Liberal Bureaucracy

The musings of a liberal and an internationalist, living in Suffolk's county town. There may be references to parish councils, bureaucracy and travel, amongst other things. And yes, I'm a Liberal Democrat.

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Ros in the Lords: Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill

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Monday saw the Second Reading of the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill, which creates the formal structures required t...
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Tuesday, July 09, 2019

Day 7 - Tbilisi, and a nice long soak...

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Whilst Borjomi is famous for its mineral water, Tbilisi is famous for its thermal baths, where you soak in the warm waters supposedly renow...
Monday, July 08, 2019

Day 6 - Borjomi back to Tbilisi, the day of the big match...

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There’s no doubt that this was something of a helter skelter sort of the trip, and I didn’t really allow myself much time to stand and star...
Sunday, July 07, 2019

Day 5 - Borjomi and the little train that could...

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Regular readers will be aware that I rather like trains. Admittedly, I am not one of those people who can tell you all about locomotives an...
Saturday, July 06, 2019

Day 4 - Tbilisi to Borjomi, and a value for money train ride...

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I’d rather lost track of this, but perhaps I ought to catch up before moving onwards... It was very early in the morning in Tbilisi, and...
Sunday, June 09, 2019

Day 3 - Skopje to Tbilisi, via the world’s meeting point...

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Skopje Airport, and not Skopje Alexander the Great Airport, is the equivalent of, say, Leeds Bradford Airport, but without the glamour. It’...
Saturday, June 08, 2019

Day 2 - Skopje, skoping out a new city...

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North Macedonia is country number 65, and whilst for some of my FIRC colleagues, I am a mere amateur, my goal of visiting more countries th...
Friday, June 07, 2019

Day 1 - London to Skopje, taking the scenic route to the spa...

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So, here I am, sitting on a balcony overlooking a small spa town in the South Caucasus. And the water is slightly, but noticeably salty, be...
Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Suffolk - where self-help means doing something you’ve paid someone else to do...

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I’d be the first to accept that, when money is tight, a steadfast reliance on local government to do things for you is probably unwise, unl...
Sunday, May 05, 2019

Mid Suffolk elections 2019 - a time of unexpected nervousness and high drama...

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On Wednesday, I had made time to listen to an East Anglian Daily Times podcast, previewing the local elections across Suffolk. The presente...
Sunday, April 28, 2019

An unfortunately timed planning application...

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Early April, with nominations for the District and Parish Councils closed, and a sense of hiatus, as we wait to see who our new District Co...
Saturday, April 27, 2019

And, in Creeting St Peter election news...

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Nominations closed on 3 April, and I was somewhat relaxed about my likely fate. After all, my colleagues were all thoroughly capable so, we...
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Friday, April 26, 2019

Welcome to the new politics, even if it does look sadly familiar...

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I’ve been a Liberal, and then Liberal Democrat, for a long time - thirty-five years now. And, whilst I would prefer to deny it, I am a bit ...
Friday, April 05, 2019

A gentle reminder that underlying dread is not a new thing

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It’s been an unusually hectic week on Planet Bureaucrat, but I did manage to find time to join Ros at the launch of a new exhibition at t...
Wednesday, April 03, 2019

Ros in the Lords: Historic Rights of Way

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Yesterday saw a Grand Committee debate on historic rights of way, linked to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. It would be fair to...
Saturday, March 30, 2019

Creeting St Peter - once more unto the breach, dear friends...

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It’s that time once again, when a parish councillor’s thoughts turn to the question of  re-election. Given my occasionally erratic presenc...
Sunday, February 03, 2019

What do you do when democracy fails you?

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The reports that Nissan are about to announce the cancellation of their proposed plans to build the X-Trail in Sunderland have led to a deg...
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About Me

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Mark Valladares
Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom
Not your average bureaucrat, I live in the heart of Suffolk’s county town, Ipswich, with my rather more interesting wife, Ros. I’m coming to the end of my adventures in the first tier of local government, having chaired Creeting St Peter Parish Council for eight years. I travel as much as work allows, play a minor backroom role in the Liberal Democrats, and walk 10,000 steps a day…
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