Richard Taylor

Category: Article

  • TASERs for Non-Firearms Police

    UK Police shock a man in Nottingham with a TASER while he is lying on the ground surrounded by four officers. I believe scenes like this will become more common as more UK police are armed with TASER. In November 2008 the Home Secretary announced plans to arm all the UK’s response police with TASER […]

  • Meeting Dorothy Gregson, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Police Authority

    I met the Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Police Authority at the Police Headquarters. Outside, the force flag was flying and the Chief Officers’ luxury Landrover and Volvo were on display. On Monday the 8th of June 2009 I met the Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Police Authority Dr Dorothy Gregson. The authority’s Media & Communications Officer […]

  • Diane Abbott Raises Concerns About Oakington Immigration Removal Centre in Parliament

    At around 22:30 on Monday the 8th of June there was an adjournment “debate” in the House of Commons on the subject of the Oakington Immigration Removal centre. MP Diane Abbott used her valuable opportunity to decide the topic for the debate to discuss the centre. Key Points In response to Diane Abbott’s speech Home […]

  • 2009 Strawberry Fair

    These Three Children Appeared to be Enjoying the 2009 Strawberry Fair Immensely Cambridge’s Strawberry Fair was held on Midsummer Common on Saturday the 6th of June 2009. I was present at a number of times during the day of the fair and on the day before. Cambridge-News billboards and the newspaper’s front page on the […]

  • Suggesting Improvements to Election Observation in the UK

    I sought accreditation as an electoral observer for the recent elections. Candidates and their agents can observe elements of the elections, and I was informally offered accreditation from a party to observe my local count, however I have no allegiance to any party and decided to follow a route administered by the Electoral Commission instead. […]

  • More Votes Counted Than People Who Turned Out in Cambridge

    Cambridgeshire County Council’s election results are currently being published. I had received an assurance that the number of spoilt papers would be published alongside the ward by ward results. The council are not doing this, but they are reporting turnout figures on a per-ward basis from which I ought be able to approximate the number […]

  • Tree Felling Starts on Midsummer Common

    Stump of a large Lime tree which Cllr Julie Smith, Cambridge City Council’s Executive Councillor for Arts and Recreation, decided to fell. On Wednesday 3rd of June the first few of the latest batch of trees to be felled on Midsummer Common were removed. This follows a decision to fell the trees which was taken […]

  • Cambridgeshire County Council – Party Leaders on the Congestion Charge

    On the 2nd of June 2009 the Andie Harper show on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire interviewed the leaders of the three main parties currently making up Cambridgeshire County Council. I submitted a question, which was put to the councillors: Conservatives in the City of Cambridge are opposed to the Congestion Charge, however Conservatives ruling the County […]

  • Publishing How Many People Spoilt Their Ballot Papers

    Some of those voting in today’s elections might be considering spoiling their ballot papers. Not all returning officers routinely publish the number of spoilt papers along with the election results. I have received an assurance that in Cambridgeshire these figures will be published along with the rest of the results. On the 17th of April […]

  • European Elections 2009 – Cambridge Hustings

    From left to right: David Bannerman (UKIP), Andrew Duff (Liberal Democrat), Andie Harper (Chairman), Richard Howitt (Labour), Tony Juniper (Green Spokesman), Vicky Ford (Conservative) On the evening of the 1st of June I attended a European Election Hustings at the Emmanuel United Reformed Church in Cambridge. Amnesty International, Oxfam and NO2ID had collaborated to organise […]