Last updated Thursday 24th May 2018 16:30 BST
it's that time of the month again when the hosting meter needs a few more pounds to keep the site ticking. Ideally we need £10 before the end of the month, otherwise it has to come out of my pocket. With over 50 blogs listed, if each author donated just two pounds a year the site would stay alive. Why not make this month the month you help out?
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Lib Dem MP Layla Moran has been writing for Politics Home on Palestine. The first MP of Palestinian descent, she has special insight into the troubles experienced and what the solutions might be. You can find the full article here, but to get you started here is an excerpt. Working with our EU partners, now more valuable than ever before, the UK Government must meet the expectations on its special responsibilities and influence in the Middle East. The US has left the field, UK Government Ministers cannot hide away. And we must remember our obligations under Balfour. In a very ...
There was a lively debate between Jo Swinson and Jacob Rees-Mogg concerning abortion on Tuesday's Daily Politics. Here is a link if you'd like to have a look.
FPC members met for an awayday meeting on Saturday 19 May 2018, with a focus on reviewing our overall plans for policy development and how they can most usefully contribute to the party as a whole. It was an upbeat meeting, with lots of positive ideas for our next steps. We started with a briefing from Nick Harvey, the party's Chief Executive, on the party's overall direction and current objectives, so that FPC's plans could contribute most usefully to that. This led on to a presentation of some recent research and polling on messaging. Next we reviewed a paper on ...
I've been delving into the Department of Work and Pensions Family Resources Survey 2016/17 published recently. It contains statistics in five broad categories: Income and State Support; Tenure; Disability; Care; and Pensions. It is the Care statistics which I'd like to highlight today. I've written previously on this site about carers, highlighting the prevalence of women doing the majority of care-work around the world. These recent Family Resources Survey stats show that the largest portion of informal care is for ageing parents. 33% of this care is for parents not living in the same household, whilst 7% care for parents ...
It's an emotionally resonant date to mark but I probably can't improve on my summary of the Section 28 affair from two years ago here. But as we mark 30 years since Section 28 came in, worth remembering that it is also 15 and 18 years since it was got rid of, depending where you live. Yet its shadow lingered on - and as the current government drags its heels on reform of sex and relationship education for England that shadow gets to linger a little longer. And we have this bold parallel taking place around us as voices just ...
If you are fed up of "stay on our mailing list" emails, spare a thought for those having to send them. Make junk food expensive, and children will go hungry Making "unhealthy" food more expensive does not make "healthy" food cheaper or more attainable. You'd think this would be a no-brainer, but apparently not... Amazon Teams Up With Law Enforcement to Deploy Dangerous New Face Recognition Technology weekly_food_challenge | DON'T PANIC! Here's Challenge #44: Towel Day Remote-Controlled Flying Goth is the Stuff of Nightmares Simonfromharlow school trip tweets 'largely fictional' This is why we can't have nice things. 'A woman ...
I have known Inga for close to 20 years, she's had indefinite leave to remain in her passport since 1979. Hostile environment for lawful EU citizens already here. Disgraceful! Home Office denies citizenship to ex-Ipswich mayor Inga Lockington https://t.co/bVbye36avH — SalBrinton (@SalBrinton) May 23, 2018 Ipswich councillor Inga Lockington (Lib Dem) has been a local councillor for 19 years, served as the town's Mayor, a county councillor in addition for 17 years and a resident of the UK for 39 years. None of that however is enough to persuade the Home Office: Former Ipswich mayor Inga Lockington has had her ...
First published on LibDemVoice, 24th May 2018. I think Equal Power is the first book I have ever pre-ordered. I started reading it the day it came out. When I tweeted about that, Jo Swinson replied, and I promised her I would review it as soon as I finished reading it. Several months later..... My post hoc justification for my tardiness is that, to coin a phrase, a review is something best tasted cold. And I find that my opinions about the book have not changed since I first read it. I found "Equal Power, and how you can make ...
Wed, 12:56: Former Ipswich mayor Inga Lockington loses citizenship bid https://t.co/0xNg9QYLXM But reassuring EU citizens has b... https://t.co/VDn54U7ktC Wed, 16:05: John Crace on his heroin addiction https://t.co/xeHq4y5Boz Powerful. Wed, 18:47: Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion, by Jenny T. Colgan https://t.co/wct0WsUEnB Wed, 18:59: RT @schlimazlnik: Eddy C. Bertin, writer of horror and fantasy stories died suddenly, aged 73. https://t.co/xhSmnHPN29 #bertin #rip Wed, 19:52: RT @campaignforleo: Abortion is a reality in Ireland today: 3 women a day take the abortion pill (which they get illegally online), without... Wed, 20:48: RT @Ciaraioch: Making your mind up. #Together4Yes #RepealThe8th https://t.co/FUHpd4e3x1 Wed, 21:43: RT @Popehat: ...
The BBC reports: A Conservative councillor has been expelled from the party after it emerged he had formerly been an activist for the BNP. Stephen Goldsack was listed as the far-right party's "Scottish security adviser" in 2011, and was pictured holding its manifesto. He was elected as a Scottish Conservative councillor in North Lanarkshire last year. Stephen Goldsack had hit the news recently after objecting to a planning application for a mosque. In response to complaints that he made a racist comment about it, he had said, "There's no way I'm a racist". Expulsion seems quite right in this case. ...
Lib Dem Inga Lockington, the former mayor of Ipswich, has been refused citizenship. It is covered extensively here. Inga came to the UK in 1979 when she married her British husband. That resonates with me as I moved to the UK twenty-four years ago when I married my British husband. Inga was given indefinite leave to remain at the time, and has been a resident ever since. Not only has Inga lived in this country, but she has contributed greatly to community life. She has been a councillor for 19 years, and as Suffolk County Councillor has helped many local ...
Earlier this month, Regent Court in Gateshead experienced a significant fire. Residents were evacuated. Most have now been able to return but 14 flats remain damaged. At Gateshead Council's annual meeting last week, deputy leader Catherine Donovan and I (as leader of the opposition) led the tributes to the services involved in tackling the fire and helping the displaced residents. I also raise
I would highly recommend, to my Remainer readers especially, reading Dominic Cummings blog, at least when he writes about Brexit. That may seem counterintuitive, but I do so because Cummings' blog is like an oasis in a sea of Brexit insanity; he is now, sadly, one of the only Leavers who writes about leaving the EU without embedding huge dollops of mystical lunacy into every article. Disagree with him (I do), and recognise he has an agenda, but at least enjoy the fact that he understands what is actually going on with the negotiations in a way that seemingly no ...
It is fair to say that Donald Trump has revolutionised the way that Twitter is used by politicians. That has nor always been a good thing. Although he has been able to speak directly to more that 52 million people, his utterances have not always been coherent, whilst the opprobrium he has attracted in return is often unrepeatable in mixed company or indeed any company. What has surprised many people is how he has managed to avoid plunging the United States into a war through his tweets. After all he is a sitting President who speaks for the nation. He ...
Des Carter was Clerk to Maghull Town Council for around 7 years if memory serves. He retired in 1995 but lived in Maghull until he died. Des was without doubt one of the nicest people I have ever met. He was old school and always wore a business suit and tie at work. He was a highly qualified accountant who came to work for the Town Council when financially it was in a right old mess. He sorted all that out working with a councillor of that time called Merrick Stott, who was a retired bank manager. Merrick also died ...
Two years ago, we launched Radix with our first paper focused on the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme. The core questions we raised in that paper were these: What should be the limits of central bank independence? How reasonable is it, in a democracy, that unelected and minimally politically accountable central banks should have powers to [...] The post The 'unelected power' of the Bank of England appeared first on Radix.
The seven Lib Dem Councillors have taken up their new positions and seats in the Council Chamber. Their first job was to requisition a special council meeting to begin the process of abolishing the position of Elected Mayor All seven ... Continue reading →
I think Equal Power is the first book I have ever pre-ordered. I started reading it the day it came out. When I tweeted about that, Jo Swinson replied, and I promised her I would review it as soon as I finished reading it. Several months later..... My post hoc justification for my tardiness is that, to coin a phrase, a review is something best tasted cold. And I find that my opinions about the book have not changed since I first read it. I found "Equal Power, and how you can make it happen" very powerful indeed. Not because ...
Figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that 29,000 Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loan claimants still haven't been successfully contacted by the Department, one month after the changes came into force. The update on the uptake of SMI loans also shows that of those contacted, 60% or 45,000 have turned it down, meaning they have lost the payment.Commenting on these figures, which are accurate as of 16th May 2018, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions Spokesperson Stephen Lloyd said: "These lamentable figures show that thousands of people have still not responded to the significant changes on ...
Speaking following the new Home Secretary's first speech to the Police Federation, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said: "Warm words are not enough to gain the trust of hard working police officers who have faced the tough consequences of this Tory Government slashing police budgets and police numbers. "Violent crime is on the rise and police officers are facing ever greater danger in order to protect our communities. They are rightly proud to do their job, but we must back them up with the resources they need. "Time will tell if the Home Secretary can convince the Treasury ...
After a fifteen-month gap in which Nilsson released nothing at all, The Point! began a massive flurry of activity for Nilsson. Between March 1971, when The Point! was released, and July 1972, Nilsson released four albums — The Point!, Aerial ... Continue reading →
Darren Hughes on the lessons of this month's voter ID trials: "Aside from showing a worrying distrust for voters, the ID trials are riddled with flaws. They must not be a fait accompli for a national roll-out." "The fact that I have lost contact, irrevocably, with so many of the people with whom I grew up tells me we are not doing enough to ensure the future of care leavers. People who feel loved and cared for, who are full members of society, do not simply drop off the map." Daniel Lavelle sets out to trace the people he grew ...
Our next eFocus for the Whickham area was published tonight. It covers the local election results, the plans for the new buildings at Whickham School and the open day at the Whinnies Community Garden. You can view the newsletter on this link.
Vince had a question to the Prime Minister today. He was jeered at almost as soon as he stood up – a good sign that he is so relevant that people think they have to do that. What did he choose to ask her on this set piece occasion? The Prime Minister and the Labour Leader of the Opposition both agree that we should leave the single market and leave the European Union customs union, and that the public should not have a final say on the Brexit deal, so will the Prime Minister dispense with our tradition of party ...
We have been waiting for this for a while. Arriva Wales seemed to have given up on improving its service through Wales and the Welsh Marches. Now a new company, KeolisAmey, will take run the trains from October. It is an overdue change but we don't have any details of the new service yet. But I have a shopping list of improvements. This a true European contract. German Arriva is being replaced by French company Keolis in partnership with Spanish Amey. KeolisAmey, as the new partnership is called, is a joint venture partnership of international public transport operator Keolis, and ...
So why is water shortage predicted by 2050? Each person on average uses 137 litres per day, and with the current UK population, the water companies supply, daily, at least 1.2 billion litres of water. The water supply is managed by 27 different companies and by law, they must produce a Water Resource Management Plan that forecasts supply and demand and has a plan to describe how they will deliver water to the public for at least the next 25 years. Water companies across the UK collect, treat and pump water to users. The water companies need to curb water ...
Second paragraph of third chapter: She [Jackie Tyler] told herself that a lot, these days. This is the second of the four recently published Doctor Who novelisations, reviving the Target series; by the great chick-lit writer Jenny Colgan, it puts the Tenth Doctor's first TV appearance into book form. This is far from Colgan's first encounter with Who; she wrote an Eleventh Doctor novel, Dark Horizons; an Eleven/Clara ebook, Into the Nowhere; and then a Ten/Donna novel, In the Blood; as well as a Ten/Donna Big Finish audio, Time Reaver, and several other bits and bobs (collected together in a ...
Back in 1982, I stood for Manchester City Council for the new shiny SDP. We hoped for and expected big changes. Many of the Labour councillors had come over to the SDP, including Chris Muir, the Labour leader and director of Manchester City Football club. Chris stood on the same ticket as me in Burnage, [...] The post Time to break the mould all over again? appeared first on Radix.
Email isn't new. It has been around for only one year less than me but is still only patchily used by local parties even though more than four in five voters use email.
It was back in September 2001, the time of the devastating terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York, that Jo Moore, a young advisor to our then Labour government recommended to her boss that this was " a good time to bury bad news." She was eventually forced to resign. In due course I'm sure the same fate will fall on our Prime Minister Theresa May, though probably not just yet, since her rivals need her to stay in office so that she and not they take the blame for the Brexit shambles. Last weekend, then much ...
Supergirl is about to introduce its first ever transgender character On Deadpool 2 and the "Art" of Fridging This is a really excellent piece. Britain's wealth was built on black backs. Windrush is a scandal of forgetting Former Ipswich mayor Inga Lockington loses citizenship bid Today's The Home Office Are Bastards news: "Former Ipswich mayor Inga Lockington has had her application for British citizenship turned down by the Home Office - because officials will not accept that she is a UK resident!" - she's LITERALLY a sitting councillor. The immigration system is stupid. Grenfell Tower inquiry descends into chaos as ...
A couple of years ago, Tim Farron's often powerful speeches excited and enthused Liberal Democrats and beyond as membership more than doubled in his two years as leader. Too often these days his remarks or his actions cause anger and anxiety. I know that when I see the word Farron on Twitter, I'm thinking "Oh no, what's he done now." Don't get me wrong, given the same choice I had in 2015, I'd vote for him again. However, in his quest to become leader and president before that, he went out of his way to build alliances with certain groupings ...
With Americas' announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminium, there are fears of a global trade war. If a trade war starts is WTO strong enough to intervene and stop it? Over the last decade, numerous stalled negotiations have beset WTO credibility. The Ministerial Conference in Kenya in 2015 for the first time failed to support the Doha mandate. An ineffectual WTO will hurt everyone, but the most significant impact will be felt by the poor. In 2010 the Millennium Development Goals achieved one of its objectives, and that was to cut extreme poverty by half. Achieving this objective was ...
Tue, 12:56: How the Nixon pardon tore the Ford administration apart https://t.co/oc91svTxTn It was the right thing to do. It ki... https://t.co/2NKR6V0uYP Tue, 16:05: RT @Rob0Sullivan: Yeah, in Ireland we don't have school shootings because we make it real hard to get doors. You've gotta fill out forms, b... Tue, 18:46: Doctor Who: Rose, by Russell T. Davis https://t.co/OKo9jM5T1r Tue, 20:48: The 9.9 Percent Is the New American Aristocracy The class divide is already toxic, and is fast becoming unbridgeabl... https://t.co/fJT6eGkUj0 Wed, 10:45: Border poll recedes as polls show nationalist support for unity hinges on Brexit outcome https://t.co/zWjqMZOjfn Of... https://t.co/KTxgPxllRq ...
I have noticed that whenever a neutral observer or expert produces a verifiable bad news fact about the impact of Brexit the anti-Europeans jump in and try to claim bias or attribute political motives to the source. It is almost as if the Brexiteers themselves are models of sound commonsense, good judgement, integrity and have no record at all of manipulating or inventing data for their own political purposes. Sure enough, the moment the Governor of the Bank of England puts his head above the parapet to do his job and pass on economic news the Brexiteers are on their ...
northernfailapp.co.uk/ So much so that one disgruntled traveller has created the app – available via the link above – to record the failings of the north's biggest train operating company. You may wish to access the app if you travel on Northern's trains. With thanks to Alan for the lead to this posting
There is a lot of concern whether UK will be able to complete the Brexit process even though the Tories continue to push, somewhat aimlessly, for the March 2019 date to end our European Union (EU) membership. From the beginning, it was evident that the government was poorly prepared for the negotiations. There was some hope that a more pragmatic approach would prevail when they realised the enormity of the task and its impact on the economy. However, an ambitious yet weak Prime Minister who wants to stay in power at all cost with an ideology cabinet that she cannot ...
Well, that was somewhat unexpected. I had turned up at Monday night's Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Parish Council Meeting (not the same thing at all) with the sole expectation of a smoothly run meeting, the pleasure of some time with my fellow Parish councillors and a relatively early finish. Our Chair, Machala, is not one for lengthy meetings and chairs them with good humour and efficiency. The Parish Meeting went according to plan, with the reports from the Chair, the County and District Councillors, the Parochial Church Council and our Tree Warden - we've learnt not to expect a ...
