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As were the executives of large corporations – including those old enough to remember the Blue Peter Green Book from 1990 – digitised here. “The Evidence Report states that urgent action is needed in the next five years across a range of policy areas to address overheating in homes and public buildings and to reduceContinue reading “Red Warning – Extreme Heat: Ministers were warned. Repeatedly. And did nothing.”

Looking at what other things are needed to make the proposals from the New Local think tank work in practice. You can read their report here. My interest in this amongst other things is as a patient governor of the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Foundation Trust, which is responsible for NHS mental health services in CambridgeContinue reading ““A community-powered NHS” and the local public sector”

Why are so many vital sectors not covered? What does this say about the way the public sector runs such forums. Would you be interested in serving on the Board? This was raised as an issue at the previous board meeting – and written up in the minutes as follows: “To increase the number ofContinue reading “Who is missing on the Employment & Skills Board for Cambs & P’boro?”

Yet that is what successive governments have expected from Cambridge. The results make few people happy – financiers & developers complaining about the planning system constraining their opportunities, while local communities watch helplessly, unable to act as their homes are transformed into something they had no influence over. So, what can be done? TL/DR: WithContinue reading “International economic opportunities cannot be managed by enfeebled councils designed for market towns”

Above – From “The Man from Auntie” by Ben Elton – Mrs Thatcher’s then new slogan for her party shortly before her resignation as Prime Minister. Is history repeating itself? In 1990, Ben Elton did a stand-up routine in the dying days of Thatcher’s administration which sounds very familiar to current events. It was fromContinue reading “How many of the new ministers have you heard of before?”

…and the Prime Minister couldn’t even bring himself to tell people he was resigning. As David Baddiel noted: …noting that The Prime Minister did not say: “I am resigning” My general reaction? “I’ll be glad when you gone, you rascal, you!I’ll be glad when you gone, you rascal, you!When you gone from public life,We’ll getContinue reading ““I’ll be glad when you’re gone – you rascal you!””

Mhairi Black MP’s prophetic words came true today – a day that will go down as a day of shame and infamy in British political history Have a listen to Mhairi Black MP below: Above – hear her words From 2 mins 52 second. You can listen to her full speech here. “How close toContinue reading “The F-word – and the UK is perilously close to it.”

Transport minister Baroness Vere (who contested the Conservative candidacy against Heidi Allen for the Conservative ticket in South Cambridgeshire back in the General Election of 2015) gave evidence to the House of Lords Built Environment Committee. You can watch the evidence session on trams and light rail here – from 10:36:21 if you get lostContinue reading ““I love a tram. And light rail””

Some of you will have seen the front page of the Cambridge Independent with some alarm. As things stand, the developers won’t be able to do anything for now because they don’t have planning permission, and under the existing local plan they can only build on land allocated for development, for which we are toldContinue reading “How to scrutinise the additional 41 new sites developers have put forward for Cambridge & South Cambs”