Daniel Snowdon

Save our National Postgraduate Committee!!!

2009-08-19T17:29:00.004+01:00

Today I am calling upon all Postgraduates to defend the NPC. For about a year the current leadership have been conspiring with the NUS to dissolve the NPC, therefore leaving all UK Postgraduates with NO academic representation to turn to should they need it. Moreover the behind the scenes work that the NPC had done prior to this year is under threat as there would be no continued representation of postgraduates on major decision making bodies within the Higher Education sector.

It has been reported to me that very little work has been done this year and as a result, the name and reputation of the NPC have been tarnished. The day to day work of the NPC normally includes: collection of affiliation fees, attending and organising Ordinary General Meetings, Management Sub-Committee meetings, policy responses, meetings with local postgrad reps and unions.

Hence, I would urge all Postgraduates to go along to the Annual General Meeting of the NPC at Keele University on 11th September 2009, and vote against the proposal for dissolution in order to save the representation of Postgraduates in the UK.

Tribute to Cllr Chris Dunlop

2009-05-23T14:26:00.002+01:00

It is with great sadness to learn of the sudden death of Cllr Chris Dunlop (Nonsuch Ward, London Borough of Sutton). Whatever party one is a member of, it is always difficult to come to terms with the death of someone who served the community and put a lot of effort into being an elected local Councillor.

My thoughts are naturally with his family. I hope that the Dunlop family and friends of Chris can find strength at this difficult time.

I send my profound condolences.

Should Local Committees be consulted on Council Budgets?

2008-12-19T22:30:00.002+01:00

I attended the Cheam North and Worcester Park local committee of Sutton Council 18/12/2008. On the agenda, there was an item on the budget proposals for 2009/2010. The Council leaders wanted to give local residents who were present a chance to convey their views directly to the committee about the proposals. However, one of the members, Cllr Richard Butt requested that the item be withdrawn as he believed that it was not an issue specific to the area. Furthermore, he asserted that the budget would affect the whole of the Borough of Sutton.

I can see his point, but people very rarely have an opportunity to directly influence the decisions that could have a profound affect on them. I think that we would have had a productive session on this and that those present could have made a positive contribution to the consultation process.

What do you think? Should Borough wide issues be discussed at Local Committees or should these issues remain under the auspices of the full meeting of Local Authorities?

Lib Dems to form Government?

2008-09-14T19:56:00.004+01:00

Yes, you read the title correctly. The Liberal Democrats have a huge chance of crowning either Labour or the Conservatives with the keys of power at Westminster.

According to a report in the Independent on Sunday (14/9/2008), Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg, could be the "Kingmaker" for either David Cameron, current Leader of the Conservatives, or for whoever the Leader of the Labour Party will be come the next General Election.

The article does concede that the Tories are looking very good in the polls, however, the electoral system would probably reduce any chance of a majority in Parliament on a par with the first Blair Government. Add to that, the chance of Labour selecting a new leader before a General Election could result in what is known as a "hung" Parliament.

Hence, whoever wins the General Election between Labour and the Tories, are likely to need the support of the Liberal Democrats. So, all that remains now is to see where the path of British politics goes from here.

Will there be a Labour leadership contest before the next General Election? If this happens (more than likely) then we will possibly see a few Liberal Democrat MP's in Government.

By-election success

2007-07-23T16:07:00.000+01:00

I would like to congratulate our candidates who finished 2nd in both the recent by-elections.

We slashed the majorities that Labour had as well as officially being recognised as the credible opposition to the Labour Government.

People want results and progress, not spin and cheesy catchphrases.

Hello, i have now broken my month long silience

2006-07-12T12:36:00.000+01:00

Sorry fellow bloggers for not blogging as often as i should.

I have started my job at ULU as VP Welfare and Student Affairs.

I will blog about the Italian football crisis as and when they deliver the result of the court hearing.

End of boycott? or is there more to come...

2006-06-07T13:05:00.000+01:00

The 13.1% pay rise has been agreed between UCU and UCEA.

But will this be the end?

There will now be a ballot of the members to determine if the lecturers accept the resolved pay increase by UCEA.

AUT and NATFHE reject 13.1% pay rise!!!!

2006-06-01T01:35:00.000+01:00

Unbelievable........

I am really disgusted and shocked about this fact.

This means that this strike action can potentially last another three months. Well past the date for graduation.

Looks like there will be a lot of casework as far as welfare is concerned for constituent students' unions up and down the country.

Support for "Two Shags"

2006-05-31T12:30:00.000+01:00

John "Two Shags" Prescott has finally got support from his own party.

The tarnished reputation of Prescott has been caused by owning shacks, buying Jags, and having shags.

Come on, give me a break, Prescott has had it. He will either resign or be forced out within two weeks.

His reputation within the party and more importantly the country has been severely destroyed.

A friend of mine and fellow blogger Tim Roll-Pickering also questions the credibility of John Prescott.

Campaign against the military leadership of Burma

2006-05-27T13:40:00.000+01:00

The Burmese Government has extended the house arrest of the Real Leader, opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi.

We all talk about great people, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Winston Churchill and the Delai Lama. But we forget others who have achieved just as much.

Aung San Suu Kyi has worked to try and achieve democracy by peaceful methods against military rule. Her determination to do this has won her world wide recognition. She is a Nobel Peace prize winner and despite being subjected to house arrest, Aung San Suu Kyi has still managed to make contact with her people.

This is one woman who I personally would not mind running our country because at least she cares about her people. Take note Tony and George.

Would an assassination of Tony Blair really achieve anything?

2006-05-27T01:25:00.000+01:00

George Galloway MP (Bethnal Green and Bow) has stated that this barbaric act would be justified.

Mr. Galloway has consistantly been an opponent of the "military occupation" in Iraq. However, one must state that only one Prime Minister has ever been assassinated in British Political History. Therefore, George (Galloway not Bush), do not get your hopes up.

Besides, I would rather see the electorate embarrass him, than a lone gunman wanting his 5 minutes of fame.

What do you think?

Does International Development tickle your fancy? Ask Hilary Benn

2006-05-24T12:21:00.000+01:00

Click on this link and you will be able to pose questions regarding International Development to the Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn MP.

What has happened nearly a year after the G8 summit where groundbreaking decisions on Third World debt were made?

Is Africa becoming richer or poorer?

Are Third World countries still corrupt?

I have only known you 5 minutes but i want your fortune!!!

2006-05-24T12:11:00.000+01:00

Two ex-wives have won a court battle in the House of Lords where they were granted right to their former husbands wealth.

This is the most sexist ruling that I have ever heard from a court of law. Now every woman under the sun is going to say that they too are entitled to their ex's fortune.

I wonder if Liza Manelli will go down this route.

Personally, I cannot wait for the day when a man claims for his ex-wifes fortune. Surely this precedent applies to everyone, or does it?

Our laws have now become so (expletive deleted) one sided in favour of women that the men are descriminated against.

On this day back in 1968: De Gaulle: 'Back me or sack me'

2006-05-23T22:37:00.000+01:00

Charles de Gaulle came up with that famous or rather infamous phrase at the time of the strikes by both the students and workers.

Charles de Gaulle is arguably the greatest ever French President. He survived much criticism during his leadership as President. Many of his supporters just told him to be quiet because literally as soon as he made that last throw of the dice speech, the rioters came pouring back on to the streets.

The French are so good at protesting.

Nearly a year later he resigned.

For those who are interested Gen. de Gaulle was born in Lille where you can visit the home that he grew up in. That is one of the places that I will visit on my year abroad.

Big Brother contestant leaves the BBHouse!!!

2006-05-23T22:30:00.000+01:00

Just in case anybody is interested one of the contestants has done aanother Sandy. Yes thats right, barely a week with the cameras on him and Shahbaz Chauhdry has done a runner.

Hmmm, on another note, I am wondering if the ratings for this seasons Big Brother will decrease once the greatest spectacle of them all starts....the FIFA World Cup.

The Country that I should be living in is.........

2006-05-23T10:18:00.000+01:00

Which country should you REALLY be living in?

Spain

Usted es el español! You have a passion for fine foods and beautiful scenery - as well as feeling a great love for your country and fellow citizens. You wish to remain independant in a world which is hard to stand out, and you are doing it well. Ibravo!

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Menzies Campbell steps up his game!!!!

2006-05-21T15:05:00.000+01:00

Menzies Campbell has stepped up his game by whipping the party President Simon Hughes for what he said regarding the leader, yes Simon, thats the Leader of the Liberal Democrats.

So all those Tories and Conservatives, believe it or not there is a difference, Ming the Merciless is back with a vengeance and you can say goodbye to your chances of winning the next General Election period.

Lottery hold-up by Fathers for Justice.

2006-05-20T23:26:00.000+01:00

Finally someone has proven that it is a LIVE studio audience on the Saturday night version of the National Lottery.

Fathers for Justice were sat amongst the audience when as the lovely Sarah Cawood was about to give the stats for the lottery funds a couple of protesters from the pressure group made their voices heard.

You have to admit that for a small pressure group, Fathers for Justice do make a huge impact by getting a lot of recognition.

Whether you agree with them or not, I personally would rather watch a protest on a television programme than watch the United Kingdom sing a crap song on a pathetic excuse of a song contest just to get disappointed again.

Are you a London Student? What issues do you have?

2006-05-20T23:17:00.000+01:00

If you are a student from one of the many colleges at the University of London and you have a problem that you would like raised on my blog then use the comments bit of this article to state your issue. This is not for confidential purposes. This should only be used for general cases.

London Weighting for students in the University of London

2006-05-18T21:33:00.000+01:00

As you all know, I am the Vice-President Welfare and Student Affairs at the University of London Union 2006-2007.

One of my main campaigns for next year will be to lobby the Mayor Ken Livingston, the Greater London Authority and Parliament to approve legislation to give students from the University of London a form of London Weighting. This could come in the form of a £2000 grant that will obviously be non-repayable.

The London Weighting for students grant was the idea of a student from the Royal Vetinarary College and when I heard about it, I thought it was the best idea for students in London.

Why????? Because the cost of housing and in general the cost of living in London has increased a lot in recent years. Students find that their loans only just cover their tuition fees, and only offer a little help when it comes to the cost of accomodation.

Some say that students should get jobs..... well as I know first hand, it takes a long time to find a part-time weekend job that is student friendly, ie; it doesnt give you unreasonable hours during term time.

Therefore, where does the money come from? Hmmmm.... it doesnt grow on trees, hence a form of grant must be introduced to help students studying in London to be able to survive their lives at University.

What do you all think?

De Villepin survives third No-Confidence motion

2006-05-16T17:20:00.000+01:00

M. de Villepin is having to defend himself again for the third time in a year since he took over as Prime Minister of France.

The so called Clearstream affair has highlighted the secrecy and spies within the French Government.

Recent events have put into question the ability of Jacques Chirac of being able to control matters in France. What has been dubbed his twilight zone, these are worrying times for the French President.

The Parti Socialist and the centre right UDF have agreed to vote in favour of the no-confidence motion.

Nicholas Sarkozy seems not to have recovered from the speculation regarding his handling of the student protests either.

We will see if in the next year whether or not there are changes made by the UMP to help them win the next Presidential election. The socialists are looking stronger.

As a Lib Dem party member I refuse to pay for the financial mistakes of our party leadership.

2006-05-12T11:10:00.000+01:00

I have been informed by both an article in the The Times and a close friend of mine that the MEMBERS of the Liberal Democrats are legally liable for the recovering of the illegal loan that the party was donated for last years General Election.

Admittedly this is not the fault of Sir Menzies Campbell who has only been leader for just over 2 months.

However, I must ask, why does the party membership have to pay when we are not the people who accept the loan.

I believe that the responsability of financial matters is the person who directly has control of party finances... is it the President of the Party? At the time of the General Election Simon Hughes was and still is the party President.

Or could it be the actual leader at the time? I like Charles Kennedy but if he is liable then he must pay.

Asking the MEMBERS to pay an extra £30 on top of the £20 average subscription fee, is asking a lot. Worse still, what if someone became a member AFTER the General Election? Would they be liable? I must say that there might be the few who will just leave the party because of this.

Sir Menzies Campbell, please think this through.

World Cup predictions

2006-05-12T11:02:00.000+01:00

Who will win the 2006 FIFA World Cup?

After 40 years of hurt since England last one the World Cup, can history repeat itself? England v Germany final? Go to your betting shop now if you believe this will happen. Even for a pound you might get good odds.

Can Brazil do the impossible and win a World Cup on European soil?

Will Holland ever win the World Cup?

Maybe Australia have an outsiders chance. Tip of the tournament if you ask me.

Tony Blair WILL quit today as Prime Minister

2006-05-08T10:44:00.000+01:00

This is the prediction that many people have speculated about for the past year. When will he? Will he? How will he? Who will take his place? The only answer we do have is that Gordon Brown appears to be Tony's successor.

At 12noon, Blair will address the media. Will he use this opportunity to quit? It seems likely that he will give a date for his departure. Any Labour activist would probably say that he must go now to avoid defeat at the polls at the next General Election.

I have a bottle of champagne waiting on ice when Tony Blair resigns.

Consolidation is better than losing like Labour.

2006-05-05T18:14:00.000+01:00

Today people are waking up to hear the results of the elections for local councils up and down the country.

The Liberal Democrats have once again proved that they are a formidable force within the British political system by retaining many of their councils and a net gain of one including (Richmond-Upon-Thames).

The Conservatives were able to demolish the Labour Party at a local level by winning in many councils by huge majorities.

There is one seat that they have won by 100%, the ward of Norway which I wrote about previously.

The Labour Party have had a bad day at the polls.

Sponsor Polly Mackwood's Race For Life

2006-05-01T14:32:00.000+01:00

Polly Mackwood will be taking part in the Race For Life. Click on the link for more information.

Say NO to War on Iran: costly in more ways than one.

2006-05-01T08:56:00.000+01:00

There have been increased worries over the possibility of going to war with Iran. These fears have been caused by the increasing use of depleted uranium which if made strong enough, can be made into nuclear weapons that can potentially wipe out our nation.

The War on Iraq and the continued occupation of Iraq has cost the taxpayer in the region of £100 billion. If our Government went to fight another war within the next two years the war would not only cost more, due to the amount of advanced weapons that Iran already posesses but also because terrorism is likely to play a huge part.

Of course we must protect ourselves and we must always have increased security but i personally feel that if the United States wants to go to war with Iran that it should do it alone.

Although France has already pledged support, (why have they not waited for a resolution from the United Nations?), we cannot continue offering the level of support that we currently do to the United States.

I love the American people but i do condemn the actions of their President.

Bank Holiday: Do we need them today?

2006-05-01T07:35:00.000+01:00

Bank Holiday were introduced under the Defence of the Realm Acts before World War 1.

Their sole purpose was to help banks have days off. This obviosly meant that no other form of trading could effectively take place until the next day.

(Wikipedia definition)"Bank holidays are so called because they are days upon which banks are (or were) shut and therefore (traditionally) no other businesses could operate. Legislation allows certain payments to be deferred to the next working day."

But do we need them today?

Many businesses are open anyway, although the vast majority do pay double the wages for working on a Bank Holiday.

Are Bank Holidays necessary or are they another thing from the past that we should look to scrap?

Predictions of the outcome of the Local Elections

2006-04-30T17:48:00.000+01:00

Who will win? Where? and what effect(s) will their election to local councils be on a more national scale?

Your thoughts please...

£100.000 for Prescotts Secretary to Kiss and Tell

2006-04-30T00:29:00.000+01:00

Daily Mail have done it again...."b******s".

Thats what Four Jags might be saying tomorrow as he reads the newspapers with a cup of tea and his distraught wife.

By the way people, i do not know how his wife feels, i am only assuming she is distraught.

Liberal Democrat run Government after next General Election?

2006-04-30T00:25:00.000+01:00

Go on Tim, sink your teeth into this one.

Jokes about Chavs

2006-04-29T19:32:00.000+01:00

Here are jokes about the lovely people known as Chavs that were sent to me by a friend.

1. What do you call a chav in a box?
-Innit.

2. What do you call a chav in a filing cabinet?
-Sorted

3. What do you call a chav in a box with a lock on it?
-Safe.

4. What do you call an Eskimo chav?
-Innuinnit.

5. Why are Chavs like slinkies?
-They have no real use but it's great to watch one fall down a flight of stairs.

6. What do you call a Chavette in a white tracksuit?
-The bride.

7. You're in your car and you see a Chav on a bike, why should you try not
to hit him?
-It might be your bike.

8. What's the difference between a Chav and a coconut?
-One's thick and hairy, the other's a coconut.

9. What's the first question at a Chav quiz night?
-What you lookin' at?"

10. How do you get 100 Chavs into a phone box?
-Paint three stripes on it.

11. Two Chavs in a car without any music. Who's driving?
-The police

12. What do you call a chav with 9 GCSE's?
-A liar.

13. What do you say to a chav with a job?
-Can I have a big mac please

14. What do you say to a chav in a suit?
-Will the defendant please stand

15. What do u call a knife in chaville?
-Exhibit A

16. Why is 3 chavs going over a cliff in a Nova a shame?
-A Nova seats 4

17.What do you call a 30 year old chavette?
-Granny.

18.How many chavs does it take to change a lightbulb?
-One, they'll screw anything.

19.What do you call 100 chavs at the bottom of a river?
-A start.

20.Why did the chav take a shower?
-He didn't mean to, he just forgot to close the Nova's window in the carwash

21.What do you call a Chav at college?
-The cleaner.

22.Two chavs jump off beachy head, who wins?
-Society.

A Real Environmentalist - "Ming" Campbell

2006-04-29T19:08:00.000+01:00

Safe hands proved he can take care of the LOCAL environment. Listen Mr Cameron!!! Take a look at the follwing proposals of the Lib Dems:

Green taxes should be used to change behaviour

Green taxes - including excise duty on fuel - should not fall in real terms from year to year

There should be a substantial increase in the top rate of Vehicle Excise Duty

The climate change levy should be reformed into a universal carbon tax - including household emissions as well as business emissions

Air passenger duty should be restructured as a tax on aircraft emissions, not passengers

Say goodbye Cameron to your Norway ward at these LOCAL elections.

The Syndicate are coming to a school near you.

2006-04-28T21:33:00.000+01:00

Brace yourselves for arguably the most organised group of people since the Mafia.

Don Vito would be proud of this group of people who are determined to overthrow the School Council at their local high school. They are known to have used dangerous tactics in order to achieve this.

This is a phenomenon that has quickly increased in number and is led by the Don, a.k.a The Godfather.

The Godfather has indeed allowed the viewing of such films as ScarFace, Reservoir Dogs and most notably The Godfather itself to influence his decision to make this group of distinguished people.

For those of you whose sons or daughters are in School Councils, watch out because there is a Syndicate nearby.

Tories will not make gains in the local elections....but maybe in Norway

2006-04-28T21:13:00.000+01:00

Pompous, pathetic jibes and the furthest constituency from Westminster.

Are you thinking what i'm thinking....yes you are aren't you....you are probably thinking of the same country as me. Of course i am refering to the largest local council ward....Norway.

Yes that is how local things get for the Conservative Party. They turn the local elections into international elections. Why worry about our streets being clean when we must surely be more concerned with melting ice caps in Norway.

Mr. Cameron thinks its the General Election.

I apologise for my sarcasm but i doubt that the people of the Mile End & Globe Town ward in Tower Hamlets and in other wards up and down the country are losing sleep over this issue from a LOCAL perspective.

People want cleaner and safer streets. A fairer system of Council Tax. They want their local hospitals to be of the highest standard and not wait for months on end to get a place at a school for their children. People want to know that the 25 Bus Route from Ilford to Oxford Circus will still run and much much more.

Are you thinking what i am thinking....vote Liberal Democrat!!!

A little bit about me.

2006-04-27T01:32:00.000+01:00

Hello people,

My name is Daniel Snowdon. I have started this blog to stimulate debate and contest opinions that are expressed. As a firm believer in the notion that everyone should have a say on issues, i permit anyone to post a comment on my blog.

Just to do an introduction, i am in my second year at Queen Mary, University of London studying Politics and French, Joint Honours. I am also heavily involved with the student union movement. In my first year i was a member of the Governance Committee, this year i have been Union Chair and next year i am a Sabbatical at the University of London Union where i will be Vice-President Welfare and Student Affairs.

I hope that you find my blog both stimulating and thought provoking.

Any questions about me please feel free to post them on here.

The Beauty of the French Left

2006-04-26T12:47:00.000+01:00

The possible candidates for the French Presidential elections in 2007 have been unofficially announced.

We all knew about Nicholas Sarkozy from the Union pour un Mouvement Populaire would stand. But there is a suprise candidate, Segolene Royal, the wife of the leader of the Parti Socialiste, Francois Hollande.

Apparently she is able to win support from both sides of the political spectrum. However, it seems that there will be many bedtime conversations between the two before the official declaration of the candidates in April next year.

M. Hollande lost out in the last Presidential elections where the Front National managed to gain enough votes to make the second ballot a Right vs Right contest. I would like to make the prediction now that Francois has my backing for the candidacy.

A word of warning, there will be another fight by the Front National due to the pathetic handling of the "easy-hire, easy-fire" legislation and the failure to recognise the social-economic problems in the Banilieues, the suburbs of Paris and other major French towns.

Lets hope the beauty of the French Left wins, whoever their candidate may be.

Blair defends another and another and another

2006-04-26T09:41:00.000+01:00

Four jags has had an affair, and this time not with the famous make of car or another crazy spending spree on a house.

Of all the people to have an affair in the Labour Party, four jags was the last one that i expected to have a scandal of this nature.

The affair is reported to have started at an office party
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has confessed to having had an affair with one of his secretaries. The MP for Hull East said he regretted the relationship with Tracey Temple, 43, which had ended "some time ago".

"I have discussed this fully with my wife Pauline who is devastated. I would be grateful if [we] can get on with our lives together," a statement said.

Downing Street said it was a "private matter" and that Mr Prescott, 67, had the full backing of Tony Blair.

Mmm, the lives of politicians.....

Well, i guess we should give him some credit for trying to loose weight.

No Platform for BNP. The democratic right to freedom of speech.

2006-04-26T01:06:00.000+01:00

The BNP. Racist, sadistic and thugish (for the want of a better word). These words describe the nature of the BNP membership. Are they entitled to the same freedom of speech as any other political party? Should they benefit from a freedom that will impede on the freedom of others?

Arguably, the Respect Party has indeed been accused of racist comments when refering to the Jewish community. However, they are still allowed a platform in which they can express their views. Now of course that example is just hearsay but the same principles apply. Is their a vendeta against all slightly right wing political parties?

In my constituency of Sutton and Cheam, the BNP candidate was highlighted as a non resident of the ward they are standing in. Apparently that makes their nomination void.

I am a left of centre individual but i do believe that any political party or individual should be able to express their opinions as long as they do not direct their views at any group or person within society.

I despise racists as do most intellectual people, however my main question is should they be able to participate in our political process?

Petty, Self-interested or both? Your choice...

2006-04-26T00:58:00.000+01:00

Some organistions do have them. You know, those who just want to fill gaps in C.V's etc...I would love to hear comments about this clan of people that i call "Ownists". These are people who disregard any kind of realism and are so convinced that they are right that they fail to see the effects of their actions. Perhaps we can compile a black-list of those who we feel should be on their.

A bit like a no platform policy.

The choice is yours.