Friday, September 20, 2024

Suffolk Local Government reform - it’s like deja vu all over again…

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The news that an incoming government has decided to cancel the proposed devolution deal for Suffolk is not entirely a surprise. After all, w...
Thursday, September 19, 2024

Mid Suffolk Town and Parish Councillors meet

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Whilst I did say that I might get a little more involved with all things Liberal Democrat - you know where to find me everyone - I do still ...
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Suitably inspired, I return to Suffolk

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Conference over, I’ve taken a rather leisurely route back to Suffolk, having first diverted to a quirky hotel bar to spend a few hours with ...
Monday, September 16, 2024

From Creeting St Peter to the (Liberal Democrat) world…

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So, I’ve come to the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference here in Brighton. Admittedly, that’s because I’m a Liberal Democrat, but also becaus...
Wednesday, September 11, 2024

That’ll teach me to move a bit faster…

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Much of my political “career” has come about for one of three main reasons; I was the slowest person in the room to say “no” It was a job th...
Thursday, July 18, 2024

Creeting St Peter: someone has stolen our signpost...

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I was back in my beloved Creeting St Peter on Monday, in my capacity both as Chair and Responsible Finance Officer of our small, but perfect...
Wednesday, July 17, 2024

Puberty blockers - a reminder of prejudice-based decision making

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A few days ago, I wrote something optimistic about the incoming administration , suggesting that they might actually be governing, something...
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Saturday, July 13, 2024

Is it me, or do we have a Government that's actually... governing?

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One of the things about working in the public sector is that, for the most part, what you really need is a clear, decisive steer on what is ...
Friday, July 12, 2024

General Election 2024: what happened in Suffolk

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So, Ipswich set aside , how did we get on across the county last week? I guess that we probably ought to go clockwise around the county town...
Sunday, July 07, 2024

General Election 2024: what happened in Ipswich

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The superficial conclusion from Suffolk's county town is that Labour swept down upon Tom Hunt and the Ipswich Conservatives and put them...

A bureaucrat takes a slow barge to Harwich

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The "Thalatta" at Ipswich I have to admit that, after a night watching the election results come in, even a good night’s sleep was...
Thursday, July 04, 2024

General Election 2024: some pre-result thoughts from the non-heartlands

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And so, the campaign is over (thank God, many may think!) and the waiting begins. Of course, as a non-candidate in a seat which would be so ...
Monday, May 13, 2024

A committee debut looms for a liberal bureaucrat

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I did mention that I'd intended to get a bit more engaged with things this year and, whilst that has been more of an aspiration than act...
Saturday, May 04, 2024

Culture to the left of me, culture to the right of me…

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I do flatter myself that I am a relatively cultured soul. That is despite the minor detail that I read little fiction, go to the cinema only...
Saturday, March 23, 2024

Feed me! The Little Shop of Horrors comes to Ipswich

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I’ve worked within walking distance of the New Wolsey Theatre pretty much since I moved to Suffolk and yet, for no particular reason, I’d ne...
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

SALC Mid Suffolk meets - some thoughts from your host...

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One of my less onerous responsibilities is being Chair of the Mid Suffolk South branch of the Suffolk Association of Local Councils. Let...
Sunday, March 17, 2024

The Conference speech I didn’t get to make

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In all honesty, the prospects for being called to speak in a forty minute debate on the crisis in local government finance were always prett...
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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Ipswich's Jewish community

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Having touched upon the subject of the Jewish community in Ipswich yesterday, and given that I've been studying the history of Ipswich a...
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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Learning something new about blue octopi

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In apologising for attacking an innocent student on X, Baroness Foster introduced me to a concept that I had previously been utterly unawar...
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Sunday, March 10, 2024

An evening of passion in Ipswich’s heart

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Ros and I took the short walk to St Mary-le-Tower last night, for a performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s St John Passion. Not a piece that...