Glen Campbell had finally started having hits of his own. After Guess I'm Dumb flopped, he recorded Buffy St. Marie's Universal Soldier — an odd choice for the conservative Campbell, but a commercial one, reaching number forty-five in the charts — before having a major hit with John Hartford's Gentle On My Mind. But it [...]
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, on behalf of the Lib-Dems in Broxtowe. 1. Boots Job Losses The beginning of this week brought the disappointing news that Boots will be shedding 400 jobs from their site in Beeston. Of course not all of the people affected will be Broxtowe residents but many will be, and I hope that the new administration on the borough council will be getting involved from the outset to provide practical help and support to the people affected. 2. Hemlock Happening I was pleased to get a message ...
[IMG: 3542341781_2e07e18657_n] There is much that is troubling about George Osborne's proposal to oblige future governments to run a budget surplus in normal times. There is the small matter of identifying "normal" times. It implies something important about how one is thinking about the macreconomy. What does "normal" look like? In the thirty years that I've been paying attention to the macroeconomy there has always seems to have been some argument or other floating around as to why things weren't quite normal just at the moment. This could drive us to the conclusion that the whole thing is a charade. ...
The Newcastle Journal is part of the Trinity Mirror Group and is therefore in the Labour camp. It follows the internal machinations of the Labour party to a degree that is irritating to people like me who are not Labour supporters. In a region that is currently predominantly Labour, the Journal is arguably part of the establishment in the North East. It's views therefore on the Labour leadership
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 419th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (7 – 13 June, 2015), together with a hand-picked quintet, you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down: 1. Brian Wilson on the SNP's ...
Why did the pollsters get it so wrong at the general election? A special extended edition of the Polling Matters podcast tries to find out. "It is a strategy that ignores the potential that is in 100% of today's labor force, 98% of next year's, and a huge number of people who will be around for the next half-century." Ricardo Hausmann questions the orthodoxy that education is the key to economic growth. David Hencke says cutting councillors in Newcastle upon Tyne is a dangerous move to dilute democracy. The Labour leadership election of 1976 was contested by Tony Benn, Jim ...
I'm pleased to announce the formation of my new group, People Who Agree Nick Is Right About Everything. This group has been formed to campaign for the principle that I am right about everything, and as that's the mainstream view, you won't be surprised to learn that it has millions and millions of members. Of course, you can't see the mailing list and only I and a select few people (none of whom are me in disguise) will speak to the media about PWANIRAE and its aims, but rest assured that if you choose to sign up, you will be ...
Miriam Gonzalez Durantez spoke about the double standards around parenting and work at a Marie Claire event this week. People refer to mothers who work as working mums, but the other parent is never referred to as a "working dad": We also do a project called Inspiring Primaries where we put in front of the younger children a panel of men and women, and we ask them 'what job do you think these people do?' And if it's a blonde woman the answer is always, 'a secretary, a party organiser or a hairdresser.' The sexism has been so drip drip ...
Among all the concern at the backtracking made by many Lib Dem MPs on tuition fees in the last parliament, one thing that went largely unrecognised was the protection given to grants for the least well off students. Now it seems that the Conservatives are proposing to cut these. These grants are vital for students from poorer households and for parts of the country, like Cornwall, which have traditionally seen fewer young people going to university. Cutting them was blocked by Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems for the past five years but now appears likely. Tim Farron, a candidate ...
Devon County Council's Leader - Conservative John Hart - has said that Cornwall and Devon should join together (with Somerset as well) to seek new powers from government. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that the new Tory government was planning on giving new powers to regions, but only in the form of combined council areas. It would appear that Cornwall, on its own, would not be enough. And what's more, such a combined authority would also need a directly elected 'mayor' before being allowed to take on new housing, policing, planning and transport powers. In this matter, does ...
As the leadership contest gets underway, Tim Farron and Norman Lamb will clock up thousands of miles travelling up and down the country meeting members. The party has organised a series of hustings meetings, the most recent being in Cambridge yesterday. The Cambridge News has a neutral account of what went on. Unsurprisingly it was a bit of a Julian Huppert love-in. Tim Farron said: Everybody knows we're competitive in Cambridge, everybody knows that if you want a strong, liberal, progressive voice in Cambridge, then it needs to be the Liberal Democrat," Mr Farron said. I very much hope it ...
[IMG: 7 ver 4 full] Many thanks to the 17,600 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here's our 7 most-read posts... Former MP and Councillor David Bellotti dies at 72 (21 comments) by Caron Lindsay Daily Mail on how Charles Kennedy was "hounded" by the SNP in the run-up to the election (86 comments) by Caron Lindsay Alistair Carmichael responds to the election petition against him (30 comments) by The Voice What does the party believe? (75 comments) by Duncan Brack and Julie Smith Why I would follow Tim (96 comments) by Joanne Ferguson Two points about ...
Medomsley Road/Station Road from about the Steel Club to Delves Lane roundabout will be closed from June 22nd @ 7.00 p.m. as will Sherburn Terrace/ Front Street from around the Salvation Army to Lloyds Bank. The closure will last for around 5 days and is needed for the carriageways to be resurfaced. This closure of the town's central crossroad will cause serious disruption for a week or so, but is very necessary as this part of the road has deteriorated badly since last resurfaced, and drivers will have notice the large temporary patching that has taken place. Diversion signs will ...
In the past few months John Oliver has become quite the household name. It seems a long time since he was on the early series of Mock the Week and he has disappeared off my radar. I didn't realise that he had gone to The Daily Show but one day a few months back I was stunned when Tony Kornheiser spoke about John Oliver during an episode of PTI and I did some research – he had become a pretty big star in the US. Since then I have been an avid watcher of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ...
I recall the smile "I'm on your side" – It said A smile used oft On the posh boys – It seems Boys far from home Far from mum and dad – In need of a friend He was that friend With that smile – On their side At the cricket match In the loos That smile was there Then the fiddling Then the shame – The guilt "I am the only one" "It must be me" The pain – for years Here's the carpet There's the brush Go quietly Distinguished career A service of thanksgiving Well done Then five ...
Conservative activist Tom Waterhouse has written a fascinating pair of blog posts about why his party lost Enfield North at the general election, looking at both what he thinks the team got right and the reasons that Nick de Bois nonetheless lost. Many of his points are relevant to Liberal Democrats too, such as the use of the air war and ground war to deliver complimentary, but different, messages: We left the Conservative national campaign to fight the "air war". Locally we used our leaflets and doorstep message to present people with the choice about who they want as their ...
Last week Elizabeth Needham recorded some video footage of leadership candidate Tim Farron talking about asylum and immigration. She's happy for it to be shared, so, enjoy! It's also available here on You Tube. * Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary published in print or online.
I'm going to tell you a story about my Dad and his pet fox. It's a small plastic toy fox, made by the German toy maker, Schleich. — Tom King (@KingOfTwickers) June 14, 2015 The name of the fox is Maurice. It is pronounced like the car manufacturer, not (as I had originally surmised) in [...]
Sun 14th
11:22
Liberal Democrat Committee appointments in the Lords spotlight the talent on our benches
Whilst the lack of women in prominent positions in the House of Commons has already drawn comment elsewhere on the site, in the Lords, the story is rather different, especially from a Liberal Democrat perspective. With nominations now confirmed for all but the sub-committees of the European Union Select Committee, our Leader in the Lords, Jim Wallace, and Chief Whip, Dick Newby, have drawn upon the array of talent within our Parliamentary Party - now 35% female - to reflect its new position as the legislative engine for scrutiny within the Party. So, who should we be watching out for ...
[IMG: Fran Oborski and Sal Brinton] For someone who was effectively forced to leave the Liberal Democrats in 1996 I found the behaviour of the Party during the coalition heartbreaking at times. Hearing Nick Clegg embracing social mobility and seeming to somehow equate it with liberty, equality and justice rang alarm bells in that first summer in 2010 but things then rapidly went downhill as far as this lifelong Liberal was concerned. In 42 years of being regularly re-elected as a Councillor the one lesson I really have learnt is never, ever to make promises that you either cannot, or ...
Many people say after the unfortunately and sad death of a great politician and Liberal Democrat Charles Kennedy that the need to fight for liberalism is dead, we are all liberals now so there is no need for the Liberal Democrats to fight for liberal values. After our heartbreaking result in the 2015 general election [...]
Peter Sarstedt was the middle of three brothers, I wrote when choosing his Frozen Orange Juice many Sundays ago. And I went on to say: As an article on his website explains: We were born in India and we came to England in 1954, just prior to the Rock & Roll explosion" Peter explained. "Our story is, we started off as a skiffle group, then got into Rock & Roll and then split up and had our individual successes in the charts. The Sarstedt Brothers had hits from 1961 to 1976; three brothers having separate hits in different eras". The ...
What's going on here then? On the Leeds Liverpool Canal in Lydiate between Lollies Bridge and Lydiate Hill Bridge. [IMG: IMG_4848r] This was the scene on Saturday 13th June. Clearly a section of the concrete banking has been taken away and the tow path significantly narrowed as a consequence. Further along the steps at Lydiate Hill Bridge (otherwise known as Billy's Bridge) have been partially closed denying access to footpaths that cross and meet at the bridge. [IMG: IMG_4849r] I am trying to find out from the Canal & River Trust when things will be back to normal as I ...
Those, like me, critical of the subsidies available to MPs in the various bars around the Palace of Westminister, will not be surprised at this article in the Sunday Times, which reveals that jubilant Tories, triumphant Scottish nationalists and despondent Labour politicians helped to consume more than £11,000 of alcohol during the first week back at Westminster after the general election. The paper says that dozens of bottles of champagne and prosecco, scores of bottles of wine and hundreds of pints of beer were consumed in the Strangers' Bar and on the adjoining terrace over a five-day period with £4,300 ...
The advent of a Conservative government might once have meant no reform at all to our political system. However, David Cameron is almost accidentally opening the door to a review of party funding regime, the electoral system and the procedures of the House of Commons. During the Queen's Speech debates, the Lib Dem team in the Lords has been tackling all three issues. The Government wants to dry up some of the money available to Labour by placing restrictions on trade union funding. The principle that trade union members should consent to their subscriptions funding a political party is quite ...
Sun 14th
08:55
David Laws joins CentreForum as it switches to concentrate on education and children's mental health
CentreForum, the closest thing the Liberal Democrats have had to a think tank, is narrowing its activities to focus primarily on education and children's mental health, with David Laws joining the team to head up that work. As there were some question marks over its future, its continued existence (with, I understand, increased financial support from its leading light Paul Marshall) is very welcome although by focusing on education it means just at a time when the Liberal Democrats need more friendly external groups generating policy ideas, it will actually in effect by losing one. That's a shame, even if ...
Cllr Willie Wilson In the past few months, my LibDem colleague Cllr Willie Wilson of Perth & Kinross Council and I have highlighted the problems the X7 hospital link bus service causes many constituents who are elderly or who have mobility difficulties, given the style of bus used. Although we secured some concessions from the bus operators Stagecoach at a meeting we held with them back in January, no early commitment to replace the coach type could be given. I am therefore pleased that Willie has now written to Sir Brian Souter, Chairman of the Stagecoach Group requesting that he ...
At different points in my life, I have been involved in what one might deem "the creative world". I have been an actor, a writer, a film/TV director, the bass player in a country and western band, a lounge singer. Some of these came with payslips; several did not. However, when I look back at some of the projects that could have been made with my name attached and didn't come off for whatever reason, I can only say now: whew. This is because many of them would have really, really sucked. I forced myself to think back to some ...
Yesterday, I was pleased to attend the Summer Fayres at Ancrum Road and Blackness Primary Schools. Both were really well attended, really enjoyable and really good value for money too - with adult entry at each only £1! Here's some Saturday photographs : A busy Ancrum Primary School Summer Fayre At the Ancrum Road Primary School Fayre Blackness Primary School's event was equally well-attended Always a good sport, Gordon Ferrier was back in the stocks! City Church on Tullideph Road also had their Family Fun Day yesterday
Marking National Blood Week, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to work with the UK Government to end the ban on men who have sex with men (MSM) giving blood. Currently, UK Government guidelines prevent MSM from donating blood if they have had sex with another male within the preceding twelve months. Proponents of the ban argue that MSM are more likely than any other group to contract HIV, but figures for 2012 show that more people contract HIV through heterosexual sex than homosexual sex. Welsh Lib Dem AM Peter Black raised the issue in the ...
Lovely @HorrorChannel are having a Christopher Lee Night Thurs 2nd July <3 More and more men are taking their wife's name What's the worst British law of all time? Ukip is Europe's laziest party, researchers reveal [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
