Christmas Eve is always frantic in the Walkington household. I look with envy and disbelief at the serenity of other families. For us it is the day to decorate the house and tree, do the last of the Christmas shopping before the more talented members of the family take their voices and instruments to various [...]
Entries from December 25th, 2009
Shock doubling of St Albans youth unemployment in just one year
December 21st, 2009 · No Comments · Sandy's blog
I have just been reading the latest unemployment figures for St Albans parliamentary constituency covering November 2009. They show a shocking doubling in local youth unemployment in just one year.
The November 2009 figure of local unemployed 18-24 year olds is 345 as compared with 170 figure from just one year earlier. I have met so [...]
Tags:Sandy Walkington·St Albans·st albans unemployment·youth unemployment statistics
Don’t let Copenhagen failure stop our own commitments to reduce carbon footprint
December 20th, 2009 · No Comments · Sandy's blog
I suppose the damp squib of Copenhagen cannot be too much of a surprise although it makes for some sombre pre-Christmas reflection. If China as the world’s largest carbon emitter and future superpower continues to behave like a spoiled child and thereby lets other nations off the hook, then the implications are severe for us [...]
Tags:10:10 initiative·Copenhagen summit·Heartwood Forest·Sandy Walkington·St Albans·st albans transition·Woodland Trust
“First Crapital Connect”? – heads they win, tails we lose
December 17th, 2009 · No Comments · Sandy's blog
I have just received the latest newsletter from our local Association of Passenger Transport Users (APTU). It makes fairly dismal reading.
The 14 December temporary timetable still shows a reduction of 30% in the advertised train service – hardly an improvement on the previous timetable which was a reduction of 38%.
Apparently drivers at two of the [...]
Tags:compensation·FCC·FCC dispute·First Capital Connect·Sandy Walkington·St Albans
Why is paying tax so challenging for Conservative parliamentarians?
December 14th, 2009 · 1 Comment · Sandy's blog
It seems extraordinary to me that David Cameron is waiting until he may or may not win an election and then if he wins to take valuable parliamentary time to make sure that his MPs and peers behave properly over tax. It does not say much for his confidence in the ‘moral compass’ of his [...]
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Come on in, the water’s lovely
December 12th, 2009 · No Comments · Sandy's blog
When I was campaigning to be selected as Lib Dem candidate for St Albans, I tried to call personally on all the local party members. It was very instructive. Rather too many I knew already from when I had been previously candidate for St Albans in 1983 and 1987. By definition that meant there were [...]
Tags:joining the Liberal Democrats·Liberal Democrat membership·Sandy Walkington·St Albans
My oddest canvassing experience and other questions
December 11th, 2009 · No Comments · Sandy's blog
I always like speaking at local schools. Today it was the AS Politics Class at Beaumont – with a couple of Verulam students as well. A very stimulating set of questions put together by the students:
1. What campaign method have you found to be the most successful?
2. Do you find that fact to face contact [...]
Tags:Beaumont School·Sandy Walkington·schools talks·St Albans·Verulam School
Time for some healthy realism on public sector pay and employment
December 8th, 2009 · 2 Comments · Sandy's blog
Of course I am going to write that I like Vince Cable’s just announced proposals for capping public sector pay rises to £400 per person. Since public sector pay makes up a quarter of all public spending, it is unrealistic to assume that it can remain unscathed. Many people in the private sector have experienced [...]
Tags:Gordon Brown·public sector pay·public sector reform·Sandy Walkington·Vince Cable
Light at end of tunnel for FCC commuters and for once it’s an oncoming train – but now the fight is for proper compensation
December 7th, 2009 · No Comments · Sandy's blog
It is good news that it now looks like there may be a settlement of the “dispute” between FCC and its drivers. This has been a nightmare for local commuters who have been caught between a rock and a hard place through no fault of their own.
It was not an act of god. It was [...]
Tags:FCC·fcc rail dispute·First Capital Connect·rail compensation·Sandy Walkington·St Albans
Helioslough rightly under pressure as public has their say at the Inquiry
December 3rd, 2009 · 2 Comments · Hands off Herts, Sandy's blog
Today was the first opportunity for members of the public to give evidence as witnesses at the Railfreight public inquiry. It was a good morning. Anne Main spoke first and concentrated on rail issues and particularly the disgraceful failure of Network Rail to provide a witness to the Inquiry who could be questioned and cross-examined [...]
Tags:Hands off Herts·Helioslough·Park Street·Radlett freight terminal·railfreight·railfreight public inquiry·Sandy Walkington·St Albans·St Albans Civic Society·STRiFE