quick summary of Mr Stansfeld's aims and pledges:

1. to reduce crime and drive up detection rates
2. to ensure the police budget is targeted effectively
3. to protect vulnerable people
4. to ensure the police act firmly and fairly, using good judgement to deal with the public politely make sure communities are not blighted by anti-social behaviour
5. to reduce the likelihood of gold theft from Asian families

In a friendly interview with the Maidenhead Advertiser the Conservative Councillor for Kintbury blamed national leadership for his weak mandate, arguing that government failed to promote the role and didn't effectively communicate that devolving responsibility does mean depoliticising the Police - maybe they're yet to be convinced.

With good cause... in a more neutral interview with Oxford Mail crime reporter, Ben Wilkinson, the tory politician refused to be held to his main commitment on cutting crime, saying this is dependent on outside factors such as the growing population and local licensing provisions.

Or perhaps he'd been swiftly reminded of efforts made by TVP under current Chief Constable Sara Thornton since winter 2009 on his watch. Crime is falling consistently by year-on-year by averages of around 13% (April report, July report; official stats) precisely due to a direct policy choice - made during Mr Stansfeld's term on TVPA - to shift resources from crime detection to crime prevention as the means to retain public confidence while dealing with tight budget constraints following the financial crash of 2008.

BBC Berkshire picks up on these public statements, and notes Mr Stansfeld's support for successive 2% and 2.5% rises in the Police precept of Council Tax in 2013 and 2014 to boost detection. This would effectively guarantee another year's pay freeze for TV Police officers while reversing cuts imposed by more senior members of his party, as he took a swipe at Maidenhead's Home Secretary, Theresa May MP... it looks like there may be trouble ahead!


Oranjepan asks:
According to Mr Stansfeld, what the public wants is "an honest, fair and efficient police" which is polite and uses common sense and judgement. Would it be too much to ask the same from him, or is he only interested in re-election to this cushy number by pretending to be all things to all people?

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More stories about Crime and Policing

Round-up: Reactions to Swaine's return

#rdgpol - Controversial Katesgrove Councillor Warren Swaine has had his party membership reinstated after a drawn-out suspension lasting six months.

At a 2 1/2 hour hearing in front of LibDem officials in Basingstoke last Tursday he was asked to provide a detailed explanation for a light-hearted remark published on Twitter on 27th January during a #bbcqt session.

In an interview with Linda Fort he conceded, "If you have to explain a joke to that extent, then you probably shouldn't have made it."

The complaint which started the process was issued by former Labour Mayor of Reading and RCRE director Rajinder Sohpal, who suggested the intention was malicious, and commented sourly on the party order to undertake a course of diversity training, "It's the least he should do."

Cllr Swaine also gave a widely reported formal 'unreserved apology' (Reading LibDems, Reading Post, Reading Chronicle, LibDem Voice) in which he admitted his recklessness commenting in a way which could be misinterpreted as designed to cause offence - "that was never intended."

But there was clear personal relief that his part in the process was over as the fearless local satirist announced in a return to form, "The Independent Party in Reading is no more."

However the process suffered hold-ups and has not yet fully concluded, as a party spokesperson explained, "During the investigation into a comment by Cllr Warren Swaine, a number of other complaints and allegations came to light, which fell outside of the scope of the original investigation."

This has sparked rumours of a 'cover-up' and a new 'comprehensive' investigation has been launched "to ensure that all issues are investigated and dealt with in a robust manner."

These 'other issues' include further complaints to Reading Borough Council's Standards Board and the English Standards Board. They were not upheld and no further action was taken, although he was reprimanded for breaching the councillors code when he tweeted about a member of the public gallery during a full council session.

Cllr Swaine explained that although the individual was technically a member of the public he is a former Labour councillor and had declared himself as a candidate for local elections, making this something of a grey area at the time. He promised to be more careful in future, saying, "I hold my hand up to that one."

Hugh Muir says the whole affair has caused "a headache for party bosses."

He offers the interesting counterpoint that Cllr Swaine could have had a stronger impact had he not strayed into the politically sensitive territory of racial terminology. He suggests more effective words to put into the Labour MP's mouth for his ineffectual defence of a ridiculous policy would be: "Is it because I is a half-wit?"

The Grim Reaper described the original scene, "[Cllr Swaine] was getting extremely worked up over comments being made by Chuka Umunna MP. This is understandable, as [he] does seem to have that effect." adding his own judgement on the now-notorious tweet, "Moderately amusing, but the great comedians of our time can sleep easy at night."

LibDem blogger Spiderplant Land is confused about the matter, and says she'll need to lie down in a darkened room before passing judgement:

"Half of me thinks there is more to this than meets the eye and we should all take a step back, the other thinks we look like we are protecting a councillor who made a racist comment and I can't condone that."

Clearly she agrees that her party is taking the correct course of action and a further investigation is in order.

She is also concerned about how Labour activists have been attempting to make partisan capital out of the matter. Her ire is particularly drawn to Political Scrapbook - as its' name suggests it has made a variety of over-the-top and provocative claims gleaned from tidbits and gossip.

PS says that Cllr Swaine was 'fired' from his position rather resigning, then reinstated 'quietly' in order to "sneak the news of his return out at the beginning of silly season", not only "without making an apology", but refusing to do so for the whole period and with support from party leaders.

PS then followed up with the 'revelation' that the new investigation would be undertaken into the 'botched handling' of the affair as leading members of the LibDems Black and Ethnic Minority Forum expressed their dissatisfaction that issues of race remain in society.

Indeed, Duwayne Brooks, who was present when his friend the teenage Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a brutal racist attack and subsequently became a LibDem councillor in Lewisham, suggested he would reconsider his own membership if the party were found to support people who exhibit unapologetic racist behaviour.

Simon Woolley at ethnic minority campaigning organisation Operation Black Vote uses the incident to complain about the lack of progress on diversity, quoting senior LibDem Cllr Lester Holloway, but is clearly influenced by the more extreme reaction from PS. Simon finds it difficult to believe no offence was intended, arguing somewhat strongly, "It is incredible how local parties refuse to effectively deal with these simple matters."

Local Green Party chairperson, Adrian Windisch, also tips his hat to PS, repeating a succession of sensationalised points before concluding, "we may have reached the point where the handling is as damaging as the original remark," before going on to praise the bravery of Cllr Swaine for his apology.

Meanwhile praise is also forthcoming from the other side of the political spectrum, this time from Conservative Cllr Isobel Ballsdon. As she explains,

"Reading's Labour Group would really like Cllr Warren Swaine to shut up... Time after time they've made complaints about him and tried to discredit him. More fool them."

"Why?" she asks, "because he keeps on embarrassing them [...] with what he digs up."

On his own blog Cllr Swaine continues his barrage of attacks against Labour, this time at their "use [of] the local Standards Board as an instrument of suppression and oppression."

He fired back,

"Over the last year there has been a string of referrals about me from Labour councillors, union officials and their election candidates where I have exposed their hypocrisy, double standards, bare-faced lies and borderline illegality. These referrals have been made with only one aim - to shut me up."

Warren describes that this is a deliberate tactic on their behalf as the boards are required not only to consider the seriousness of a complaint, but also the volume of complaints made against an individual - something which incentivises frivolous time-wasting and gross exaggeration.

It sounds like there may be more to come!


Oranjepan says:
This story has been a journalistic jackpot - an incendiary indiscretion by a local public figure highlighting the increasing relevance of social media to political debate which handily required no further background checks and snowballed interactively into a campaigning issue as various vested interest groups were mobilised.

But perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of this tale was Cllr Swaine's apparent ignorance or indifference towards the man he was criticising and which allowed his usual fearlessness to spill over into recklessness: Chuka Umunna MP has been touted in a variety of corners as a future leader of his party, and therefore potentially the first coloured Prime Minister of this country - which would undoubtedly provide him with an army of vocal defenders prepared to strike out at the merest slight.

Interestingly the saga bears comparison with a much more serious recent incident relating to three Newbury Town Councillors.

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Previously: Councillor resigns under firestorm; Debating language

Round-up: The Power Generation

Events in Libya and Japan have caused Berkshire commentators to broach questions about the future of energy generation.


Across the spectrum

Eco-libertarian Robin Smith sets out the main groupings and attempts to position a safe nuclear option at the core of debate.

On the other side of the fence eco-authoritarian Adrian Windisch is implacably opposed to all nuclear sources. He describes Fukushima as a 'crisis' for the industry and hails the triumph of off-shore wind turbines which have 'kept the lights on'. He also highlights the theory of 'peak oil', using this populist argument against fossil fuel dependency to draw crowds, although he can't accurately predict at what level or when oil production will top out.

Meanwhile Darren Bridgeman provides a balanced summation of his party's position, arguing that nuclear can remain part of the energy mix provided it isn't shown any unfair favoritism and huge-scale commercial investments don't distort the energy production market, adding, "we can not just rely on green technology only at this point."

He may be surprised to find some overlap with Wokingham's John Redwood MP, who makes his support plain for greater efficiency and capacity on the grounds that this provides greater security and self-sufficiency.

However the arch-capitalist says that much will depend on Mr Huhne's judgement in setting the prices for the 'carbon floor' and any carbon taxes. He urges caution and says he should make careful consideration of all the facts.

Many overlooked the coalition government's new energy policy and carbon plan when it was recently announced as it got bounced by the more immediate and visceral events, all despite David Cameron's assertive attempt to attract attention by laying claim to be 'the greenest government ever'.

Adrian Windisch was first off the mark to report on the announcements, but he could hardly have been more scathing, using the phrase 'shambles', alongside what he calls a 'dodgy definition of zero' and a quote from his party leader of 'flimsy greenwash'.

Then in a strange twist he says he can't give his support to the plans because they are 'not ambitious enough'.

Elsewhere I also have a look at the same policies, and conclude that the reforms are generally positive, but the claims made for them are probably a bit too bold.

What's required is a sense of proportion and appropriateness.

So it's also worth having a look at what's happening around the county.


Solar power

St George's Church in Newbury has been praised by former Archbishop of Canterbury as an environmental leader, after it installed 129 photo-voltaic solar panels to become the first 'carbon-neutral' church in the whole country. Rev. George Carey said he hoped it would become a 'beacon' for others - you can check out some pictures of the panels on the blog set up for this purpose.

The initiative has certainly helped inspire parishioners to raise money as £40,000 was donated towards the £900,000 costs within 12 hours of opening the appeal.

In Reading Rachel Eden debates the merits of installing solar panels on her own roof, before concluding it is worth the investment on educational grounds as much as anything else.


Wind power

Controversy was raised recently when UKIP released figures showing wind generation doesn't pay its own way. The totemic turbine at Green Park in south Reading runs at 17% capacity and consequently requires a £30,000 annual subsidy from taxpayers.

And the new development of a 4-turbine wind farm at Rushy Mead near Arborfield is stirring opposition as residents say they haven't been consulted and the location may not be ideal.

But over in West Berkshire Adrian Hollister bemoans NIMBY's who threaten a new wind turbine at Sheepdrove Farm on the Lambourne Downs. He argues it is short-sighted not to ensure every farm has a wind generator and every new house maximises self-generation capacity.


Hydro power

Berkshire may be landlocked, but that hasn't stopped community activists from dipping into the well of history to infuse their imagination.

After previous suggestions to Newbury Town Council and West Berkshire Borough Council fell by the wayside, a discussion on Newbury Forum raised the prospect of using the Kennet and Avon to generate water power.

Greenham Mill previously supplied a constant source of electricity to the town in the early part of the last century, and over 200 businesses could benefit from fresh proposals which could be brought about as part of the government's Big Society scheme.

Mark Knight urged for a visible location to help transparency around the project,

"I think there is the interest, it is just about energising people and I think, we the people, can make it happen and make a sense of community."

The plan has been given impetus by the Sustainable Newbury group where supporter Cllr Roger Hunneman expressed concern about the possibility of exhorbitant capital costs, but was buioyed by attendees at a public meeting who suggested these could easily be surmounted if local experts volunteered their assistance.


Oranjepan says:
As Darren Bridgeman aptly explained,

"Those that don't want wind farms on their doorstep also wouldn't want a coal fire or nuclear power station in it's place. Energy generation is not pretty, but we all use it and all need it."

...so, to be able to understand how things can be used in our best interests we need to be able to reconnect with where they come from - and that includes our energy sources!

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More local environment stories

Round-up: RBC's £125m budget battle

It wasn't a marathon 3-day stalemate between the parties which characterised this year's budget decision, but an extreme polarisation of opinion between coalition supporters and opponents.

Councillors passed a below-inflation £1.5m budget increase which will see a 6% workforce reduction as part of a £28m savings package over two years. This will be 'front-loaded' so that £18m is found in 2011/12, however real headcounts are expected to fall by around half this figure due to the high level of currently unfilled positions.

Cuts came in some unexpected places too as time pressures resulting from party positioning meant individual arguments couldn't be made in full.

LibDem cabinet member Cllr Daisy Benson reprints her planned speech emphasising the urgent need for action and bemoaned Labour's "large number of... politically-motivated amendments" which all failed to stall progress on vital decisions.


Identifying interest and self-interest

Conservative 'finance Czar', Cllr David Stephens, pointed out how Reading's public debt had ballooned under Labour from £41m in 2002 to £200m in 2010 and insisted that although the cuts were necessary "not one member of this coalition... took any pleasure in making those decisions."

He added that the coalition had used public consultations responsibly to listen to potential concerns and offered as an example the extension to library opening hours which is being made while other councils are  cutting back.

And LibDem Cllr Gareth Epps provided a further support to this side of the debate by explaining how  success in budgeting is more about sticking within projected forecasts to enable long-term planning. He noted the official audit report into borough finances had stressed "inadequate supervision of over 100 consultancy arrangements worth over £10 million" and another £6m on agency staff, both of which previously contributed to excessive costs.

But Labour's ex-leader of the council, Cllr Jo Lovelock, refused to defend her party's record on borough finances. She countered with generalised criticism of what she called the Tory-led coalition's determination to "to slash public services with an ideological fervour."

Outside the Civic Centre Reading Trade Unionists staged a demonstration against the cuts agenda in an attempted show of force to coincide with the vote.

Unison representative Kevin Aubrey said, "We deplore the loss of jobs on that scale," and argued services would see a 'substantial' impact.

Tories attacked this line of thinking. Cllr Richard Willis, picks up on the 'symbiotic link' between Labour and Trades Unions to suggest there is a vested interest at work and imply this makes them incapable of any impartial analysis.

LibDem counterpart, Cllr Warren Swaine, also attempts to put the debate in perspective by recalling last year's claims by Labour that services were already cut to the bone and further efficiencies were unrealistic - something he helped disprove in drawing up proposals.

Meanwhile Unison's former Labour councillor, Tony Jones, is clearly confused whether the budget is better or worse than it might have been - he hails the coalition for listening on a parking subsidy for Reading Farmers Market and then claims this shows a lack of vision.

Similarly, another former Labour councillor, Chris Goodall, backtracked on arguments to help encourage political representation from all socio-economic groups ...if it would ensure the future of the concessionary bus fares policy for pensioners which he helped introduce nearly forty years ago - well, he is retired now!


Identifying 'the vulnerable'

Leader of the council, Cllr Andrew Cumpsty, argued that ordinary tax-payers hit by the credit crunch and the squeeze on incomes are currently most vulnerable and proposed the freeze on Council Tax would bring widespread relief to help maintain living standards.

Meanwhile deputy leader of the coalition council, LibDem Cllr Kirsten Bayes, has been prominent in arguing that this budget successfully balances financial and social pressures in a situation forced on the council by changes to the government grant formula.

She said, "This is a budget that protects the vulnerable and makes the very best use of the resources available," arguing that cuts to adult social care are offset by increases for child protection, support for the elderly and people with learning disabilities, while the voluntary sector would see a shake-up to see funding directed to areas where it can better used.

But Reading's sole Green, Cllr Rob White, can't condemn the coalition enough. He notes the headline figures to assert his opinion that the Conservative-LibDem partnership are "villains preying on the weak and vulnerable", vowing to ensure the public remember this message come election time.

Election campaigning is uppermost in the minds of his Park ward opponents as Labour activist Richard McKenzie also refused to be convinced, preferring instead to hark back to the 1980's and repeat a classic piece of fear-inducing polemic: "I warn you not to be old, not to be ill, not to be weak..."

So it'd be very interesting to see how they actually voted... handily Cllr Benson provides a record.

And she says the opposition voted decisively against everything they are claiming to support!

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More Round-ups

Round-up: The Big Society in Berkshire

#BS - Prime Minister David Cameron's has undertaken a major relaunch of his Big Society scheme following the withdrawl of Liverpool City Council as one of the four pilot areas.

Conservative MP for Wokingham, John Redwood, offers the veiled criticism that more effort are needed to fully explain the idea that "the public good can be furthered by private and voluntary action" in addition to support from the public purse.

Now local commentators have pitched in.

Former Reading Mayor, Labour's Cllr Chris Maskell enthusiastically supported the decision by his colleagues in Labour-run Liverpool.

He describes coalition spending cuts as "brutal slash and burn" and "politically-driven," before quoting the central political question at the heart of the debate as posed by Liverpool's Cllr Ian Anderson in his letter to Mr Cameron (though it's not quite as rhetorical as intended):

"How can the city council support the big society and its aim to help communities do more for themselves when we will have to cut the lifeline to hundreds of these vital and worthwhile groups?"

Berkshire's Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead is one of the three remaining councils involved in the pilot scheme seeking to give community groups and volunteers more control over local services.

RBWM leader, Cllr David Burbage, has been a leading spokesman for his party on the Big Society, 'bullishly' defending the policy.

Cllr Burbage wasn't surprised that Liverpool decided to step back. He argued the Prime Minister's personal commitment to the policy made the matter a 'political football' subject to partisan manoueverings.

On his own blog he attacks opposition detractors - specifically shadow frontbencher Ed Balls - for making a 'simplistic' assertion that sustainable communities must depend upon taxpayer funding to ensure fairness. He cites Francis Maude MP who claims as many as 3 out of 4 voluntary organisations recieve no statutory funding whatsoever.

But retiring chief of Community Service Volunteers, Dame Elizabeth Hoodless, notably spoke out against the plans, claiming the government had no real strategic vision and that it was subject to the deficit reduction plans which are undermining the policy before it has even begun.

Cllr Burbage counters this with the argument that unecessary dependance on the nanny state is more damaging to individual life chances than the loss of unaccountable services.

On the other side of the county Conservative leader of West Berkshire Borough Council, Cllr Graham Jones offered to step into the breach left by Liverpool. He said,

"We are well placed to join the scheme as we already have Beacon Status for our Parish Plan programme, and have many other relevant projects doing extremely well around the district." 

He cited the Greenham Common Trust, the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire and the Greater Greenham Project as examples.

Meanwhile Thatcham LibDem Paul Walter is sceptical about the overall impact of the policy, pointing out there is something ironic about the use of initials 'B.S.'.

He calls it little more than a slogan: "It is a label to pull together a rag-bag of things that would be happening anyway." Paul advises LibDems to support no more than is sensible, such as the Big Society Bank (set up with £200m contributions from the bailed-out banking sector).

Labour activist Richard McKenzie is less kind in his attempt at wit, describing the policy as 'complete BS'.

He identifies the fact that less-organised and less-articulate members of lower classes have less time and opportunity to take up the mantle of running community services for themselves (such as libraries) and are therefore more vulnerable to a shift in service provision from state to voluntary sector. However, an earlier post seems to offer the clearest articulation of his true feelings.

In local news the high-profile campaign to save Windsor Fire Station night operations came under focus yesterday as Royal Berkshire Fire Authority met to discuss the £1.48m budget cut it faces.

Windsor Fire Station has been trumpeted by Cllr Burbage's RBWM as an example of the Big Society in action where greater community involvement can save a public service, but with understandable backing from the Royal Family and a range of celebrity supporters who live in the area this may be considered an exception, rather than the rule.

Elsewhere I consider the context of the proposals and conclude Cameron's Big Society is "starting to look less like a glorious 'vision' or a vicious 'mask' and more like a desperate 'stop-gap'."

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Update: Scaryduck satirises the proposed initiatives.

Alistair says, "It's all rather laudible axing these public services and putting them into the hands of a keen band of volunteers." So to do his bit and help out the NHS, he offers to take up a scalpel and work as a doctor - luckily he's watched enough Casualty to know one end of a cadaver from the other!


Oranjepan asks:
Is a bigger society a better society?

Round-up: Freedom of Crime Information

The launch of the new police.co.uk website with their online crime maps caused a public sensation recently and overloaded servers with an estimated 50m+ hits in the first couple of days alone.

Local reaction has also been forthcoming to expose the debate more fully.

Laura Herbert reports the launch was 'broadly welcomed' locally.

Home Secretary, Maidenhead's Theresa May MP explained of the launch, "This is a major achievement, reconnecting the police and communities through the power of information."


Reading Area Commander, Superintendent Stuart Greenfield, praised the concept, dismissing questions about the prospect of rising fear of crime,

"Most people are concerned about crime figures and why shouldn’t they have detailed information?"

He argued that wider public access to information helps set the agenda and this is actually the best defence against becoming a victim - which corresponds with the recent shift in policing policy to place more emphasis on prevention rather than detection.

Caversham's webtools expert Karen Blakeman follows up with an in-depth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the police.co.uk website.

In a top quality post she engages with the reasons why residents would be interested in finding out more information.

Karen recalls it is less than 2 years since Thames Valley Constabulary launched their own CrimeMapper site, which gave a clear overview of the general levels of crime in a neighbourhood. Version 2.0 is integrated into a national site and comes with the promise of detailed data and "many other enhancements".

As a communication point to connect with local policing teams it works well, she says, but since the government's Information Commissioner intervened to advise against "tying crime reports to postcodes or streets with fewer than 12 addresses," protection of privacy for victims means accuracy of information on locations has been compromised.

The datasets are limited to one month, down from three months, while they also no longer provide comparisons to show the trend in the area (though this may be due to the street-specific focus, where low volumes reduce relevance).

Furthermore, the website notes make it unclear how the data has been categorised, which allows users to make unjustified assumptions. She is convinced greater openness to allow users to manipulate the data and create their own visualisations would be a bigger help in understanding how to protect themselves and their property.

She argues these are three major problems with the website and that for all the money spent on the website and the potential it offers it actually represents 'a retrograde step'.

In conclusion Karen makes a final plea:

"We need transparency and clarity rather than the muddle and confusion that has been generated by the lack of information on what is being provided."

Elsewhere Reading West's Alok Sharma MP gets down to the politics of the issue:

"Under the previous government the police were directed by Whitehall diktat. They spent their time chasing centrally-defined targets, not responding to the needs of local communities they were supposed to be serving."

LibDem challenger Cllr Daisy Benson agreed, taking a residents-first approach,

"It is always a struggle to get people to report crime - hopefully this website will encourage people that crime reports are taken seriously."

But opposition Labour party activist Peter Kayes was less enthusiastic about being sidelined, "I don’t think it is a great revelation," asserting that current ad-hoc arrangements within Neighbourhood Watch groups are 'more efficient' at spreading information.

And prospective Green party politician Adrian Windisch argues he doesn't need a website to find criminals - he claims that he can find plenty of them currently residing in the Houses of Westminster. To prove his point he links to a year-old pre-General Election report on bbc.co.uk!

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Previous Reading List: Online maps for local crime statistics

More local crime stories

Unified Opposition Defeats Developers: Campaign Round-Up

#rdgnews - The plan to build 750 new homes on Pincents Hill has been rejected at a meeting of West Berkshire council's planning committee at Little Heath School.

The Pincent's Hill site from the air

The issue became a highly controversial feature of the Reading West parliamentary campaign as candidates on all sides spoke up against the proposed development while developer Blue Living failed to turn up in person, instead sending legal representation who accused politicians of 'trying to win cheap votes'.

Linda Fort notes Labour and Conservative candidates welcomed the rejection.

Conservative Alok Sharma commented on the 1,400 people who signed a petition against the plan, stating that "local people are overwhelmingly opposed to any development on this site."

LibDem candidate Cllr Daisy Benson, who chairs Reading's housing scrutiny committee, paid tribute to the work of community activists organised by her party colleagues Cllr Ricky Duveen and Jean Gardener, as well as Joan Lawrie and the Save Calcot campaign, explaining that the reasons for the rejection are all "closely linked to the detrimental effect the development could have on the environment and the quality of life of residents. "

Meanwhile Labour's Naz Sarkar highlighted two 'major' points of opposition, namely that the site is located outside current settlement boundaries and that the greenfield site is a vital open space between Tilehurst and Theale. He also pays his tribute

"to the dedication of Joan Lawrie and the Save Calcot Action Group who have raised and publicised this issue providing detailed evidence of why this planning proposal should be rejected."

The Pincents Hill site from the ground

However Cllr Ricky Duveen picks out the continuing bone of contention between local and national government, asking,

"I wonder what a new Tory or Labour government would do to give local people more power to decide on planning issues for themselves rather than have their decisions made by an Inspector or the minister?"

This is significant, as Pamela Owen reports, because the Local Development Framework set out at national level continues to include a desired figure of 10,500 new homes in its' core strategy to be built in the area over the course of the next decade.

And Green Party candidate Adrian Windisch made it a full house by collecting a selection of sources on the subject, describing the 'rapurous applause' which greeted the decision.


Oranjepan asks:
After they criticised local politicians for hindering economic development by being disunited during this year's budget debate, will the good people in the local media now give credit to the political classes for being united on this issue or continue to stand full square on the bottom line?

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More on the campaign to save Pincent's Hill and White Hart Meadows.

Round-Up: Conservatives Criticised For Hyping Fear Of Crime

Reading Conservatives have been slammed by local commentators after announcing their crime manifesto for the general election.


violent crime controversy

Rob Wilson MP outlined a selection of 'tough new measures' in their 'blue-print' to combat rising crime levels, as he said that violent crime has increased by 198% compared to ten years ago.

He was following the Conservative party line set out by shadow Home Affair spokesperson Chris Grayling MP - who has been roundly condemned for ignoring the changes introduced in 2002 in the way statistics are compiled as a means of manipulating public perceptions and undermining confidence.

Chairman of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir Michael Scholar, spoke out against the Conservative claims which were made 'without qualification' and could be deemed 'likely to mislead the public'. This was a powerful argument as it directly contradicted Alok Sharma who said Labour's initiatives had undermined public trust.

Datablog describes in more detail how the political row has been caused by distortions arising from confusion, while BBC's Mark Easton attempts to clear up any confusion with a selection of graphs.

Over on my other blog I suggest that 'ramping up' emotional responses to issues and offering knee-jerk reactions is always a sure sign of a party on the ropes.

Labour candidate Anneliese Dodds spots an opening to score a political point of her own by issuing a call for Conservatives to withdraw their discredited claims, while LibDem Cllr Warren Swaine was highly critical of the press release issues by Mr Wilson - which he says is manufactured outrage copied out from a central office press pack.

Earlier LibDems had picked out Audit Commission research into crime figures in the borough.

Cllr Gareth Epps, who is standing against Mr Wilson and Ms Dodds in Reading East, said, "considerable work remains to be done both to tackle crime itself and residents' perceptions and fears about crime."

And leader of the LibDem council group on RBC, Cllr Kirsten Bayes, identified the growth in economic inequality since Labour came to power as the primary cause of the problems which must be tackled, emphasising how the quality of services still do not match the levels needed.

This is particularly relevant, as Anna Roberts reports, there are still high levels of outstanding cases remaining unresolved.

Cllr Daisy Benson prefers to concentrate on more practical efforts to cut crime, explaining that LibDem proposals are endorsed by experts.

She explains that although crime is a perennial issue for local residents and there are some indications that anti-social behaviour has increased under Labour the way to solve crime is not by introducing more top-down measures in yet another crackdown, but by improving community enagement.

She argues that communication between authorities and the public is the only way to share information and help educate people who may be in vulnerable positions.


property crime controversy

The Daily Mash picks out how Burglary is a Dying Art as it is being replaced by online fraud as a more common threat - a claim which is backed up by official analysis.

Reading’s local police area commander, Acting Superintendent Jim Weems, recently explained that burglary has actually fallen by 9.1%.

But obviously this will come as no comfort to people who have become the unfortunate victims of the crime.

Paul Walter is particularly concerned that the tories are using sensationalist statements to pander to householders by pushing for a change in the law which would defend the use of 'grossly disproportionate force'.

He is strident in explaining how the tories have been spouting codswallop as a cheap way of gaining splashy headlines that will only make matters worse.

And Cllr Epps reiterated the LibDem position that there is much which can be done to beat burglary.

He promotes the very cheap and simple work done through the Safer Reading Partnership which has recently attracted funds to the provide basic safety measures that are the greatest deterrent.

In an almost identical article Reading Post picks up on the scheme which will continue to accept applications for grants until 31st March.

And finally, free-thinker Elizabeth Thomas has poured scorn on a recent intiative by the Christian Police Association to tackle burglary through faith.

This followed circumstantial reports that domestic burglary fell by 30% after a church-going Police officer began to promote prayer as an effective way to catch criminals.

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More stories about local crime issues

Round-Up: Equal Opportunists

The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the UK later this year was bound to cause controversy given recent arguments over the role of faith in society that have sprung up as a consequence of the 'war on terror', and this has been reflected in the local blogosphere too as all sides felt able to contribute.

Freethinker Elizabeth Thomas complains that UK taxpayers are funding the visit, while atheist Steve Borthwick clearly says 'Nope to the Pope' and the £20m cost to put up with someone who is ruffling feathers over his intervention in the debate over the Equality Bill currently passing through Parliament.

The hardline Pope has encouraged believers to fight against new legislation with 'missionary zeal' protecting homosexuals and people of transexual gender from discrimination which would force the church to abandon centuries-old doctrine on the grounds that the bill "violates natural law upon which the equality of all human beings is grounded and by which it is guaranteed," adding that it "imposes unjust limitations on the freedom of religious communities to act in accordance with their beliefs."

Tim Trent is particularly incensed, he says the Pope is "an old bigot preaching his hatred" who "protects paedophile priests and nuns."

Ever the opportunist, local Labour MP Martin Salter uses the occasion to exercise his peculiarly divisive way of making an argument by accusing the head of the Roman church of 'reprehensible hypocrisy', by attacking the church of intitutionalised corruption in covering up abuses and saying that it "could possibly be the first time that a bloke in a dress has complained about equality legislation."

Berkshire Humanist Rob Ager diplomatically describes this debating method as 'interesting'.

Jane Griffiths offers some insights into Mr Salter's thinking.

Such button-pressing was obviously going to cause a reaction and it appears the controversy has provided the local print media with exactly the excuse needed to provide Mr Salter's blog with some exposure (satisfied now Jane?) as Adrian Windisch (who is Jewish) felt it necessary to defend Christians against the perceived slight.

Adrian obviously senses an opportunity to attack the man he has stood against in elections, as he's attempting to coordinate a response saying "the millions [of] Catholics in this country should rise up against [Mr Salter]."

Linda Fort dutifully picks up on the manufactured controversy, ironically identifying Mr Salter's "deliberately misleading" quote.

A leader article from the Reading Chronicle is grateful for the 'good copy', but suggests Mr Salter is "a little demob crazy, or his party's given up hope of retaining the Catholic vote," while an unsigned article stirs the pot further by reporting the overwhelming and negative reaction to the his words.

Martinsnottheone enjoys taking pot-shots at his enemy, insinuating that only hypocrites make accusations of hypocrisy.

Conservative and Liberal Democrat opponents have also spotted an opening to launch attacks.

Cllr Richard Willis claims the outraged response of believers has overshadowed the debate as it descends into 'schoolboy' insults and states Mr Salter has scored a "spectacular own-goal."

Taking a slightly more detatched view, Cllr Warren Swaine thinks the Pope will probably rise above such electoral nonsense as Mr Salter's tactics are not the best way to win hearts and minds ahead of an election in which Labour is fighting a desperate rearguard action.

In the wider frame David Blackburn sides with the Pope saying that the bill is fundamentally un-British in its inappropriateness as "it ignores that toleration and freedom in Britain were derived from the right to religious observance free from state proscriptions."

Thinking Anglicans blog collects a range of sources, identifying the key passage from the papal speech: "Fidelity to the Gospel in no way restricts the freedom of others."

Meanwhile The Catholic Herald provides some background context.

The speech was given before English and Welsh RC Bishops on their five-yearly ad limina vist to Rome - the first since religious authorities lost control of its adoption agencies and only a week after the House of Lords rejected parts of the Bill that would have forced the traditionalist church to make ordinations against its' doctrines.

But the final word must go to the Pope himself, who said:

"In a social milieu that encourages the expression of a variety of opinions on every question that arises, it is important to recognise dissent for what it is, and not to mistake it for a mature contribution to a balanced and wide-ranging debate."

Oranjepan says:
I'm sure Benedict XVI would find a hungry audience for his contributions here in Reading!

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More equality issues

Round-Up: What Went Wrong With The Winter Weather

#rdgnews - Accusations are being thrown back and forth as a big debate has emerged over why hundreds of thousands of people were forced to suffer unnecessarily due to the extreme conditions of the past few days.

In a selection of earlier posts (Commuters Grit Teeth As Weather Woes Grip Region; Anger Grows At Failure To Prevent Traffic Chaos; Whiteout Fallout Continues; Views and Perspectives) I've attempted to document a wide range of bloggers reactions.

Sky News' Jo Couzens provides the best report of the shocking scenes which have now caused questions to be raised at ministerial level as the events threaten to escalate and have national consequences, as the issues take on a multi-faceted character.

Reading Guide has the best album of photos.


The practical debate

Questions have been raised regarding the failure to prepare adequately for weather which was forecast a week in advance and an apparently insufficient robust or flexible contingency plan.

Of particular concern is an over-dependence on assistance provided by civic-minded members of the public as emergency services were inundated and overwhelmed or otherwise unable to cope under the conditions - health and council services were restricted due to staff availability, while the AA described Monday night as its' busiest for 25 years!

A dispute over the particular means of dealing with the conditions has also raised it's head with different groups making claim and counter-claim about the prioritisation of road clearance and the choice of snowplough or grit or other means.

Of particular concern is the worry that supplies of grit may be being rationed, especially after this was raised as an issue in February.

Equally, civil authorites' control of communication channels was brought into focus as voluntary and commercial methods including local radio stations, blogs and social media sites became the routes by which information was spread fastest.

However it seems a unique combination of events conspired to exacerbate initial problems until a snowball-effect grew beyond all control.

Apparently gritting had occurred in accordance with policy, but was washed into drains during the day, leaving little time for regritting to take place before the snows hit.

As the temprature dropped rapidly a weather front brought heavy precipitation which hit at the worst possible time at dusk, on the shortest day of the year - just ahead of evening rush hour - and the snows hit so heavily that the first falls froze creating treacherous conditions. The initial traffic problems were caused before resources could be sent out to deal with them and were subsequently hampered by road blockages and effective gridlock.

In a fast-moving situation it appears there was some confusion over control choices, causing delays in issuing public advise to avoid travelling during the blizzard and swamping the road network.

So if it wasn't a lack of preparation it was a lack of proper coordination and decisive leadership caused by structural weaknesses in the institutional framework of the multi-agency plan.

With a panoply of authorities with different areas of responsibility (eg unitary authority councils, county fire service, multi-county ambulance service, regional police authority) communication was key to preventing a wholesale breakdown in order, and time was of the essence.


The political debate

As I followed the developing story it seems LibDems were first to pick up that something was going wrong.

Avid communicator Cllr Daisy Benson was active on twitter as members of her party attended the formal memorial service to the late local party leader Bob Green and were caught in the first snows. Cllr Warren Swaine was wryly amused by the surprise that sensible precautions aren't always taken.

Meanwhile local opinioneer the Common Sense Party's Howard Thomas kept up his criticism of council waste as he worried February's supply shortage had been repeated as budget shortcuts were made under political pressure.

Conservatives followed up in vocal outrage that problems had been allowed to occur. Reading East MP Rob Wilson was critical, but Wokingham's John Redwood called the reponse to the extreme conditions 'pathetic' and Cllr Willis said the council had been 'caught on the hop'.

Obviously questions had to be asked, and this blog came under attack for thinking aloud why right-wingers were making such a noise without publicising exactly what questions they wanted answers to.

This was in marked contrast to Labour's Martin Salter who used his intimate connections with every local body to produce a weighty tome in an attempt to dominate attention and sweep up every possible ounce of publicity (even aggressively bumping other interviewees on BBC Radio Berkshire) while playing to his political base by applauding council workers.

In Wokingham a similar case of politicking was evident as Labour PPC George Donaldson applauded the council workers at the tory-run council, while LibDem PPC Cllr Prue Bray offered a more rounded view reflecting her dual role by comparing structural imbalances that lead to systematic biases.

Greens, meanwhile, gleefully attacked all and sundry for playing partisan games with the issues by taking different political perspectives - before offering their own!

Among the non-partisan bloggertariat there was a high level of anger, confusion and frustration at the disruption to daily life, but equally a sense of joy could be detected as the snows made a clear break from ordinary routine which allowed people to reassess their personal situations.

However as a final word the ultimate underlying sentiment was one of gratitude that things weren't nearly as bad as they might have otherwise been!


Oranjepan says:
Whither the weather indeed!

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Update: It appears the snow has cause a crack in the Conservative ranks to open up - Leader of RBWM council Cllr David Burbage has attacked Wokingham MP John Redwood for encouraging inaccurate criticism of councils.

Round-Up: Emerging Scrutiny On Ambulances

Everyone knows you dial 999 for an emergency service, but the most recent annual report by the Care Quality Commission raised questions about the standard of local ambulances [download pdf1, download pdf2, data on response times by month in 2009] - it suggested they may be in need of a call-out themselves!

Although several areas were shown to be strong, the politically sensitive areas of response time and quality of care were the two performance measures which came under particular criticism.

The shock waves from the report certainly took their time to ripple out among the local commentariat.

Lucy Crossley missed the scale of their impact by downplaying the results as 'mixed'.

First to pick up the explosive nature of the report was LibDem Bracknell blogger and health campaigner Darren Bridgeman, who was shocked that this report showed South Central Ambulance Service to be the third worst in the country!

Several days later the service was forced to apologise for 'totally unacceptable' service lapses.

Chair of Reading Housing, Health and Community Care Scrutiny Panel, Lib Dem Cllr Daisy Benson said the report was a "real concern" and asserted the importance that the providers of vital local services are held accountable for their performance levels, while Labour's Cllr Pete Ruhemann said there was a need "to get some answers - in public."

In Hampshire Will Carson reports that Romsey MP Sandra Gidley was forcing "crunch talks with health bosses".

Natalie Slater provides some more background.

South Central Ambulance Service is a three-and-a-half-year-old service which was formed from the merger of the former ambulance trusts covering the counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire.

It is now based in Bicester, Oxfordshire.

She also got quotes from SCAS spokesperson Sarah Eastman ("disappointed") and Chief Executive Will Hancock ("we have a robust action plan").

Meanwhile on her own blog Cllr Benson noted several difficulties with providing an effective local service to a population of over 4m.

A scrutiny meeting was dutifully scheduled for 8th December.

Darren Bridgeman followed up by noting problems with staffing shortages are having a detrimental effect, which Mike Pyle reported in more detail - apparently cost of living problems are creating havoc with staff retention and recruitment can't keep pace.

Thankfully Cllr Daisy Benson and Darren Bridgeman also provided a write-up of last week's scrutiny panel.

The Redlands LibDem chaired the committee while the Bracknell Blogger posed some questions.

SCAS provided seven reasons why the service may not be up to scratch, including a big increase in the calls logged, but this was not enough to prevent councillors from across the region of accusing them of running a 'two-tier' service at a joint review group attended by representatives from all four counties.

Speaking on behalf of the joint board Henley councillor Dr Peter Skolar described a big disparity between the service provided to rural areas and urban areas which appeared to be designed to manipulate the response statistics so that the targets could be met more easily.

Providing another perspective on the story local blogger Baba Mzungu gives an insight into the more drastic health situation facing people on the edge of Lake Victoria in Africa - where no ambulances are available.

He says that at a basic level everything all comes down to money, while problems all stem from a lack of it!

Round-Up: Remembering

Rememberance Sunday is a peculiarly British celebration - we won't accept defeat by getting distracted from our daily routines for more than the minute we spend marking the moment of Armistice at 11am on the 11th day of the 11 month, so we instead choose the closest Sunday for our rituals.

It's clear from the way local bloggers have marked the date that the way we remember reflects our personal battles and concerns.

Elizabeth Thomas reprints a poem by Wilfred Owen to explain to her international audience that the ordinary sacrifice of the common man was the means by which tyrrany was defeated.

Conservative MP John Redwood is moved to give a recap of his life story in order to give some definition to the fight for freedom and capture the "sense of fear, futility, and enormous bravery against the odds."

It is also interesting how the pictures on different bloggers blogposts reflects their individual perspectives.

Mr Redwood's party colleague Cllr Richard Willis looks at battalion wreaths. He says we owe a debt of gratitude to the dead for putting military history in the annals of education.

Liberal Paul Walter prefers the silence of nature and a landscape of poppies.

Labour candidate Naz Sarkar can't translate his thoughts into a picture.

Ceramix photographs the Finchampstead War Memorial cross and copies out the simple inscription 'for all those who died in the name of freedom'.

Baba Mzungu posts a picture of the mass graves and obviously feels spiritually overwhelmed by the massive scale of the dead.

Baglady was struck by the regimented tributes of official remembrance. She admits she hasn't paid much attention to the services in past years - it's almost like they've been put on a shelf...

Elsewhere, Peter Ashley says he can't remember another year when the the issues were so intensively debated - possibly because the last Brish survivor of the WWI trenches died this summer.

He is almost glad that unobtrusive pins are available for your buttonhole to help avoid slipping into glorification of the massive scale of tragic losses.

Mark Reckons picks up on the stir caused by respected journalist Jon Snow who refuses to wear a poppy.

The veteran C4 frontman has been attacked by Labour commenters for undermining the occasion and diminishing the memory of the heroes who stood up to the forces of evil. But Mr Snow defended his neutrality by saying rememberance is a personal action of reflection, not just a public show to build political unity.

Indeed Rachel Eden spent the afternoon delivering political leaflets as she considered how to mark the occasion. She ladels it on like treacle with a 5minute video, and the announcement that she will force her class of children to observe two minutes of silence.

Meanwhile Robin Smith got into a discussion with a REME veteran who was collecting for the poppy appeal. It got to the more topical issue of why soldiers have been pressed into duty in Afghanistan.

Clive Davis notes the poignancy of The Times. He relates a recent interview with a soldier killed in Afghanistan.

And finally I offer my own contribution in an attempt to draw together both sides of the argument: the act of remembering is more than just something we each do by rote, it is something we do to prevent us from repeating the mistakes of the past.

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Update: Mark Thompson attended the Rememberance Service at Sandhurst Memorial Park with officers from the nearby Royal Military Academy.

He reckons we owe them our today, because they give theirs for us.

It's hard to disagree.

With 13% of all military fatalities in Afghanistan and Iraq suffered by those from the south-east of England the region bears a larger burden than most. Sometimes it does all come close to home.

Lightening and lowering the tone at the same time, Mr London Street peers though his hazy memory and takes a swipe at haters everywhere.

Round-Up: Question Time Comes To Town!

It's always causes a stir of excitement when TV provides a forum for recognisable public figures to go head-to-head in confrontation.

Although this week's event was no competition for the recent controversy caused by the appearance of BNP leader Nick Griffin on the BBC's flagship political debating programme local intrest was piqued because it took place in Reading and a representative sample of local residents were on hand in the audience to give a flavour of public opinion on the issues.

You can watch it again for the next week on the BBC's iPlayer.

Over on my other blog I was bitten by the bug of anticipation and started the build-up by asking what the main topics of discussion were likely to be.

The BBC handily provided a resume of the panelists, who included:

• Labour's Peter Hain MP (he recently declared he would boycott the programme in the aftermath of the BNP affair);
• Conservative Nick Herbert MP;
• Former Veritas MEP and BBC presenter, Robert Kilroy-Silk;
• Comedienne, Times contributor and Humanist, Natalie Haynes; and
  
• Former Metropolitan Police Commisioner Sir Ian Blair.
  

Mark Reckons provided his usual excellent service and covered it live with his message board - highly entertaining reading it makes too!

Mark's live survey suggested 2-out-of-every-3 people think David Cameron's decision not to offer a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty now that the Czech courts have approved ratification is a climbdown, while 4-out-of-5 think this will upset potential tory voters.

On the deployment of troops in Afghanistan 94% of respondents said our strategy is not working.

But while there was an almost even split on whether MPs deserve a pay rise only 1-in-6 said it was politically feasible.

A similar number (1-in-6) thought the Government was right to sack Professor David Nutt.

For those of you with more patience than me, you're welcome to pick through the BBC Have Your Say forum, home of the widest range of commenters online.

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Update: Reading Forum's commenters are uninspired by the edition.

Piwacket says they were scraping the bottom of the barrel with panelists, while Riverside turns his attention in reverse, noting how the Labour party managed to pack the audience.


Oranjepan says:
Frankly it's amazing how much can be packed into just over an hour of TV time, but for an occasion on a wet November 5th (or maybe because of it) it was more of a damp squib than a display of fireworks.

Round-up: The Drugs Debate

The fallout from the government's sacking of Chief Scientific Advisor Professor David Nutt has sparked a major political debate, which local bloggers have been all too willing to participate in.


Science versus politics

Alistair McRonald is fascinated by it all as he says it cuts across traditional left-right lines and divides opinion between logic and emotion.

Giovanni at Push The Red Button says it highlights the pretence of government policy-making processes and that "it is a sad day for government, science and society" when an emminent British expert who is a world leader in the field is sacked for having the courage to call for more honesty in politics.

Jonathan at Digital Toast calls Professor Nutt a "complete wibbling loon candidate for mistruth" as he accuses him of 'bad science' and 'blatant statistic mangling'.

However Steve Borthwick provides the benefit of his scientific experience - that intuited knowledge may conform to personal moral frameworks, but it is usually contradicted by reality.

Meanwhile I had a look at some of the science behind the debate on Cannabis classification in an attempt to clear up some of the confusion about the reasons behind the legal framework, while analysing some of the political manoeuvering which informs policy-making by this government.

Which only leaves the unsettling question hanging: why bother asking a question when you already know the answer?


The unfolding events

Mark Reckons has kept up a furious pace providing a running commentary on the unfolding debate, which he thinks more accurately highlights the reasons why government is seen to be failing and the choices facing society going into the next election.

Mark immediately picked up on the brewing controversy, asking: would Home Secretary Alan Johnson take the sensible route by listening to his advisors?, before raising the point that Labour wants to dictate scientific conclusions according to their own percieved interests.

He followed up by noting Conservative support for this doctrinaire approach, commenting that

"the most depressing thing about this whole latest drugs policy farago is that it is looking like things will not be any better if the Conservatives get in after the next election."

As the weekend progressed and two further scientific advisors walked out in protest at the Government's behaviour he noted that the rise of Alan Johnson from Berkshire postman to one of the great offices of state could quickly go into reverse as not one member of R4's Any Questions audience supported the action by the government.

He then cited Iain Brassington's biting response to the sacking letter on a Britsh Medical Journal group blog which paraphrased Mr Johnson's own words:

"I cannot have public confusion between scientific advice and policy and have therefore lost confidence in your ability to make decisions as Home Secretary. I would therefore ask you to step down from the Government with immediate effect."

Mark kept it up by noting Downing Street's refusal to accept any dissent on the issue, before concluding with his perspective on the session in the House of Commons when Alan Johnson faced questions from MPs.

He said it was an occasion which made him feel proud to be a LibDem, as the only side which disagreed with the action taken by the government.

Elsewhere Bracknell Blog has a look behind the headlines and advertises the facebook group which has been set up demanding an evidence based drugs policy which calls for Prof Nutt to be reinstated - you can join the group here.


And finally...

Ludicity satirises the farce by claiming the Government will now appoint an official 'Drugs Rasputin' to repudiate all that the former 'Drugs Czar' represented.

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Update: Chairman Bill offers some words of advice from Bertrand Russell.

Jim Beer takes the side of the professor against the politicians, and he's not timid about saying so.

Round-Up: After The Dimbleby And Griffin Show

The ripples of the storm which accompanied the first appearance a BNP representative on the BBC's flagship political debate programme continue to spread across the local blogosphere.

Green Party campaigner Adrian Windisch gives a rundown on the areas covered in the programme. He attacks the BBC for failing to listen to protesters, while noting that three times as many people tuned in.

He then adds that the target audience of BNP will only be encouraged to sympathise with Nick Griffin by the attacks - before attacking them himself, for being 'illogical'.

However Paul Walter warns us to never underestimate the BBC in a detailed and well argued article. He repeats a line from the Independent that 'they gave him the oxygen of publicity and he choked'.

Bracknell LibDem PPC Ray Earwicker writes to the editor of Radio Bracknell highlighting the governments dishonesty over immigration, and says this would inevitably stir strong emotions.

He argues that:

"Migrants can, and do, make a very positive contribution to our economy and society but it is very hard for people to have faith in the immigration system when the Government [behaves] so treacherously."

Labour party campaigner Rachel Eden didn't stay up for the event, preferring to catch it on YouTube. She states that the BNP has nothing serious worth offering, and that it was car-crash TV.



Maidenhead Conservative blogger Alistair McRonald feels the BNP benefited from the exposure and reiterates the need for politicians to fix the issues which are causing people to vote for fringe parties.

Over on my other blog I have a quick look at what parliamentarians are doing to address under-representation among the electorate. Yes, it is easy to get distracted by the headlines.

Bracknell Blog wonders what the response to the controversy will be. Dazmando also delves under the facade of outrage to provides some answers why people do feel the BNP is capable of representing them.

He is also concerned about appearing to demonise and victimise people who hold disagreeable views, arguing that "You either have free speech or you don't."

Elsewhere Joe Knipe is split over the BBCs decision to give airtime to the BNP:

"On the one hand I can't believe the BBC acknowledged his vicious little party... but on the other I am so glad that they did because... people can really see who, or rather what he is."

Chairman Bill adopts his usual controversial line by giving due credit to Nick Griffin for having the temerity to stand up for his beliefs in the face of strong opposition, while criticising the emotional reaction of audience members as 'incoherent' and Labour's Justice Minister Jack Staw as 'pathetic'.

He states that

"Griffin clearly has his ear much closer to the UK’s heartbeat than most politicians, as do all demagogues who prey on prejudices and fear."

Having it both ways he provides a final judgement:

"Shame on the BBC for allowing this charade to proceed in the manner it did. All power to the BBC for not kow-towing to the jack-booted forces of anti-racist fascism, for silencing those with a different view to you is itself fascism."

Meanwhile Anna Roberts reports that BNP membership has fallen 40% in the past 12 months. She says there are now only 16 registered members in the Reading area.

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Update: Mr London Street's friend David provides some satire.

And Matt Blackall links to cassetteboy, while saying the reaction to the event may have been "a bit ill-judged and short-sighted".