I got a sad message today to tell me that Jack had died at the ripe old age of 94. He had lived in Maghull's Dale Close for many years with his wife Barbara before moving to The Wirral in retirement. I had not seen Jack for some years, maybe 7 or 8. Until then I would run across them each year when Lancashire County Cricket Club played a game at Liverpool's Aigburth ground. My association with Jack and Barbara goes back to 1980 when I joined the old Liberal Party which they were already members of. Jack stood for ...
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg today used a speech at party conference in Liverpool to rule out the prospect of a formal coalition deal with the SNP. "So let me be clear", said Clegg, "just like we would not put UKIP in charge of Europe, we are not going to put the SNP in charge of Britain - a country they want to rip apart. It's just not going to happen." This statement of the obvious seems to be generating a curious debate on social media, receiving praise and vilification in equal measure. And yet it seems - to me ...
One of the unique selling points of the Lib Dems in the Whickham area is our involvement with voluntary organisations, some of which have been set up by local Lib Dem councillors to carry out work formally done by the council but which Gateshead no longer does. Examples include Lighting Up Whickham which raises funds for Christmas decorations in the village and Planting Up Whickham, which takes
I went to Lord Lawson School on Friday at the invitation of some of the teachers to talk to year 7 pupils about the general election. Two classes came together to listen to what I had to say and quiz me on various issues. The questions were quite thought provoking. My short speech and the Q&A session were recorded on video and will go onto the school's website. The children will also be voting
The Byrds were in a tight spot. In a matter of months, the band had gone from being a quartet to being a duo. They'd lost David Crosby, who had been arguably their best harmony singer and who had written much of the original material on the band's recent albums, and Michael Clarke had also [...]
On Saturday the University of Leicester is holding a free day of family-friendly activities celebrating the University of Leicester's discovery, identification and study of the last Plantagenet king. Apparently you can hear from the experts who made these historical discoveries, experiment with DNA extraction, meet a 14th century friar, examine real skeletal remains, sample a medieval banquet and much more. Full details on the university's website.
Most popular line in Clegg's speech so far – saying Lib Dems not only wouldn't be in any coalition with Ukip, but also ruled out SNP #ldconf — Mark Pack (@markpack) March 15, 2015 The most popular line with the audience in the hall during Nick Clegg's Liverpool speech is also the one that has generated the most online discussion amongst Liberal Democrats online since. What do you think: was he right to say this?
I'm sure other PPCs have been inundated with e-mails from 38 degrees in recent weeks, mainly on the issue of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Today I received yet another: Dear Andrew, Would you vote for this? More privatisation of our public services, including the NHS in Scotland Dangerous additives and pesticides in our food Secret courts that allow corporations to sue the governmentThat's what's on the table if the EU-US trade deal called TTIP goes ahead. It's being hashed out in secret by corporate lobbyists in Brussels, but it could be stopped if our politicians intervene. And ...
Alex Massie has a great piece in The Spectator on 'Why an SNP Surge at Westminster Could Mean the End of Britain'. I recommend you read it. I suspect he is fundamentally right about the obliviousness of English voters to the 'Rise of the 45' in Scotland. The referendum might have been won, but the Union is far from safe for as long as a majority of Scottish MPs are from the Scottish National Party. Moreover the collapse of Scottish Labour undercuts some of the structural advantages the First Past the Post electoral system gives the Labour Party, meaning that ...
Well, you could have knocked me down with a feather when I read this tweet: One of the best speeches I've heard from a party leader in years – defended Lib Dems in govt, full of reasons to vote Lib Dem again in May — Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) March 15, 2015 When veteran, arch-cynic, Michael knows-every-trick-in-the-book Crick is praising the leader's speech, you know Nick Clegg has done something right. In full, here is today's speech by Nick Clegg at the Spring Conference in Liverpool. Firstly, click to view it, and then there follows the text: Last autumn, the news ...
When the International Office of the Liberal Democrats first mooted the idea of a fringe meeting at this weekend's Spring conference in Liverpool on issues surrounding radical Islam some voices urged caution, fearful this could inflame tensions. But what is a Liberal party for, if not to stand up for the freedom of expression in [...]
I've previously argued that First Past the Post, and the potential for UKIP to siphon votes away from the Tories in Lib Dem / Tory marginals, may actually help to limit some of the substantial electoral damage that we will endure in May's general election. Unfortunately, this cannot be said for the 2016 elections to the National Assembly for Wales. Since four of our five seats are secured through the regional lists, an increase in support for UKIP has the potential to do us some real damage. If they were to continue polling at their current levels, there is a ...
A new planning application has been received in Holyrood Ward as below: Application Number: 58488 Registration Date: 03/03/2015 Location: 247 Bury Old Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1JE Proposal: New shop front 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
Here are the latest national voting intention figures from each of the main pollsters. To put the numbers into longer context, take a look at my database of polling figures going back to 1945, which is updated quarterly. Polling company Con Lab LibDem UKIP Green Con lead Fieldwork Method ComRes 33% 35% 7% 16% 4% -2% 11-13/3 Online ComRes 34% 32% 8% 13% 6% 2% 22-23/2 Phone ICM 36% 32% 10% 9% 7% 4% 13-15/2 Phone Ashcroft 34% 30% 5% 15% 8% 4% 6-8/3 Phone MORI 33% 34% 8% 13% 6% -1% 8-11/3 Phone Opinium 33% 35% 7% 14% 7% ...
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Ahmadiyya Muslim National Peace Conference at the Baitul Futuh Mosque, Morden, March 14, 2015
With Idris Ahmad Bhatti, Vice President Ahmadiyya Muslim Association Slough and Idris Bowden from Burnham Park Academy in Buckinghamshire. My speech: It is always a great privilege to attend the National Peace Symposium of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, an event which enables us to come together under the wise leadership of Your Holiness, and speak out for the forces of peace and of tolerance, across the boundaries of politics and religion. The Buddha said: "Hatred never ceases by hatred, but by love alone is healed" A statement that is echoed by the principle of the Ahmadis of Love for ...
So many people take photographs of the parade these days that I don't take a lot of my own and concentrate on playing the guitar instead. Here is the Tipperary County Association's end of parade rendition of "a long way to tipperary".
[IMG: Norman Lamb Liverpool Spring conference Spring 2015 Photo by Liberal Democrats] As anticipated, there was huge affection in the hall for Norman Lamb when he made his speech. He alluded to the personal family crisis which, thanks to the Mirror, had needlessly become public knowledge. The courage and dignity of the way he's dealt with it was highly praised by Conference-goers all around the convention centre this morning and by many online, too. He talked about the massive investment he's brought about for young people's mental health services which, Nick Clegg later said, would allow 100,000 extra young people ...
My now traditional Storify of the Leader's Conference Speech: [View the story "#WeDidThat - #Clegg's Spring Conference Speech" on Storify]
[IMG: Nick Clegg speaking at Liverpool conference, 2015] One of the best speeches I've heard from a party leader in years – defended Lib Dems in govt, full of reasons to vote Lib Dem again in May — Michael Crick (@MichaelLCrick) March 15, 2015
[IMG: image] Earlier this morning, I photographed Lib Dem President Sal Brinton (above) as she made her third batch of phone calls at the Team 2015 phone bank. So she won her third badge at the Liverpool conference. It's great to see Sal leading from the front. Update: Quick addition from Caron just to say that sitting next to Sal is Kirsten Johnson who has become a fairly regular contributor to LDV. * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist in Newbury and West Berkshire. He is part of the Liberal Democrat Voice team and blogs at Liberal Burblings.
A Shropshire farm labourer who lived in a cottage without running water sounds like the sort of singer who should have been collected by Cecil Sharp or George Butterworth before the First World War. Yet Fred Jordan lived to sing at folk festivals in the 21st century. He was born at Ludlow in 1922 and left school at the age of 14. He was recorded by the BBC in the early 1950s and subsequently left Shropshire for the first time to sing at the Royal Festival Hall and at folk clubs around the country. He lived for most of his ...
Vince Cable: Jo Swinson: Danny Alexander:
I don't usually read fantasy fiction, but, about fifteen years ago, my curiosity was aroused when I noticed that two whole shelves of the fantasy section in my local public library were devoted to one author. So, I checked out The Colour of Magic. Then I disappeared. I reappeared a couple of months later when [...]
I've received many e-mails on Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the impact on the NHS. People are right to be concerned about any major trade agreements, especially one opening up economies to multinationals (who frankly haven't helped themselves in this battle over the years). However, there is no risk to the NHS of [...]
I keep saying that things must be getting a little too hot for Labour councillors in the Sefton Central Constituency since they voted to back building on Green Belt via the Sefton Local Plan. I have also previously mentioned the independent environmental campaigner's You Tube video on the matter which pulls no punches what so ever. That video must be causing grimacing in the comrade's bunker as they hobble towards the local elections on 7th May (same day as the General Election) where they face a stiffer test than they have had for years. Gone must be the days when ...
The Mouth of Hell is no more.
Seemingly at least once a week, I read in the Guardian an article about how capitalism is in its death throes. What's conspicuous by its absence in every single one of these pieces is what exactly is going to replace it as an economic system. In the middle of the 20th century, the Left had an answer to what should replace neoliberal economics: socialism. But then even the Left figured out that it had more than a few flaws in it around the time of the Berlin Wall coming down. They abandoned socialism for the sort of Keynesian social democracy ...
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What a photo of Nick Clegg on this Liberal Youth flier! It was meant to encourage people to go on a trip to Nandos after the rally on Friday night, a restaurant which has a special place in all of our hearts after his Last Leg performance. [IMG: photo] * Newshound in training. I'm sweet and full of mischief, just like my stories.
The Sunday Times has more bad news for Ed Miliband this morning with the revelation that a third of his shadow cabinet do not believe that he can win on 7th May. The paper says that seven senior Labour figures have privately voiced doubts that Mr. Miliband will even lead the largest party after the election on May 7. Shadow ministers said his rhetoric was too negative and failed to appeal to aspirational voters. And they warned that the potential loss of more than 20 seats in Scotland had left them staring defeat in the face: One member of the ...
From the Curator of Museum Services at the University of Dundee:Mono 68: One city, One month, One cameraPhotographs by Phil Thomson, Dundee, November 1968Lamb Gallery, Tower Building, University of Dundee To accompany this highly popular exhibition we have arranged another special event: Monday 16th March at 5.30pm The Changing Face of Urban Planning - a series of short talks followed by a discussion exploring how planning has changed in Dundee and other cities over the years. Why was so much of the city demolished and are we more sympathetic towards conservation of the built environment today? The event will start ...
Ringway are Shropshire Council's contractors. I am not happy with some of their work. Lower Corve Street was resurfaced in 2013. The work by Ringway was judged substandard and the work was repeated in 2014. Now Shropshire Council has ruled that work as inadequate so we will see the road resurfaced again this year. Although [...]
There was always going to be a lot of warmth in the room when Norman Lamb appears on stage to give his speech to Liberal Democrat conference this morning His actions in government to transform mental health and care services touch every single one of us. If we don't need these services ourselves, someone we know does and he has made life easier for so many people. A story in the Mirror today lays bare some of the details of the personal pain that lies behind his determination to build a mental health system that makes sense and works for ...
Tomorrow's front page: Minister in cocaine blackmail plot http://t.co/GqOucrIwrL pic.twitter.com/PCecjFpKAU — Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) March 14, 2015 Here are some of the details: Tearful Liberal Democrat Minister Norman Lamb has told how he feared a blackmail plot would destroy his family and leave his career in tatters. In an extraordinary interview, he lifts the lid on his music producer son's secret battle with drink and drugs and how he had to pay £7,500 to evict a flatmate and who threatened to ruin him... In the end, he was forced to go to the police, who are now probing the case. ...
After the minor success of My World Fell Down, Gary Usher wanted to repeat the formula, and recorded a song titled Hotel Indiscreet which had much the same feel. Hotel Indiscreet featured another musique concrete section, much like that of My World Fell Down, performed by Usher's discoveries the Firesign Theatre, and again featured a [...]
