Monday 21 April 2008
Potholes
Lancashire County Council’s recent move to change the definition of a pothole has brought into focus the standard of our county’s roads.
Their decision, to change potholes from 2cm to 4cm deep, was met with anger from local motorist and cycling groups, who claim that the counties’ roads are in a bad enough condition already.
The 13th Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey, published last week by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), showed that Lancashire has 3,600 holes littered throughout the counties’ roads.
Cyclist’s groups have called for a change in the way the council fixes the cracks in the region’s highways.
They want more money to be spent on the repair and resurfacing of roads throughout Lancashire.
The CTC (Cycle Touring Club) is Britain’s biggest cycling organization. They campaign to get councils to change the way they look at road maintenance. Chris Peck, from the CTC said: “We shouldn’t look at this as a growing problem. It is a systematic one. Councils across the country need to take a long hard look at themselves.”
Mr. Peck also argued that when repairs are completed, they are rarely up to the standard that cyclists require. He said: “It’s a big problem for cyclists. Sometimes work is performed up to a standard acceptable for motorized traffic but the road is still dangerous for riders, who then re-register potholes that are not fixed to the required standard first time around.”
Cllr Matthew Tomlinson, Cabinet member for Environment and Transportation, disagreed with the accusations and said: “We are proud of the roads we maintain. If you compare us to other counties across the country we’re right up there with the best.”
Figures that the CTC have recently released indicate how often motorists and cyclists can fall foul of damaged road surfaces.
In 2007 there were seven pedal cyclist deaths, 23 motorcycle rider deaths and 113 car driver deaths where, “poor or defective road surface”, “deposit on road”, or, “slippery road”, were given as the main reason for the accident.
These figures were used as evidence by Mr. Peck to show why he feels that local councils across the country are not doing enough to ensure the safety of cyclists. He said: “Potholes and road defects make up about 27 per cent of the total complaints that the CTC receive every year.
“The fact that Lancashire County Council think they can change the size of an acceptable hole in the road is ridiculous. This may lead to an increase in the amount of cyclist’s deaths we see because of potholes.”
John Davies, Chairman of Ribble Valley Cycling Club agreed with Mr. Peck and was angered by the council’s decision. He said: “No roads in the county are particularly good. Four centimeters is a real joke. If that’s what they are considering a pothole to be then most of the roads in the county are full of them.”
The issue of safety is the main problem cyclists have with the condition of the roads and Mr. Davies agrees: “Safety is our main priority. Some of the potholes in the road are too dangerous to be ignored but it still seems to take the council a long time to fix them.”
Cllr Tomlinson said: “Research we have carried out suggests that we are not compromising the safety of our road users. In fact, as a county council we’re keen to encourage cycling whenever and wherever we can.”
Cllr Tomlinson has recently proposed a scheme to charge HGV drivers extra for using the roads as they are believed to cause the most damage. He said: “I would like to look at a scheme that says these really big vehicles that are putting so much pressure on our roads would have to put more into the system and then that money could be used to keep the roads up to a certain standard.”
Mr. Peck agreed that this would be a good move but thought it unlikely to become a reality any time soon: “It would be helpful if local authorities could charge heavy goods vehicles directly for the damage they do to our roads. Unfortunately, I think this is a long way off.”
It seems everybody agrees that something has to be done to fix the problem of damaged road surfaces.
The council’s scheme to charge HGV drivers extra to compensate for the damage they do may be a start but Mr. Davies believes it will take more to stop people from giving up riding: “It’s getting to a critical situation now. I have started to do more walking and other members of our club are the same. Cycling is losing its appeal because of the dangers involved.”
Their decision, to change potholes from 2cm to 4cm deep, was met with anger from local motorist and cycling groups, who claim that the counties’ roads are in a bad enough condition already.
The 13th Annual Local Authority Road Maintenance Survey, published last week by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA), showed that Lancashire has 3,600 holes littered throughout the counties’ roads.
Cyclist’s groups have called for a change in the way the council fixes the cracks in the region’s highways.
They want more money to be spent on the repair and resurfacing of roads throughout Lancashire.
The CTC (Cycle Touring Club) is Britain’s biggest cycling organization. They campaign to get councils to change the way they look at road maintenance. Chris Peck, from the CTC said: “We shouldn’t look at this as a growing problem. It is a systematic one. Councils across the country need to take a long hard look at themselves.”
Mr. Peck also argued that when repairs are completed, they are rarely up to the standard that cyclists require. He said: “It’s a big problem for cyclists. Sometimes work is performed up to a standard acceptable for motorized traffic but the road is still dangerous for riders, who then re-register potholes that are not fixed to the required standard first time around.”
Cllr Matthew Tomlinson, Cabinet member for Environment and Transportation, disagreed with the accusations and said: “We are proud of the roads we maintain. If you compare us to other counties across the country we’re right up there with the best.”
Figures that the CTC have recently released indicate how often motorists and cyclists can fall foul of damaged road surfaces.
In 2007 there were seven pedal cyclist deaths, 23 motorcycle rider deaths and 113 car driver deaths where, “poor or defective road surface”, “deposit on road”, or, “slippery road”, were given as the main reason for the accident.
These figures were used as evidence by Mr. Peck to show why he feels that local councils across the country are not doing enough to ensure the safety of cyclists. He said: “Potholes and road defects make up about 27 per cent of the total complaints that the CTC receive every year.
“The fact that Lancashire County Council think they can change the size of an acceptable hole in the road is ridiculous. This may lead to an increase in the amount of cyclist’s deaths we see because of potholes.”
John Davies, Chairman of Ribble Valley Cycling Club agreed with Mr. Peck and was angered by the council’s decision. He said: “No roads in the county are particularly good. Four centimeters is a real joke. If that’s what they are considering a pothole to be then most of the roads in the county are full of them.”
The issue of safety is the main problem cyclists have with the condition of the roads and Mr. Davies agrees: “Safety is our main priority. Some of the potholes in the road are too dangerous to be ignored but it still seems to take the council a long time to fix them.”
Cllr Tomlinson said: “Research we have carried out suggests that we are not compromising the safety of our road users. In fact, as a county council we’re keen to encourage cycling whenever and wherever we can.”
Cllr Tomlinson has recently proposed a scheme to charge HGV drivers extra for using the roads as they are believed to cause the most damage. He said: “I would like to look at a scheme that says these really big vehicles that are putting so much pressure on our roads would have to put more into the system and then that money could be used to keep the roads up to a certain standard.”
Mr. Peck agreed that this would be a good move but thought it unlikely to become a reality any time soon: “It would be helpful if local authorities could charge heavy goods vehicles directly for the damage they do to our roads. Unfortunately, I think this is a long way off.”
It seems everybody agrees that something has to be done to fix the problem of damaged road surfaces.
The council’s scheme to charge HGV drivers extra to compensate for the damage they do may be a start but Mr. Davies believes it will take more to stop people from giving up riding: “It’s getting to a critical situation now. I have started to do more walking and other members of our club are the same. Cycling is losing its appeal because of the dangers involved.”
HGV Drivers
Lancashire County Council would support a scheme to charge HGV drivers for using the region’s roads.
Councilors feel that HGVs are responsible for causing most damage to road surfaces and should be made to pay.
Cllr Matthew Tomlinson, Cabinet member for Environment and Transportation, explained how his plan would work. He said: “I would like to look at a scheme that says these really big vehicles that are putting so much pressure on our roads would have to put more into the system and then that money could be used to keep the roads up to a certain standard.
“It’s common sense that those who use the roads most and those who cause the most damage should be made to pay most for road maintenance. At the moment we can’t afford to do all of the repairs that are needed so we need to find new ways of raising money.”
The news follows the council’s decision to change the definition of a pothole from 2cm to 4cm deep, which has brought into question the standard of Lancashire’s highways.
The move sparked anger amongst regional road users who have suggested that the scheme was designed purely to save money.
The strongest opposition has come from cyclist groups who claim they are being forced off the road because of the dangers they face.
Cllr Tomlinson said: “We only applied this rule after thorough risk assessment and health and safety checks. The research tells us that we can implement this scheme without compromising the safety of road users.”
Last week, a report published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) said that there were 3,600 potholes left unrepaired in Lancashire’s roads. This figure was defended by councilors who argued that it was only so high due to the size of the county.
Cyclists groups have campaigned for better road surfaces for many years and the decision of the council to change the classification of potholes was met with anger.
John Davies, Chairman of Ribble Valley Cycling Club said: “The roads throughout Lancashire are in a mess. No roads in the county are particularly good. In fact, many of them are a disgrace. Four centimeters is a real joke. If that’s what they are considering a pothole to be then most of the roads in the county are full of them.
“I challenge any council member to get themselves out on a bike so they can see for themselves how bad the roads actually are.”
Mr. Davies also accused the council of not repairing the roads to a high enough standard. He said: “I am always complaining about potholes but no sooner do they fix one than it’s back again. They only ever seem to do half a job.
“I’ve had a broken arm and collar bone because of potholes that I haven’t been able to avoid. Cyclists can be treated like second-class citizens in this country sometimes.”
Cllr Tomlinson disagreed with this, saying: “I would refute the accusation that a lot of people throw at us that it is two men and a bucket of tarmac. These unsubstantiated accusations fall on deaf ears as far as I’m concerned.”
Cllr Tomlinson’s plan to charge HGV drivers extra is a long way from fruition but Mr. Davies said that punishing heavy goods vehicles for using the roads would not solve the problem: “I don’t think that’s fair. Yet again we see the council thinking they can just hit the motorist, whoever they are.”
Councilors feel that HGVs are responsible for causing most damage to road surfaces and should be made to pay.
Cllr Matthew Tomlinson, Cabinet member for Environment and Transportation, explained how his plan would work. He said: “I would like to look at a scheme that says these really big vehicles that are putting so much pressure on our roads would have to put more into the system and then that money could be used to keep the roads up to a certain standard.
“It’s common sense that those who use the roads most and those who cause the most damage should be made to pay most for road maintenance. At the moment we can’t afford to do all of the repairs that are needed so we need to find new ways of raising money.”
The news follows the council’s decision to change the definition of a pothole from 2cm to 4cm deep, which has brought into question the standard of Lancashire’s highways.
The move sparked anger amongst regional road users who have suggested that the scheme was designed purely to save money.
The strongest opposition has come from cyclist groups who claim they are being forced off the road because of the dangers they face.
Cllr Tomlinson said: “We only applied this rule after thorough risk assessment and health and safety checks. The research tells us that we can implement this scheme without compromising the safety of road users.”
Last week, a report published by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) said that there were 3,600 potholes left unrepaired in Lancashire’s roads. This figure was defended by councilors who argued that it was only so high due to the size of the county.
Cyclists groups have campaigned for better road surfaces for many years and the decision of the council to change the classification of potholes was met with anger.
John Davies, Chairman of Ribble Valley Cycling Club said: “The roads throughout Lancashire are in a mess. No roads in the county are particularly good. In fact, many of them are a disgrace. Four centimeters is a real joke. If that’s what they are considering a pothole to be then most of the roads in the county are full of them.
“I challenge any council member to get themselves out on a bike so they can see for themselves how bad the roads actually are.”
Mr. Davies also accused the council of not repairing the roads to a high enough standard. He said: “I am always complaining about potholes but no sooner do they fix one than it’s back again. They only ever seem to do half a job.
“I’ve had a broken arm and collar bone because of potholes that I haven’t been able to avoid. Cyclists can be treated like second-class citizens in this country sometimes.”
Cllr Tomlinson disagreed with this, saying: “I would refute the accusation that a lot of people throw at us that it is two men and a bucket of tarmac. These unsubstantiated accusations fall on deaf ears as far as I’m concerned.”
Cllr Tomlinson’s plan to charge HGV drivers extra is a long way from fruition but Mr. Davies said that punishing heavy goods vehicles for using the roads would not solve the problem: “I don’t think that’s fair. Yet again we see the council thinking they can just hit the motorist, whoever they are.”
Tuesday 4 March 2008
Cameron's lack of cash
Both the BBC's Nick Robinson and Sky News's Glen Oglaza have been blogging today about David Cameron's idea of setting up a commission to look at defence spending.
Oglaza asks the question, 'How is he going to pay for it all?'
Robinson asks the same question in his own blog.
Cameron has promised to increase spending in an number of key areas but like the NHS while also pledging to cut taxes such as inheritance and stamp duty.
However, the deepening crisis in the financial sector suggests taht money will be come increasingly scarce over the next few months and years.
It is interesting to see that both reporters from two of the UK's major news organisations agree on this issue and although both refrain from directly criticising Cameron's economic policies both blog entries paint the Conservative leader in an negative light.
It is also noticeable how much more space Robinson dedicates to the issue than Oglaza. His entry contains 9 paragraph's compared to just 5 from Oglaza, 2 of which are just 1 line long.
Oglaza asks the question, 'How is he going to pay for it all?'
Robinson asks the same question in his own blog.
Cameron has promised to increase spending in an number of key areas but like the NHS while also pledging to cut taxes such as inheritance and stamp duty.
However, the deepening crisis in the financial sector suggests taht money will be come increasingly scarce over the next few months and years.
It is interesting to see that both reporters from two of the UK's major news organisations agree on this issue and although both refrain from directly criticising Cameron's economic policies both blog entries paint the Conservative leader in an negative light.
It is also noticeable how much more space Robinson dedicates to the issue than Oglaza. His entry contains 9 paragraph's compared to just 5 from Oglaza, 2 of which are just 1 line long.
Tuesday 26 February 2008
Monday 25 February 2008
DNA Database
Shadow Home Secretary David Davis rejected calls on Sunday for a national DNA database despite the fact that the existing database had helped to catch two high profile murderers - Mark Dixie and Steve Wright.
I found two writers who took completley different views on the subject.
Simon Carr of the Independent was against the idea, suggesting that the public would be giving control of their lives to the State, 'The more rights, access, opportunities, the state distributes, the more responsibilities it's allowed to impose. That's the way it works'. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/simon-carr/simon-carr-who-cares-about-private-life-any-more-786787.html
In the opposite corner, I found David Aaronovitch of the Times, who felt that giving away this small liberty would be worth capturing many more serious criminals, 'As to innocence, well most of us are innocent. But Lloyd's family never suspected him of rape, Wright's wife was sure he couldn't be a murderer, and Dixie's friends had not an inkling of his capacity for extreme sexual violence. There has never yet been a would-be bomber whose family didn't proclaim his normality'.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article3434198.ece
Aaronovitch was totally for the DNA database and, having read the comments of Carr just two minutes before, I found it interesting how two people could have such wildly differing views. In fact, having read both blogs, I found it hard to make up my own mind on the issue.
I also found it intersting that neither commentator took the opportunity to use the situation to attack any of the political parties.
I found two writers who took completley different views on the subject.
Simon Carr of the Independent was against the idea, suggesting that the public would be giving control of their lives to the State, 'The more rights, access, opportunities, the state distributes, the more responsibilities it's allowed to impose. That's the way it works'. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/simon-carr/simon-carr-who-cares-about-private-life-any-more-786787.html
In the opposite corner, I found David Aaronovitch of the Times, who felt that giving away this small liberty would be worth capturing many more serious criminals, 'As to innocence, well most of us are innocent. But Lloyd's family never suspected him of rape, Wright's wife was sure he couldn't be a murderer, and Dixie's friends had not an inkling of his capacity for extreme sexual violence. There has never yet been a would-be bomber whose family didn't proclaim his normality'.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article3434198.ece
Aaronovitch was totally for the DNA database and, having read the comments of Carr just two minutes before, I found it interesting how two people could have such wildly differing views. In fact, having read both blogs, I found it hard to make up my own mind on the issue.
I also found it intersting that neither commentator took the opportunity to use the situation to attack any of the political parties.
Martin's Expenses
Speaker of the House of Commons Michael Martin has faced alot of criticism over the past few days after details of his list of expenses were leaked.
BBC journalist Nick Robinson used his blog to gather together a list of reasons and theories as to why he has been the victim of so much sniping.
It was reason number four though, that caught my eye the most, mainly because it is a suggestion I have heard in other quarters, not least in the Guardian's politicsblog, by Deborah Summers.
Robinson suggested that, 'Martin is the victim of class-based sneering by elitist journalists'. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2008/02/theories_on_the.html
Deborah Summers quoted one Lib Dem MP as saying, 'I think a lot of it is snobby'. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/02/post.html
It remains to be seen weather or not Martin will be forced to re-sign as certain parts of the media (most notably the Mirror), would like, but for now, it seems that many journalists are treating him as though he has been wronged.
BBC journalist Nick Robinson used his blog to gather together a list of reasons and theories as to why he has been the victim of so much sniping.
It was reason number four though, that caught my eye the most, mainly because it is a suggestion I have heard in other quarters, not least in the Guardian's politicsblog, by Deborah Summers.
Robinson suggested that, 'Martin is the victim of class-based sneering by elitist journalists'. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2008/02/theories_on_the.html
Deborah Summers quoted one Lib Dem MP as saying, 'I think a lot of it is snobby'. http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/02/post.html
It remains to be seen weather or not Martin will be forced to re-sign as certain parts of the media (most notably the Mirror), would like, but for now, it seems that many journalists are treating him as though he has been wronged.
Agreement on Northern Rock
The decision by the Government to nationalise Northern Rock drew much criticism from the Tories with cries of, 'Labour's Black Wednesday', being heard, but many political bloggers have come out in support of Labour over the past few days.
Steve Richards of the Independent argued that the crisis will not have as big an impact on Gordon Brown and Alaistair Darling as many people had suggested it might. He said, 'The worst that can be said of Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling is that they spent too long seeking an alternative to state ownership'.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-british-politics-will-never-be-the-same-again-783974.html
Another blogger, Paul Linford, who writes for the Newcastle Journal, voiced opinions along the same lines as Richards. He was of the opinion that the crisis at the Rock will not have a dramatic impact on Labour's chances of re-election.
http://linfordunlimited.blogspot.com/2008/02/not-labours-black-wednesday-yet.html
Also, Wyn Grant, in his blog, agreed with both Richards and Linford, citing a YouGov poll for the Economist which found that, 'only 5 per cent of voters blamed the government for the crisis at the bank, while almost two-thirds thought the Conservatives were playing politics by opposing its nationalisation'.
http://britpolanalysis.blogspot.com/2008/02/northern-rock-attack-misfires.html
What I found interesting about these blogs was the way in which the Tories were painted in a bad light, while the Labour Government only came in for a small amount of criticism. The whole Northern Rock crisis was played down despite the fact that in many newspapers it has been the main political story for months now.
I also found it interesting that, Richards and Linford in particular, were arguing that this was perhaps going to be a turning point in the history of 21st century British politics. Linford said, 'This week’s decision to nationalise may not be Labour’s Black Wednesday. But it may nevertheless still come to be seen as a watershed in 21st century political history'.
http://linfordunlimited.blogspot.com/2008/02/not-labours-black-wednesday-yet.html
This was an angle I had not seen from any media outlet before I read these blogs and it will be interesting to see if the forecasts made by the three bloggers actually turn out to be accurate.
Steve Richards of the Independent argued that the crisis will not have as big an impact on Gordon Brown and Alaistair Darling as many people had suggested it might. He said, 'The worst that can be said of Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling is that they spent too long seeking an alternative to state ownership'.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-british-politics-will-never-be-the-same-again-783974.html
Another blogger, Paul Linford, who writes for the Newcastle Journal, voiced opinions along the same lines as Richards. He was of the opinion that the crisis at the Rock will not have a dramatic impact on Labour's chances of re-election.
http://linfordunlimited.blogspot.com/2008/02/not-labours-black-wednesday-yet.html
Also, Wyn Grant, in his blog, agreed with both Richards and Linford, citing a YouGov poll for the Economist which found that, 'only 5 per cent of voters blamed the government for the crisis at the bank, while almost two-thirds thought the Conservatives were playing politics by opposing its nationalisation'.
http://britpolanalysis.blogspot.com/2008/02/northern-rock-attack-misfires.html
What I found interesting about these blogs was the way in which the Tories were painted in a bad light, while the Labour Government only came in for a small amount of criticism. The whole Northern Rock crisis was played down despite the fact that in many newspapers it has been the main political story for months now.
I also found it interesting that, Richards and Linford in particular, were arguing that this was perhaps going to be a turning point in the history of 21st century British politics. Linford said, 'This week’s decision to nationalise may not be Labour’s Black Wednesday. But it may nevertheless still come to be seen as a watershed in 21st century political history'.
http://linfordunlimited.blogspot.com/2008/02/not-labours-black-wednesday-yet.html
This was an angle I had not seen from any media outlet before I read these blogs and it will be interesting to see if the forecasts made by the three bloggers actually turn out to be accurate.
Tuesday 19 February 2008
Monday 18 February 2008
Humphrys Put Out To Grass
An interesting misrepresentation of the truth has been filling the blog's of many political commentators in the UK today.
Both Nick Robinson of the BBC and Stephen Pollard of the Spectator defended Chancellor Alaistar Darling after he was criticised in an interview on the Today programme on
BBC Radio 4 by John Humphrys.
Darling was misquoted.
During a commons debate he had supposedley agreed with the comments made by a Labour MP that nationalising Northern Rock would, 'lead to a slow, lingering death for the jobs of the Northern Rock workers'. According to Robinson, it was Hansard (the official record of House of Commons business) that was responsible for the misquote.
Nick Robinson dismissed the mistake as just that, pointing to the fact that Alaistar Darling's team did not complain about the misquote (perhaps because they feel the less said about the whole issue the better).
Stephen Pollard on the other hand, used the fact that Humphrys had not checked the quote before using it to attack the Chancellor, as an opportunity to attack the widely respected veteran presenter, asking the question, 'When is Humphrys going to be put out to grass?
To me, it seemed that Robinson dealt with the issue in a more even manner, although I think it was correct of Pollard to point to Humphrys mistake, as someone in as high a position as he is shouldn't be making such mistakes (though it should be noted that other people made the same mistake).
Both Nick Robinson of the BBC and Stephen Pollard of the Spectator defended Chancellor Alaistar Darling after he was criticised in an interview on the Today programme on
BBC Radio 4 by John Humphrys.
Darling was misquoted.
During a commons debate he had supposedley agreed with the comments made by a Labour MP that nationalising Northern Rock would, 'lead to a slow, lingering death for the jobs of the Northern Rock workers'. According to Robinson, it was Hansard (the official record of House of Commons business) that was responsible for the misquote.
Nick Robinson dismissed the mistake as just that, pointing to the fact that Alaistar Darling's team did not complain about the misquote (perhaps because they feel the less said about the whole issue the better).
Stephen Pollard on the other hand, used the fact that Humphrys had not checked the quote before using it to attack the Chancellor, as an opportunity to attack the widely respected veteran presenter, asking the question, 'When is Humphrys going to be put out to grass?
To me, it seemed that Robinson dealt with the issue in a more even manner, although I think it was correct of Pollard to point to Humphrys mistake, as someone in as high a position as he is shouldn't be making such mistakes (though it should be noted that other people made the same mistake).
Tuesday 5 February 2008
Intro
Hi. My blog is all about the world of politics and how it is reported in the British media. I will look at political stories primarily from the U.K but I will also look at relevent stories from the US, Europe and the rest of the world.
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