ANDREW DAKERS

Reflections on environmental sustainability and social entrepreneurship

All Blog Posts (35)

Cabe’s opaque Design Review for Brentford Town Centre is best binned

When Cabe, now part of the Design Council, first published their latest Design Review for Brentford Waterside, Hounslow on 14 February 2013 local residents were hopeful that this once respected body would urge Ballymore and their architects to radically reconsider the density and architectural aesthetic of their scheme.  Instead residents,…

Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on May 19, 2013 at 17:30 — No Comments

Brentford High Street - Achieving regeneration of beauty and a human scale

As many of you will know, the regeneration of Brentford High Street, has been a cause close to my heart for many years.  As a local councillor I convened the start-up of Brentford High Street Steering Group (BHSSG) in 2006 with cross-party support and I remain chair. In 2007 I spent a year facilitating the community participation that led to the …

Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on November 9, 2012 at 16:00 — No Comments

Work experience and internships: an extended charter?

As I reflected in a blog post last Thursday the idea that left me least convinced in the Prime Minister's speech to the BITC summit was the assertion that: "Put a young person into college for a month’s learning, unpaid – and it’s hailed as a good thing.  Put a young…

Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on February 26, 2012 at 15:30 — No Comments

Government announces next steps towards scaling up Corporate Responsibility and Open Business

In September 2010 I reflected on the merits of the Government launching an Open Business Responsibility Deal.  Today at the BITC Summit in London - with our new Minister for Corporate Responsibility Norman Lamb looking on - I was delighted to see the idea developed into two distinct…

Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on February 23, 2012 at 21:30 — No Comments

Time for Liberal Democrats to invoke clause 6.6 in defense of Europe and the spirit of the Coalition Agreement?

For the first time since the General Election, and stepping back from the front line of community politics in West London where I was an active Liberal Democrat for a decade (a parliamentary candidate in 2005 and 2010), I feel compelled to speak out.

The Liberal Democrats have often allowed ourselves to be presented as mindlessly pro-European - we are not. We are pro-reform and the creation of a far more efficient, less bureaucratic EU. However neither are the Liberal Democrats…

Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on December 11, 2011 at 18:30 — No Comments

Red tape strangling sustainable ideas - Guardian Sustainable Business blog

As The Cooperation Incubator's work in partnership with Business in the Community continues to gather momentum you can read my article in today's Guardian Sustainable Business blog on the challenges competition law presents public benefit collaboration by businesses:…

Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on June 3, 2011 at 11:00 — No Comments

“Charles seeks ‘big society’ role in shaping Britain’s towns and cities”, The Guardian, Saturday 27 November 2010

Last Thursday evening (25 November) 330 residents, business people and investors gathered at the Holiday Inn Brentford, West London, for our annual Christmas Lights fundraising dinner. This was the fourth such gathering – the Big Society has long established foundations in Brentford, a town whose roots can be traced back to 781AD. Yet whilst we enjoyed a wonderful evening, rather than unbounded optimism at a new Government that recognises the vital importance and role of civic society, talk…

Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on November 27, 2010 at 23:30 — No Comments

Beyond the OFR: The 'Open Business' Responsibility Deal

In August I posted my initial thoughts on the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) consultation that had just been launched on the Operating and Financial Review (OFR). The deadline for getting your response in is the 19 October 2010. In my draft…
Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on September 28, 2010 at 0:00 — No Comments

Accounting for People

People are our biggest asset - a very common statement. The need to cost our people assets in more concrete ways is acknowledged by many industry experts, especially as the knowledge economy continues to grow coming out of the recession. People are now recognised as the key to competitive advantage and as a result they need to be logged as both business…

Continue

Added by Ruth Hannant on September 9, 2010 at 11:44 — No Comments

BIS consultation on 'The Future of Narrative Reporting' and reinstatement of the Operating and Financial Review (OFR)

At the Lib Dems Autumn conference in 2009 I called for correction of a party policy paper ('Are we being served?') that incorrectly stated the Operating and Financial Review (OFR) was still in place. The statutory OFR had been repealed in December 2005. It is little surprise the party policy-makers had got confused as to where things stood in UK…
Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on August 10, 2010 at 13:00 — 1 Comment

The case for a 'Responsible and sustainable economy minister'

In the past few days Fabian Pattberg and then Mallen Baker reflected on the absence of a CSR/CR minister within the new Coalition administration. A few weeks ago I considered the extent to which Corporate…
Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on June 18, 2010 at 22:30 — No Comments

Corporate Responsibility is the thread that runs through Coalition Agreement - but there’s more work to do...

Whilst I am of course delighted at news this week that Brentford appears to be leading the way nationally in corporate community investment, the financial crisis has thrown up real uncertainties over the past few years as to how embedded responsible leadership is in the business community, particularly the financial sector. As a candidate I experienced first hand… Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on May 21, 2010 at 14:30 — No Comments

Lib Dem/ Con Coalition - Some reflections....

A number of people have written to me in the past few days expressing concerns about a Lib Dem/ Con coalition.


Some of you asked me to communicate on these concerns at the highest levels of the party, which I did. I share your anxieties. Political campaigning for the Lib Dems (often against the Conservatives) over the past decade has cost me personally many tens of thousands of pounds.


Some of you expressed concerns about Nick Clegg…
Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on May 12, 2010 at 20:30 — 1 Comment

Thank you...

As the dust settles on the election I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the phenomenal support you have given me and the Liberal Democrats over the past few months. Too many messages have come in by phone, e-mail, text and twitter in the past 48hrs for me to be able to respond individually, but please know that your support and good wishes for the future mean an awful lot to me. For close family it has been a particularly testing time – thank you for your patience, love and…
Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on May 10, 2010 at 15:30 — No Comments

Liberal Democrat support growing fast across the constituency....

Over the past few weeks our greatest challenge has been coping with the surge in interest in the party and new volunteers coming forward - that's of course a great position to be in, but has slowed down the frequency of updates to this site.


New supporters have provided homes for some of our biggest ever banners in both Osterley and Gunnersbury (see below). Hopefully you've spotted them whilst driving down the Great West Road or going into Chiswick.…
Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on May 2, 2010 at 1:19 — No Comments

Improving the service at Turnham Green Tube

When I first ran for Parliament in 2005 the issue of the poor service at Turnham Green Tube was one of the key local concerns raised with me by Chiswick residents. My Freedom of Information request at the time simply yielded a litany of excuses. Five years on and the problem remains unsolved by the incumbent Labour MP or Tory Mayor Johnson's Transport for London.


With increases in population above the London average and many new…
Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on March 29, 2010 at 12:30 — No Comments

Stopping expansion by stealth: The Cranford Agreement Bill

The long-standing practice known as ‘The Cranford Agreement’ has avoided easterly departures off the northern runway over Cranford, wherever possible. It means that when the airport is operating on easterlies, most departures use the southern runway and arrivals generally use the northern runway. Alternation is not therefore used on easterly operations.



Stemming from an undertaking given at a public meeting in 1952, the Agreement was designed to protect the residents of Cranford,… Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on March 1, 2010 at 2:03 — No Comments

Regenerating Gunnersbury Park, local history museum and mansions - A way forward

In the past few week's we've had hot air from our Labour MP which clearly really frustrated the Tory Leader of Hounslow Council. I have some sympathy with his view. With just three days until our Budget meeting for the 2010/11 we need solutions, not more…
Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on February 28, 2010 at 20:30 — No Comments

Thirteen London Hospitals set to lose services: Big turn-out expected at London-wide rally called by BMA

Worrying news in this press release from Independent campaign group 'London Health Emergency'. I will be interested to read the full NW London document...…


Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on February 25, 2010 at 14:00 — No Comments

Proposed Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) in Chiswick

Last Tuesday evening I attended the Chiswick local area committee for the first time as an observer. As a Group Leader it is useful to maintain and develop an understanding of how local democracy is working across the borough.…

Continue

Added by Andrew Dakers on February 13, 2010 at 17:30 — No Comments

Blog Topics by Tags

Monthly Archives

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

1999

LIKE

TAKE ACTION

GET IN TOUCH

1. E-MAIL hi@andrewdakers.com
2. WRITE 2 Upper Butts, Brentford, Middx TW8 8DA 3. CALL/ TEXT 07788 116159
4. MEET UP Call the office and arrange a face-to-face meeting
5. LINKED IN Andrew Dakers
6. FACEBOOK

Videos

  • Add Videos
  • View All

© 2013   Created by Andrew Dakers.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service