Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

I was going to go with Trumpanzees go ape-s–t but thought better of it. One member of the US Congress was particularly scathing of the behaviour of his head of state towards the Ukrainian President – behaviour that has had the effect of galvanising the responses of EU heads of government in the hours thatContinue reading “International relations meltdown live on (inter)national television”

Health Secretary and former Cambridge University (Selwyn College) chap (because local news angle) was up the road in Peterborough on Thursday to discuss all things dentistry with local MP Andrew Pakes, and my local councillor (because local news angle) Anna Smith, Labour’s Mayoral Candidate You can see John Elworthy’s extensive coverage here – and feelContinue reading “Health Secretary visits Peterborough in the same week Combined Authority responds to my ARU school of dentistry idea”

Papers just released show an initial contribution to the £12.6m allocated by Cambridge City Council. See https://cambridgecivicquarter.co.uk/ if you need a reminder of what’s proposed See item 6 of the Investment Committee papers here. (There’s enough time for you to table public questions – you’ll need them in by 10am Wednesday as the meeting isContinue reading “Combined Authority to contribute £1.5million to Cambridge Civic Quarter”

Mr Pennycook said so in a written statement to Parliament Image – Central Gov’t guidance on the development planning system from 1968 – reflecting how long the present system has been in place. Although when that guide was written, such were the concerns about the lack of public participation that the Skeffington Report was commissionedContinue reading “The Minister for Housing wants local plan-making processes to be optimised for community participation”

The Campaign for Better Transport called out the omission on rail upgrades more generally Image – Team Bat, Team Newt (after the two creatures came in for blame on recent developments) Last year I wrote that the Climate and Nature Bill did not go far enough. Essentially it looks like a series of things thatContinue reading “Why did the Seventh Carbon Budget ignore trams and light rail?”

The House of Commons Committee on Housing, Communities, and Local Government pushed Jim McMahon MP further on empowering more revenue-raising powers and spending This follows the grilling that his ministerial counterpart received in the Lords Image – the logo from the Layfield Commission on Local Government Finance 1976 – if only because we could doContinue reading “Minister for local government cross-examined on local government funding”

When this “World in 2040” report was published back in April, I don’t think the authors could have imagined a scenario that has happened since the end of October 2024 actually happening. I wrote about that report here, noting what it suggested about the difference between a state and a private education. On the reportContinue reading “Is this a new geo-political faultline?”

Just before his death, US astronomer Carl Sagan made a profound comment about the need for a scientifically literate society in a democracy. His words apply more than ever today. Image: Basic science education for adults, (1981) Below: Have a watch of this clip. Above: “Carl Sagan in 1996 on why Americans need to beContinue reading “A top 20th Century astronomer helps make the case for lifelong learning for science and engineering”

Don’t read this blogpost from a mobile phone or on a device without wifi as it is full of pictures of book covers Image – four for £10.50 at World of Books (with free postage too) Coming to a charity bookshop in Cambridge sometime soon! I’m not entirely sure why I started this blogpost otherContinue reading “Books on democracy. Lots of them.”

A plea for people and groups across the county to start organising public events for the county council and mayoral elections – election day being 01 May 2025 Image: The struggle for democracy – digitised with a few more very old texts from previous eras here TL:DR? See Chris Rand’s guide from 2016 on howContinue reading “Hustings and public debates for Cambridgeshire elections 2025”