Liberal Democrats to ban patio heaters

Watching BBC’s News at Ten last night I was delighted to see one of the party’s MEPs, Fiona Hall, do a piece on patio heaters. It appeared from what she said that she wanted them banned. She wouldn’t be the first Liberal Democrat politician to question these oddities. For example, I have seen comments from both Norman Baker and Martin Horwood questioning these. Norman Baker said in 2006: “Patio heaters are an absurd invention. It is ludicrous that people are trying to heat the open air, as well as being irresponsible in the light of the climate change challenge we face.” I certainly wouldn’t disagree with that. However Fiona Hall appears to be calling for an outright ban, for in her report, to be debated in the European Parliament this afternoon (Action Plan for Energy Efficiency: Realising the Potential), it specifically states:

16. Urges the Commission to establish timetables for the withdrawal from the market of all the least energy-efficient items of equipment, appliances and other energy-using products, such as patio heaters;

I am open to persuasion that it means something different, but this looks like the first step on the road to a ban! This is a major policy move from the Liberal Democrats and I wonder if this actually has the majority support of the party. It is also surely an unprecedented way of establishing party policy, given the almost complete absence of any debate.

Northern Rock collapse and Keegan’s appointment – two sides of the same coin

When one analyses what has been going on in Newcastle for the past months it should come as no surprise Kevin Keegan was appointed manager of Newcastle United last week.It is difficult for outsiders to recognise just how important Northern Rock was to locals; it somehow embodied the city of Newcastle. Not only did it employ thousands of people in its HQ in Gorsforth and in the hundreds of branches across the region but it was intrinsically linked to the area through it sponsorship deals of all the leading sports teams in Newcastle not least, of course, Newcastle United FC. When you add in all the thousands of savers Northern Rock had, it is no overstatement to say that the company was an institution in the North East (I was trying to imagine something similar in Yorkshire and I don’t think there is an equivalent – I’m not sure even that if KComm were to disappear from Hull it would have the same resonance).

Given this enormous uncertainty for the people of Newcastle the appointment of Kevin Keegan in that context might not be such a surprise. Kevin Keegan is a reference to more cheerful times in Newcastle’s history. He probably wasn’t the best manager available but in these troubled times he represents some sort of security as a way of overcoming the uncertainty created by the Northern Rock collapse.

Slightly off topic, it was strangely coincidental that Keegan should rejoin Newcastle just before a third round FA Cup replay because he left Newcastle just before a third round FA Cup replay – on 8^th January 1997. (The replay, against Charlton Athletic, was a week later). Strange symmetry!  

Why at least one half of Sheffield will be cheering on West Ham in the Cup tonight

West Ham go to Manchester City this evening for an FA Cup replay. Nothing remarkable in that you might think except when you see who the winners will play, away, in the next round: Sheffield United.

Those with longish memories will recall the rather unsavoury set of circumstances that allowed West Ham to stay in the Premiership last season only for the Blades to be relegated. In August 2006 West Ham signed Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano. It soon emerged that the club had acted improperly in signing these two Argentineans and after a long drawn out process, in April 2007, the club was found guilty of acting improperly and withholding vital documentation over the duo’s ownership. West Ham were fined £5.5m.

There are many (and I am one of them) who believe that West Ham got away lightly. The penalty on them should have been docked points for breaching the rules. Fortunately, for them, the club had changed both ownership and management in the meantime and the tribunal let them off the hook. Of course the question will remain, did West Ham benefit from this dubious piece of transfer skulduggery? The answer is empathically yes, especially the contribution of Tevez, who scored several goals and contributed plenty of assists. He was after all the Hammers Player of the Year.

Sheffield United did their best to keep up the case of injustice in the courts but without significant support from any of the footballing bodies they were doomed to failure. (The almost complete lack of accountability of most sports authorities will be revisited at some future point)

So should West Ham win at Eastlands tonight and turn up at Bramall Lane in a couple pf weeks time, expect a decent atmosphere because there is some unfinished business between these two clubs. Up the Iron (for tonight at least)!