I am still having fun exploring the GettyImages site. This photoshows Steve Winwood accompanying John Martyn at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, London, on 21 November 1977. Steve Winwood played on two of John Martyn's LPs in the 1970s.
Labour seat. Resignation.
Lib Dem seat. Resignation For more information contact: info@gedlinglibdems.org.uk
Cause - Resignation due to ill-health of long serving Lib Dem - Diana Hockaday. Candidate - Julian Halls Contact: r.carden@btinternet.com
Lab seat. Resignation.
SNP Seat, Death
Conservative seat. Disqualification. The Liberal Democrat candidate is Steven Scarrott Contact: Richard Sangster, 01189311007, 07541350036, richardwsangster@googlemail.com By election HQ: 45 Beaconsfield Way, RG6 5UX
Ratepayer seat. Death. Prospective Candidate: Carole Gilligan Contact: info@fyldelibdems.org.uk
Con seat. Resignation. Liberal Democrat candidate is Sue Cooper. Contact details: 01491 835631; cooperfamy@aol.com
Residents of Turnfield Road and Cringle Drive in Cheadle might have been a little confused to see the Lib Dem team out knocking on doors last Friday afternoon with a camera crew following us around. The cameras weren't for the local team – we're really not that interesting! They were from Belgian TV, following former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt who joined us, along with local MP Mark Hunter and local Euro MP Chris Davies. Guy was Prime Minister of Belgium for more than eight years, from 1999 to 2008. He's currently standing to be the next President of the ...
Last night I was in the spin room doing my job as President, walking around and saying Nick had won. It wasn't hard to appear convincing, because he was brilliant. It was certainly easier than when I have to speak to the media after some by-elections! I thought Nick won last night on both style and substance. Though of course as a Lib Dem, I would say that. As a party we like facts and evidence. Watching last night, those things were very light on the UKIP side of the debate. Then again, what else did we expect? The spin ...
This year's Annual Town Meeting has been arranged for Wednesday 9th April at 6:30 pm This is not a normal meeting of the Town Council , but follows the format shown on the notice below. The meeting has been arranged at short notice due to the "purdah period" before the European Elections. Unfortunately I'll not be there as I will be on a family holiday My apologies about the document. It came to me as a .pdf file. I had to print it, then scan it as a .jpg file to allow it to be posted on this site. It ...
OK, it is one of those questions to which the answer is no, but after last night it wouldn't be one of the wilder conspiracy theories out there either. Moscow's elite are reputedly influenced by Eurasianism, or more correctly Neo-Eurasianism, a political ideology developed by political scientist Alexander Dugin who is the son of a [...]
[IMG: Lynne featherstone by paul walter] Lynne Featherstone has written an article for the Liberal Democrats' website in which she slams Nigel Farage's comments on same sex marriage and Crimea in the debate last night. I agree with Vlad Nigel Farage loathes the EU so much that he is prepared to side with Vladimir Putin against the people of Ukraine and the democracies of the western world. His statement, that the EU has "blood on its hands", was an insult to those pro-democracy demonstrators who bravely took to the streets of Kiev to fight for their rights in the face ...
Thu 27th
16:25
Euro hopeful Issan Ghazni welcomed a new poll which shows growing support to stay in Europe.
[IMG: image] A YouGov opinion poll for the LBC radio station found that 45 per cent want to stay in – well ahead of the 34 per cent who said we should leave. East Midlands candidate Ghazni said this was evidence that the Liberal Democrats' "In Europe, In Work" campaign was working. He said: "A clear majority of people who expressed a view wanted Britain to remain in the EU. "Considering that virtually every national newspaper has been running anti-Europe stories every day this poll reinforces my belief that the British public can see through the shrill Euro-sceptic propaganda we ...
Thu 27th
16:22
Peace brings no dividend to the poorest in Northern Ireland, but how do we measure poverty anyway?
Peace brings no dividend to the poorest in Northern Ireland - Eamonn McCann There is an interesting opinion piece in today's Irish Times, discussing a Joseph Rowntree Foundation report into economic deprivation in Northern Ireland, and concluding that devolved government has made things worse, economically, for the poorest in Northern Ireland rather than better. This could come as no surprise. While the involuntary coalition system that arose from the Good Friday Agreement might have had a chance of working if the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP had remained the two largest parties, it creaks under the strain of domination ...
The Chinese Zhong Rong Group are proposing to rebuild a pastiche of the great Victorian Crystal Palace. It's clear from their representatives who spoke at the Dulwich Community Council that they really arent sure what they're proposing. It might include a 6* hotel, it might include an auction house, it might include exotic galleries. Yet before knowing what they're proosing and the related transport requirements they're asking people whether they support it or not. What they do know is theyre not planning transport upgrades such as extending a tube line or reopening the high level Crystal Palace station. But witohut ...
With equal marriage about to be a reality there have been quiet few reminiscences in the media about the journey from pre Wolfenden days to the success of Lynne Featherstone's Bill. Rev Richard Coles can still be heard on iplayer fronting a Radio 4 program Gay Rights: Tying the Knot and Mathew Parris writing in The Times about his plotting 25 years ago along with Ian Mc Kellan and Peter Mandelson to advance the cause. I want to go back before that -not as far as the Wolfenden Report or Roy Jenkins 1967 legislation- but to the Winter Garden's in ...
I popped into The Atkinson today after being alerted that they had new stock. The information/ticket office doubles as Tourist Information and they have always had old railway posters and other Southport memorabilia. It was good to see they had lots of postcards, mugs etc of some of the art works in the gallery -pride of place was clearly given to Lilith by John Collier. What caught my eye was a black and white notelet of a Prime Ministerial visit to Southport allegedly in 1910. I am just re-reading Roy Jenkin's biography of Asquith( the Prime Minister he 'truly loved' ...
The previous Labour Government's 2005 contract awarded to Atos Healthcare has been a long term thorn in the side of the policy of fairly assessing people on Invalidity Benefit for transferring to Employment and Support Allowance. The contract has been dogged by decisions taken which have been overturned on appeal, and longer and longer queues as people wait for their assessments. At the root of the problem was Labour's decision to award the contract to a single supplier for the whole of Great Britain. Now, we know Labour loves monopolies and centralising power - and this contract was no exception. ...
Today's Times carries a report in which the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles seeks to attack the Welsh Labour Government for not imposing the sort of draconian controls on local government that he has implemented in England. Over the border, Councils are offered a financial incentive not to raise their council tax and are told that if they want to increase it by 2% or more they need to hold an expensive referendum. Now, I want to reduce bills as much as anybody but in my view the best way to do that is through local accountability. Philosophically, I have no ...
How are you with Photoshop, flags and Batman? Last night's LBC debate between Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage saw one of the most telling clashes about crime. Nick said we were better off IN to fight crime and get better justice. Nigel said he was so hell-bent against any form of European co-operation that he'd rather see cross-border criminals go free on killing sprees and British tourists locked up without help. So where is the Photoshopped poster of Nick Clegg as Batman (in half-EU stars, half-Union Jack Batsuit) vs Nigel Farage, the Joker, saying 'Together, We Fight Crime'? Your turn! ...
Behold a rare species. A TED talk that slays simplistic, faddish scientism rather than propogating it:Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Mythbusting, Neuroscience, science, TED talks
Yesterday, along with a few other Cornwall Councillors from the West, I met with a the Leader of the Council, John Pollard, and the recently appointed Chief Executive, Andrew Kerr. As with all the meetings that predict the future money that the Council will have to spend on the things people need, want and love, it would have been very easy to come away thoroughly depressed. The apocalyptic headline that has been rammed home to Councillors is what savings of £196m look like. The whole of the Council pay-bill, with oncosts, is £206m. By 2018/19 we will have around £12.5m ...
I was struck today by the fact Mother's Day is getting more and more commercialised. Having already done present and card (and scheduled a visit, even if it's not on the day!), I was struck by how much MORE I am encouraged to spend by all outlets. My email box is full of Groupons, email invitations to Mother's Day presents, flower companies etc, and each thing I looked at looked more expensive than the last. I was also struck by how when my partner and I looked to go out one Mother's Day, we couldn't as all restaurants were packed. ...
A local newspaper reports of Cllr David Schmitz (Harringay ward, Haringey Council): [IMG: David Schmitz] Councillor David Schmitz is supporting the 20th anniversary appeal of the Leukaemia Cancer Society by taking part in the 26.2 mile run on April 13. The Bounds Green-based charity aims to save more lives by encouraging potential bone marrow and stem cell donors to join the National Donor Registers. Cllr Schmitz, who represents the Harringay ward, said: "We must do whatever we can to give as many patients as possible a chance to survive. "The society's work needs every support, and I'm glad to give ...
Earlier today, I had the pleasure of announcing in the House of Commons a raft of new measures designed to make sure that when people save for a pension they get value for money. One of the Coalition's most successful policies, for which I have had lead responsibility, is the introduction of 'automatic enrolment' into workplace pensions. Starting with the biggest firms in October 2012, and reaching the smallest ones by 2017, employers now have a legal duty to put their workers in a pension scheme and to make an employer contribution which is topped up by an employee contribution ...
Just hours before the first debate between Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage about Britain's membership of Europe, Richard Branson has called on people to back the case for staying IN Europe. Writing in his blog, Branson said that although Europe has it's faults, "the last thing the UK should do is leave it, as it would then have no say on how to improve it and make it more productive for all countries involved." He also highlighted the economic and business benefits that Britain gets from being a member of the largest free trade area in the world: "It is ...
The Secretary of State for the Department for Education has received information that children at 21 children's homes and schools may have been abused by Jimmy Savile. He has initiated work to have these cliams investigated thoroughly. Child abuse scars peoples whole lives. I dont think it's something that truly goes away from people. They just learn to manage and hide their feelings. It can lead to self harm and suicide and feelings of self-loathing. Truly awful thing to happen to anyone. Southwark Council had a children's home called the Hollies in Sidcup between 1965 and 1989 ans this is ...
Julian joins Dr Rosemary Westwell to support the Water Aid campaign Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert teamed up with campaigners and supporters of a leading charity in Westminster to discuss the international water and sanitation crisis. Julian and Witchford-based supporter, Dr Rosemary Westwell added their support to the Water Aid Everyone Everywhere campaign that calls access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation for all by the year 2030. And on Saturday, March 29 Julian will be attending a charity dinner and auction organised by students at Cambridge's Anglia Ruskin University to raise money for Water Aid. The event will take ...
They look like a colossal waste of effort. Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years, and turnout in Britain, as in much of the rest of Europe, is dismal. Few understand what the European Parliament is for. But last night's debate between Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Ukip's Nigel Farage shows that things are going in an interesting direction. These elections are contributing more and more to the wider process of politics in this country. The most important thing about theses elections is that they are held using proportional representation (PR). Parties in practice need to ...
Thu 27th
11:55
Call Clegg: Nick condemns morning after pill critics as misogynist, medieval and insulting to women
I do love it when Nick gets all cross about things. He's always been pretty open about his views but at times can come across almost too careful. Those occasions when he just lets rip are so good. This morning, ... Continue reading →
Back in 2012, an independent study of NHS case notes from hospitals concluded that in about 2.3% of hospital deaths there was strong evidence that death could have been prevented. In practice, this equates to around 6,300 preventable deaths in hospitals every year. This is a shocking statistic. As Liberal Democrats, we should never fall into the trap of talking down the NHS - our health and care services do fantastic work day after day savings lives and providing excellent care. But we must also be willing to confront fallings: every preventable death is one too many, and a tragedy. ...
Thu 27th
11:42
Call Clegg: Nick condemns morning after pill critics as misogynist, medieval and insulting to women
[IMG: call clegg] I do love it when Nick gets all cross about things. He's always been pretty open about his views but at times can come across almost too careful. Those occasions when he just lets rip are so good. This morning, he did not mince his words about those "experts" (sorry for the Daily Mail link, but who they count as experts is really funny) who think that giving women access to the morning after pill will fuel promiscuity. It took me about 4 tweets to get it all in – misogynist, insulting, medieval, Victorian, sexist, demeaning. He ...
Councillor Janet Battye, Leader of the Calderdale Lib Dems, has been a stalwart of the ALDC-LGA Lib Dems Local Government Conference. We asked her to tell us why she joins us every year and what she finds most useful about the event: I always look forward to the Local Government Conference. The training is full [...]
[IMG: issan-bbc-politics] A YouGov opinion poll for the LBC radio station found that 45 per cent want to stay in – well ahead of the 34 per cent who said we should leave. East Midlands candidate Ghazni said this was evidence that the Liberal Democrats' "In Europe, In Work" campaign was working. He said: "A clear majority of people who expressed a view wanted Britain to remain in the EU. "Considering that virtually every national newspaper has been running anti-Europe stories every day this poll reinforces my belief that the British public can see through the shrill Euro-sceptic propaganda we ...
LBC have very conveniently published a fact checker after last night's debate. And it suggests neither participant's claims were fully compliant with the actualité...
Stephen Tall gave his first thoughts about last night's debate between Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage. What's the rest of the commentariat saying? At the New Statesman, Rafael Behr reckons both men will go home satisfied and he got the point of Nick Clegg's closing statement: It is worth noting that in his closing statement, the Lib Dem leader quite explicitly asked pro-Europeans to lend him their votes in May's European parliamentary election. This, ultimately, is the point of the exercise. His message: you may not like me or the Lib Dems but in this particular race we are the ...
Attached below is a motion that I am placing before the next meeting of the City Council. I hope that it won't be debated because I have made no comments about how we got to this position or why. ... Continue reading →
Had a great evening last night with Charlotte Henry, Chris Richards and Marie Jenkins at the LBC Live pub debate with a some very nice (though slightly shouty at times) Ukipers. My view? Nick won the debate Farage was scaremongering and inaccurate on the facts Nick was especially strong on Law and Order; tad less strong on the referendum. Farage was more emotional and passionate - and Nick needs to add a touch of that next time.
The history of England over the past thousand years can be divided neatly in two, it seems to me. For the first five centuries, there was a lurking sense that we were being pushed around by the bureaucrats in Rome. For most of the next five centuries, England was pretty much alone, living by her wits - sometimes winning, sometimes not, always haunted by the ghost of continental authority. Then the place of Rome in the national psyche was neatly swapped with Brussels. And there we are today: UKIP is a form of extreme protestantism, in revolt against the authority ...
I'm really pleased to have been able to help secure the return of £1 all day parking on Saturdays starting from April 5th. The trial will run in Cornwall Council car parks in Launceston every Saturday until the end of June, but we hope it is successful enough to be made permanent. In December, Cornwall Council ran a similar scheme for its car parks in the town in the run up to Christmas. According to local shops and cafes, this was a huge success and they saw many people taking advantage of the offer to stay longer in the town. ...
What has Europe ever done for us? yes I'm linking to a linkspam. It's meta. (tags: ) LBC have designed a #nickvnigel Drinking Game that doesn't have "BAFFLED!" in it. (tags: ) Tory blocks food bank because 'he can't book restaurant on Saturday' *headdeskheaddeskheaddesk* (tags: ) How much does the war on drugs cost you? (apparently the ability to tell singular from plural) (tags: ) Uni of Leeds studies largest dataset to date on crop responses to climate change; results not cheery (tags: ) Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage fire first shots ahead of Europe debate showdown (linking this purely ...
Thu 27th
08:52YouGov's Nick v Nigel poll: Clegg wins with Labour, Lib Dem voters; Farage with Tory, Ukip voters
[IMG: Nick clegg york in europe Some rights reserved by Liberal Democrats] My overall view of last night's Nick v Nigel debate was that Mr Reasonable won it. But then I would think that, wouldn't I? What did rest of the British public think? Well, the vast, vast majority of rest of the British public would have had no view either way: they didn't watch it. But polling firm YouGov did ask those who did watch it – though as Anthony Wells notes, "to get 1000 people for our poll of people who were watching it we had to ask ...
[IMG: Council Tax increases 2014-15] (Figures are for 2014-15 and based on who has a majority on the council. For the avoidance of doubt: the Liberal Democrat figure is 0%; it's not that it's missing from the graph.)
(Available on YouTube here.)
This blog loves political ads from around the world but it's been a while since this blog has spotted A campaign ad from the land of the free that is worthy of this blog. So, meet Joni Ernst. She castrates pigs. \
Welsh Labour Assembly Members are continuing to hide from Welsh patients' concerns after they voted against Ann Clywd being invited to give evidence to the Health and Social Care Committee. Ann Clwyd MP recently conducted a review in the English NHS complaints system after she spoke of the terrible treatment her husband had experienced at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, which is run by the Welsh NHS. Ms Clwyd has said she had received hundreds of letters from patients expressing concern over experiences in Welsh hospitals. A motion was put forward in yesterday's committee asking whether Ann Clwyd ...
Thanks to the European Arrest Warrant, British criminals can be brought back to Britain and placed behind bars. If Ukip get their way and the EAW is scrapped, many criminals will sleep more soundly. Here are some that have been brought back to Britain thanks to Europe.
