For the fifth quarter in a row, the total membership of the Liberal Democrats has risen, with the party now up to 44,526. It's notable that the boost to party membership that started just over a year ago, was not just a one-off reaction to something new but has been sustained. The low point in membership was in the middle of 2013 at 40,530. Since then party membership has grown by 10%. Fancy joining yourself? You can join the Liberal Democrats online here or renew your membership here. Thanks to Mark Pack for this report.
Nurseries, childminders and other early years providers in East Sussex are set for a £350k cash injection to help three and four-year-olds from disadvantaged families. Children from low income families have often fallen behind more well off classmates before they even start school. But from April 2015, the Early Years Pupil Premium – which has [...]
I noted a couple of weeks ago that Have I Got News For You had made a little bit of history a fortnight ago with its first ever episode with more women onscreen than men. I don't know if we'll have to wait seventeen more years until all the guests are female again, but this series does appear to be on course to set a new record for women guests. At the moment, this series has featured 18 guests, of which nine were women. There are four more shows after this, and if each of them has a female guest ...
#452724858 / gettyimages.com The fall of the Berlin Wall is the greatest political event of my lifetime, but what lessons should we draw from it? An article in Foreign Policy by Melvyn Leffler suggests that it would be quite wrong to see it as the triumph of capitalism and the American way. He writes: We need, first, to acknowledge the role of the human rights revolution and the agency of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), like Helsinki Watch, the Workers Defense Committee (KOR) in Poland, and Charter 77 in Czechoslovakia, and many others. These groups, though diverse in ideology and tactics, all ...
Fri 7th
17:45
Kramer urges Councils to make use of enhanced powers to check taxi drivers' backgrounds
The Standard reports that Transport Minister Susan Kramer has written to Councils across England to urge them to take advantage of enhanced powers to check on the backgrounds of taxi drivers. Transport minister Baroness Kramer is writing to Transport for London and town halls across the country urging them to make "full use" of new powers to probe the background of individuals applying for taxi licences. "People need to feel safe when using a taxi or private hire vehicle," she told The Standard. "We have made it easier for local authorities to carry out checks on people who want to ...
Despite organising a new mechanical street sweeping machine we've not yet cracked East Dulwich streets being kept pristine. One of the problems is that frequency of street cleaning – one a month broom sweeping, 3 times a week litter picking of every street. PLUS a couple of times a month the mechanical street sweeping machine. BUT the mechanical sweeping machine can only do flat surfaces. So it doesn't get into the gutter to suck up leaves and litter and detritus. So Cllr Rosie Shimell and I have asked officers whether if we organised an additional mechanical street cleaning THAT comes ...
Nevilles Cross Friends of Cancer Research received a cheque for £3,333 from Mountsett Crematorium, a gift to further the fight to defeat cancer. [IMG: Presentation at Mountsett websize] Left to right. Greta Hodgson, Owen Temple, Anne Robertson "We hadn't expected anything as generous as this," said Greta Hodgson, the group's treasurer, whilst the chairperson, Anne Robertson spoke of the great encouragement it would give to their small group which has raised in excess of £250,000 for cancer research over the 33 years it has been going. As the chair of the joint Durham County Council and Gateshead Council committee that ...
Here are the Liberal Democrat entries in the top 100 political blogs as ranked by Teads (previously Ebuzzing / Wikio). Four new entrants this time and only one dropping out, Ming Campbell MP. 1 (5) Liberal Democrat Voice No change 2 (15) Mark Pack Up 2 3 (23) Stephen Tall No change 4 (35) Jennie Rigg Down 4 5 (38) Mark Valladares (Liberal Bureaucracy) Up 30 6 (42) Alex Marsh Up 5 7 (44) Andrew George MP Up 5 9 (56) Lynne Featherstone MP Down 12 10 (68) Caron Lindsay (Caron's Musings) Up 30 11 (73) Nick Tyrone Up 17 ...
There were just two principal council by-elections yesterday. In the Cornwall UA contest in Mevagissey, the Conservatives increased their vote share in the ward by 8.2% to gain the seat from Labour in a closely thought election. The Conservative candidate polled 32% to win with a majority of 67 ahead of UKIP in second. The Liberal Democrats were the only other party to see an increase in their vote share from the previous contest in the ward during the 2013 local elections, as UKIP, Labour and the Green Party all saw a vote share drop. A 4.3% increase saw Christopher ...
There were just two principal council by-elections yesterday. In the Cornwall UA contest in Mevagissey, the Conservatives increased their vote share in the ward by 8.2% to gain the seat from Labour in a closely thought election. The Conservative candidate polled 32% to win with a majority of 67 ahead of UKIP in second. The Liberal Democrats were [...]
It's one of the ten most watched shows in the US yet in the UK it languishes in the backwaters of freeview. Here's why you should seek it out! So what are we talking about today? A TV show: Person of Interest. What kind of show is it? It blends elements of thrillers, sci-fi and [...]
An important new planning application has been received – not quite in Holyrood Ward, but will probably be of interest to people: Application Number: 58105 Registration Date: 29/10/2014 Location: Site of former Claremont Home, Park View Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1FA Proposal: Erection of extra care accommodation for the elderly (Class C2 UseResidential Institutions) (62 units in total) landscaping and car parking. [IMG: Screen Shot 2014-11-04 at 14.45.50] Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require further information or help with this. The details will be on the Council's website here. Tim
A conference was held last week in Grange over Sands. The conference was entitled "Destination Coast" and I decided to attend at my own expense(all of £12 for the rail fare). Several speeches were made on topics ranging from Improving bathing Waters to Making the Most of Natural Assets. However , what caught my interest was the opening speech on "Seaside Towns in the Age of Austerity - Recent Trends in Employment in Seaside Tourism in England.. The speaker was Professor Steve Fothergill from Sheffield Hallam University. His speech was based on a publication he jointly authored. The 50 page ...
[IMG: Lib Dems] February, 2013. Eastleigh. I was knocking on doors in the hopes of helping the Lib Dems hold the seat in the by-election. Apart from meeting a lot of ex-Labour voters who told me they were going to be voting for UKIP and exactly why that was, I also spoke to a lot of people who told me a version of the following: "I'm not a huge fan of you lot. But I'm not voting Tory, and anyway it seems like it's between you and UKIP and I would do anything to keep them out. So I'll be ...
There are three key things about opinion polls. The first is what matters are trends, not individual poll fluctuations. The second is they're snapshots, not forecasts. (A point made by Lord Ashcroft, to his credit, every time he publishes his latest poll finding.) The third is the next general election won't be decided by national party vote shares but by who wins in 650 individual seats. (A point often made by PoliticalBetting's Mike Smithson.) Here are the trends... Here's a graph which focuses solely on the first of these. It shows the result of every single opinion poll – courtesy ...
Watch the new fun (yet educational) video from CGP Grey:
We have heard Nick and Tim's comments on advancing women by means of all female shortlists. In many ways this is admirable but it's arguably discriminatory. Firstly it reflects the outdated, but still common, view of gender in terms of men and women when it fact gender variance is far broader; we should be and are the party of the androgynous, gender queer, intersex and all other genders, however by not including them we exclude them, discrimination by omission. Secondly we are a broad party and need to ensure that all can truly fulfil their potential regardless of whether they ...
I went to the Tower of London last weekend to see the 'Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red' installation and found it to be a profoundly moving experience. I understand why some people think that it would be a good idea for them to remain in place for longer. It is an awe-inspiring sight. However, I think that the calls from politicians of all persuasions for the poppies to remain in place after Armistice Day are misguided. [IMG: Poppies at the Tower, 01-11-2014] It's the transient nature of the art – the process of the slow accumulation in the ...
Not a great deal of information is given in their letter or attachment but it looks as though there will be potential disruption again north of St Albans. Map Network Rail letter re Thameslink line SADC south 13 10 14 Map
Ed Miliband has dismissed as "nonsense" reports that he might be forced out as the Labour leader by his own backbenchers. He was forced to address rumours about a leadership challenge after reports that at least two backbenchers had called for him to step down to avoid a defeat at the next election. According to the BBC, MP's from the north-west of England have discussed moving to a defensive strategy in a bid to hold on to their seats, rather than an offensive one aimed at winning the election. Meanwhile, two polls have suggested Scottish Labour is on course to ...
Lynne Featherstone MP was named Stonewall's 'Politician of the Year' at their annual awards ceremony yesterday. It was awarded jointly to Lynne and to this guy off Eastenders. Lynne has been tireless in promoting LGBT+ rights over the last four and a half years and was the architect of the bill legalising same sex marriage. Our first joint winner for the 2014 #StonewallAwards' Politician of the Year is @lfeatherstone! pic.twitter.com/qPGPnsAess — Stonewall (@stonewalluk) November 6, 2014 This award comes within a couple of days of Lynne's return as a minister in the Home Office, commenting: I am very happy to ...
In a letter to the Observer, Matt Thomson of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England says that planning policy allows for the review of the green belt boundaries in appropriate circumstances. However, the CPRE would prefer to see this done strategically rather than through the current piecemeal erosion. He suggests that any review would have to take into account the needs of the whole of the relevant green belt area and consider the reasons for designating land in the first place. The Observer covered this story. Now despite my being a little uncertain about CPRE (previous postings refer ...
[IMG: yestoav] The Yes campaign is memorable, to those who wish to indulge in this sort of thing, as an awful one in terms of messaging. For instance, "Make Your MP Work Harder" not only didn't really resonate with your average Mondeo Man, it had the dual disadvantage of really irritating a good lot of MPs themselves, Members of Parliament who often then went on to use the full force of their ground campaigns during the local election to crush us into the dirt. In terms of bad messaging, there was a rock bottom at least. A point where it ...
Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Mountstevens visited Abbotswood yesterday and met members of Abbotswood Action Group, Jacobs Well, local residents and councillors to discuss plans for improving the area. She was shown the recently-launched Abbotswood Action Plan and heard about projects that are already under way and community events such as the recent Abbotswood Apple Day.
The Times reports that senior figures in the Labour party have claimed that leading candidates to replace Ed Miliband have opened secret negotiations on what to do should he step down: Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, and Andy Burnham, the shadow health secretary, are said to have spoken about a post-Miliband future amid a growing revolt among Labour MPs. "It's about presenting a joint offer to make a contest unnecessary," one figure said, suggesting that Ms Cooper and Mr Burnham have struck a non-aggression pact as the party's poll ratings fall. Mr Miliband was forced yesterday to deny as ...
Fri 7th
09:45The 3 Lib Dem party president candidates on what they'd do in my "It's 8th May 2015″ scenario
[IMG: libby on the wall3] A couple of weeks ago I asked all three candidates for the Lib Dem party presidency a deliberately provocative question: It's 8th May, 2015. The Lib Dems have lost some MPs but are still a force to be reckoned with in the House of Commons. Nick Clegg announces he will step aside to let a new leader take over. No single party has an overall majority. What will you do in the next 7 days to maximise Lib Dem influence and keep the party united? As I wrote then: My guess is all three will ...
Here's some of the articles that have caught my attention this week... New Statesman | What's behind the surprising success of raising tuition fees? /@timwig asks "What's behind surprising success of raising tuition fees?" New Statesman readers ain't gonna like it! http://bit.ly/1AwdsQP A crisis of trust – and the rise of new political parties | News | The Guardian Political fragmentation in European/int'l context – v interesting from @AlbertoNardelli: http://bit.ly/1EnM99V (h/t @jamesgraham) WATCH: The New John Lewis Christmas Ad | LBC You can't really go wrong with penguins and cute kids > WATCH: The New John Lewis Christmas Ad | ...
HMG to support rescue of migrants from Mediterranean - e-petitions (tags: ) Exclusive: police arrest targets do exist, despite denials - Channel 4 News (tags: ) British intelligence spies on lawyer-client communications, government admits (tags: ) More than half of British people believe religion does more harm than good, survey finds (tags: ) Labour Leadership 'crisis'- campaigners urge beard for Ed Miliband - oh @Kmflett, never change ♡ (tags: ) 'Eaten Alive' On Discovery Will Show A Guy Get Eaten By Anaconda - glad I'm not the only one worried about the snake (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments ...
#456784830 / gettyimages.com For the fifth quarter in a row, the total membership of the Liberal Democrats has risen, with the party now up to 44,526. It's notable that the boost to party membership in the immediately aftermath of a change in party finances, in order to give local parties a greater financial incentive to recruit and renew members, was not just a one-off reaction to something new but has been sustained. The low point in membership was in the middle of 2013 at 40,530. Since then party membership has grown by 10%.* Fancy joining yourself? You can join the ...
Dr Connolly On Sunday 23rd November at 2pm in the Education Centre at the Botanic Garden, Dr Chris Connolly of the Division of Neuroscience at the Medical Research Institute at Ninewells Hospital will talk about the potential effects of pesticides on bee learning and health. All welcome - Friends of the Botanic Garden free; visitors £2.
[IMG: Nick with Raymond Blanc] Nick with Raymond Blanc Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg joined schoolchildren in Oxford to get some cooking tips from Raymond Blanc, as part of this week's celebrations for National School Meals week. Celebrity chefs are joining forces with school cooks to promote school lunches. Hundreds of schools across England will be taking part in the celebrations, which mark the biggest healthy awareness eating week aimed at children. Nick said: "It's a very simple truth that if you don't give children a healthy, balanced meal at lunchtime, you can't expect them to ...
[IMG: energy-efficiency] Work by Liberal Democrats in government means that bills are £50 lower this year, the lights are kept on and we are reducing emissions. Without our action, bills would be around £90 higher this year. Liberal Democrats in government have made it a priority to make Britain greener whilst reducing energy bills for households. We've nearly trebled the number of smaller suppliers who provide real competition to Labour's Big Six and energy companies are responding to our challenge to halve customer switching times by the end of the year. In addition to helping lower bills we have more ...
There've been some changes to the plans for the proposed new shop building on the corner of Booker Avenue and Greenhill Road (where the petrol station used to be). This means comments are open again with a deadline of 13 Nov. The details are here (most of these are in the bit called Related Documents - scroll down and click!) An application's come in for more houses on the former New Heys School site. At the time of writing the details aren't on, but if you are interested in this you might like to bookmark the page and pop back ...
Please see detailed press release here: December 2014 Overview of timetable changes TL v0
Rail users are invited to give views on Thameslink's performance to St Albans City and District Council's Local Services Scrutiny Committee ahead of its next meeting. The Committee will question managers from Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and Network Rail about the performance of the train service at a meeting on Thursday 4 December. They include Justin Page, Area [...]
[IMG: 5372858740_b8895864bc_m] There are many roles in life I wouldn't like to occupy. Quite high on that list is Labour party strategist. What on earth is the next move? Is the party genuinely in a tailspin? Or are current reports of internal strife the confection of a largely right wing media hellbent on undermining earnest Ed because they object to his mildly social democratic policy platform? Is there any material difference between those two situations in terms of the likely impact upon Miliband's abysmal poll ratings and the party's electoral prospects? The question facing the strategists is, I guess, what ...
Extract from note from Hertfordshire County Council THE HERTFORDSHIRE (HATFIELD ROAD, SUTTON ROAD, COACH MEWS, ARTHUR ROAD AND WOODSTOCK ROAD SOUTH, ST ALBANS) (20MPH ZONE) 2014 ROAD HUMPS AND PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS NOTICE (VARIOUS ROADS, ST ALBANS) 2014 The Hertfordshire County Council in order to improve road safety is proposing to introduce new traffic management measures [...]
