Richard Taylor

Tag: Democracy

  • Cambridgeshire Police Authority – June 2011

    Cambridgeshire Police Authority meet in public, but interesting items are taken in secret session On the 29th of June 2011 I observed a meeting of Cambridgeshire Police Authority. Key Points: A decision was taken to axe the force helicopter, saving £500,000 a year by moving to use the Chiltern Air Support Unit as well as […]

  • Hike in Cambridge On Street Parking Charges

    The Guest Road area is to see the largest increase in residents parking permit charges I have just returned from observing a meeting of Cambridgeshire County Council’s cabinet where the decision was taken to increase Cambridge’s on street parking charges. The cabinet approved raising the annual charge for residents parking permits from around £40-50 to […]

  • Cambridge City Council Full Council – May 2011

    Ian Nimmo-Smith as Mayor of Cambridge (Source) I observed the latter part of Cambridge City Council’s Full Council meeting on the 26th of May 2011. This was the “annual meeting”, the first of the civic year, and the first for the newly elected councillors. I arrived well after the ceremonial fancy dress session and after […]

  • Antidemocratic Changes Proposed to Cambridgeshire County Council Constitution

    Proposed amendments to Cambridgeshire County Council’s constitution have been published today, just one day before they are to go before a meeting of the full council on the 17th of May 2011. The amendments have been put forward by Councillor Nick Clarke, who was recently elected leader of the ruling Conservative group on the council, […]

  • Commenting on Cambridgeshire Police Restructing

    At about 08:10 on the morning of Friday the 13th of May 2011 I went on the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire breakfast show to respond to the Cambridgeshire Police Chief Constable’s plans to restructure the force. (In a way only a man in uniform could, the Chief Constable has dubbed his plans “Operation Redesign”). The police […]

  • Government Says UK Must Give Prisoners Vote. MP Huppert Responds: Great!

    On the morning of Tuesday the 2nd of November 2010 the Government announced, via the news media rather than through a statement in Parliament, that they are planning to give prisoners the right to vote. Cambridge’s MP Julian Huppert responded to the news with a tweet saying: It’s great to wake up to hear that […]

  • Julian Huppert’s Recent Parliamentary Votes

    Image: Houses of Parliament, London, Monet c.1904 Since I wrote my last article on Cambridge MP Julian Huppert’s Parliamentry voting record, which I published on the 9th of September 2010, there have been 44 more votes in the House of Commons. On the day I published that previous article Mr Huppert rebelled against the coalition […]

  • Republican Julian Huppert to Ditch Principles and Take Oath to Queen

    I am writing this article on the day that new MPs, following the May 2010 election, will take their oaths to the Queen. In the UK only avowed monarchists can sit in the Houses of Parliament. Before taking their seats in the commons those we elect as MPs have to take an oath of allegiance […]

  • Democracy Club – Bringing Openness and Accountability to Elections

    A meet-up of those interested in reinvigorating democracy and making the next election the most open and transparent ever is being held on Thursday the 25th of February from 19.30 in B-Bar, Market Passage, Cambridge. The Cambridge event, which is for those living in the surrounding region as well as city residents, is one of […]

  • MP Condemns Hyperlocal Websites as Purveyors of Tittle Tattle and Opinion

    Adrian Sanders MP dismissed websites as ‘Tittle Tattle’ during a session of the House of Commons’ Culture Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday 8 December 2009. In a shocking exchange at the House of Commons’ Culture Media and Sport Committee on Tuesday the 8th of December 2009 Adrian Sanders MP (Liberal Democrat, Torbay) dismissed everything […]