This, a final trophy from my visit to Leicester Central on Saturday, is the Great Central generator house. It stands across the road from the back of the station, on the corner of Jarvis Street and Alexander Street. Except that Alexander Street isn't there any more. A little googling shows it once had a pub and a chapel, but today it has been completely cleared for redevelopment.
Many thanks to La Hamilton for providing us with our Quotation of the Week.
Readers of Liberal Democrat Voice will recall that, three weeks ago, Ros and I were in Ipswich, taking part in the Suffolk Liberal Democrats mini-conference. Ros opened the conference, and I gave the presentation on 'behind the scenes', as part of an introduction to the Party and its works. Ros, who had come up with the idea and organised the speakers (and the guest speaker, Sir Bob Russell) offered to send a copy of the conference brochure to interested parties, and sent out about twenty or so, and our Regional Chair, who had filled a late gap in the schedule, ...
Plaid Cymru 315 [71.9%; -5.5%] Llais Gwynedd 123 [28.1%; +5.5%] Majority: 192 Turnout unknown Plaid Cymru hold Percentage change is since May 2012
Labour 1,292 [54.0%; +7.9%] Conservatives 664 [27.2%; +13.2%] Green 209 [8.7%; -4.8%] LD Joe Bourke 116 [4.8%; -1.3%] UKIP 113 [4.7%; -7.4%] [The Community [0.0%; -4.5%]] [All People's Party [0.0%; -3.0%]] Majority: 628 Turnout: 22% Labour hold
Labour 778 [55.3%; +5.4%] Conservative 475 [33.8%; -0.5%] UKIP 137 [9.7%; -6.1%] Green 17 [1.2%; +1.2%] Majority: 203 Turnout unknown Labour hold Percentage change is since May 2014
There were a large number of by-elections this week, eight in total, however no seats changed hands. The results continued the recent trends with poor performance by UKIP but stronger performance by the Conservatives, and particularly Labour. The Lib Dem performance was largely unchanged since 2011. The party only stood candidates in four of the [...]
Conservative 663 [43.5%; +3.6%] Labour 557 [36.5%; +2.1%] LD Gary Spencer-Holmes 136 [8.9%; +5.1%] UKIP 120 [7.9%; -13.9%] Green 48 [3.1%; +3.1%] Majority: 106 Turnout: 38.0% Conservative hold Percentage change is since May 2014
Labour 1,152 [59.1%; +11.1%] Conservative 452 [23.2%; -5.7%] UKIP 310 [15.9%; -7.3%] Green 36 [1.8%; +1.8] Majority: 700 Turnout: 21.8% Labour hold Percentage change is since May 2015
A wonderful film brimming with information about Westward Television and the Westcountry in the mid 1960s. It's introduced by Westward continuity stalwart, Roger Shaw and features David Vine. Well worth a watch.
[IMG: Smoke Me A Kipper: Neil's Farrago] Smoke Me A Kipper: Neil's Farrago by Col B. Limp My rating: 5 of 5 stars OK, so full disclosure, this IS written by a friend of mine (under a cunning pseud, natch), so I'm hardly an unbiased witness. HOWEVER: it's fantastic. Laugh-out-loud funny in places, in others so close to the bone you wince. It WILL offend lots of people, but in my view, they are all people who need offending good and hard. There are so many little nods to things I love in this too, but I think my favourite ...
Richard Howitt is one of the most long-standing Labour members of the European Parliament, representing the East of England. As he himself pointed out at a lunchtime briefing for members of the Association of European Journalists (UK Section) at Europe House in Westminster today, that region is best known for its high percentage of UKIP [...]
At yesterday's meeting of the District Council, Conservative councillors opposed a Liberal Democrat motion expressing concern about the inadequacies in maintaining highway verges this year. Lib Dem Group Leader Chris White said: "What was made clear during the course of the debate was that the Tory councillors are not happy to criticise their colleagues in [...]
Following concern from local residents about car crime in the area, the Lib Dem team have organised a public meeting to discuss the problem, aimed at residents of Heald Green, Cheadle and Gatley (others are welcome too!). The meeting will be at 7.30pm on Monday 27th July and Inspector Neil Cook will be coming from the local Police to hear our concerns and talk to us about what they are doing. The meeting will be at the Cheadle mosque, 377 Wilmslow Rd, Heald Green, Cheadle SK8 3NP. Our thanks to the Cheadle Muslim Association – it's not easy to get ...
Labour 961 [56.5%; +7.4%] Conservative 368 [21.6%; +6.0%] Green 149 [8.8%; +0.5%] UKIP 174 [10.2%; -12.2%] LD Stewart Rayment 48 [2.%; -1.6%] Majority: 593 Turnout unknown Labour hold Percentage change is since May 2013
Labour 481 [44.0%; -9.1%] Conservative 259 [23.7%; +10.9%] Independent 184 [16.8%; +9.5%] UKIP 77 [7.0%; -8.8%] Green 75 [6.9%; -0.9%] LD Sue Tait 17 [1.6%; -1.5%] Majority: 222 Turnout: 29.8% Labour hold Percentage change is since May 2014
This appears to be a good result for the SNP winning in what was formerly a strong Labour ward. First preferences: SNP 1,555 [47.0%; +10.6%] Labour 1,410 [42.6%; -13.2%] Conservative 149 [4.5%; -3.2%] Scottish Socialist 81 [2.4%; +2.4%] Scottish Christian 33 [1.0%; +1.0%] UKIP 29 [0.9%; +0.9%] Turnout unknown SNP hold Percentage change is [...]
Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats are seriously worried about the fallout from the Conservative Government's budget 'for working people' that is clearly anything but. Despite saying 'Britain deserves a pay rise', George Osborne has apparently decided this only applies if you work in the private sector, so if you're a teacher, fire-fighter, police officer or nurse you [...]
t's obvious that whomever wins the leadership we're going to have to nurture a lot of new people (as well as the `old hands`. I think it's important that we do so working with the grain of that individual's personality to allow it to grow for the benefit of the Party. After all, celebration of the individual is supposedly part of the Party's DNA. We have started to talk about mental health a lot - and rightly so. It's a key aspect of our view that everyone should reach their own potential. Let me introduce you to another concept: Neural ...
I've asked Tim Farron and Norman Lamb a set of five questions, most of which I'll be covering over the weekend as the final votes are cast in the leadership contest. But for today, one question that hasn't come up that much during the contest but which could be controversial either way for the new leader – and hence my reason for asking it. What role would Chris Rennard have in the party under your leadership? Tim Farron: I have no intention of appointing him to any role in the party. Norman Lamb: Chris would have the same opportunities to ...
Fri 10th
13:25
Liberal Democrat Leadership: Farron and Lamb answer questions on engineering and science
One of the great things about the leadership contest is that every party organisation has submitted questions to the candidates on their area of interest. The Association of Liberal Democrat Engineers and Scientists is no exception and you can see all Tim's and Norman's answers to a series of questions about science. You can read them all here, but here's a flavour of one question: Both of you signed an EDM in 2007 supporting provision of homeopathic medicines through the NHS but then revised your support after a Commons STC report questioned the evidence in favour of homeopathic treatments. What ...
Many thanks to Nick Forbes for tweeting this newspaper cutting from the 1992 general election campaign in Weardale.
Kibworth Harcourt windmill Planning controls are to be relaxed because the government believes that will seem more houses built. Its reason for wanting to see more built is odd - "productivity" - but will this move work? Last summer I blogged about Harborough District Council's request for a meeting with house builders to ask if they could build more quickly. The council was concerned that it would not meet government targets. This week its planning committee gave outline permission for new housing development on open land outside Kibworth Harcourt despite vocal opposition. Perhaps Harborough is not typical of the rest ...
Last week, the Royal National Institute for the Blind launched a campaign to highlight and improve the safety of streets for blind and partially sighted people. RNIB Regional Campaigns Officer Michael Wilson, writes the following: It's time to make our streets clutter free. While I have worked at RNIB there has always been one campaign [...]
Fri 10th
12:55Liberal Democrat Leadership: Young activists' letters of support for Farron and Lamb - and a bit of ...
[IMG: Liberal Youth at Eastleigh - Some rights reserved by Helen Duffett] Young activists have written open letters in support of the respective candidates in the Liberal Democrat leadership contest. Earlier this week, 50 young activists, including Sam Bennett, the chair of IR Cymru, Liberal Youth Executive members and members from Scotland, England and Wales, wrote an open letter of support for Tim, saying: The Liberal Democrats have always been a party for young people, with our progressive views on protecting human rights, fighting climate change and promoting social justice. These things matter, but to make a difference, the Liberal ...
Fri 10th
12:34
Liberals, social democrats and Liberal Democrats: The Economist joins the long list of those not und...
[IMG: sdpliberal] Quick question: Which of the two Liberal Democrat leadership candidates was a member of the SDP? The correct answer is, of course, Norman Lamb who was a member of both the Liberal Party and the SDP (membership of both parties was allowed) while Tim Farron was only ever a member of the Liberal Party pre-merger. I bring this up because in their endorsement of Norman Lamb for leader, the Economist makes the claim that Tim Farron is a 'traditional social democrat' while Norman Lamb is a 'classical liberal'. (They also shockingly use 'shoe-in' rather than 'shoo-in', making me ...
Liberal Democrat blogger Matthew Green has a very thoughtful piece on the core votes strategy which I've laid out with David Howarth. It is a piece that I don't fully agree with – but that is praise, not criticism, for we need lively debate to flesh out and improve the core votes strategy David and I have proposed. Here's a sample: I would urge anybody interested in the party's future direction to read it... The authors point out that a core vote strategy is hard, and that the party has failed in its many past attempts. That tells me that ...
Fri 10th
11:54Lord Brian Paddick writes...Lords debate Anderson Report - you have to know your onions
[IMG: GCHQ Bude by Paul Walter] David Anderson, the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation's recently published report on investigatory powers was debated in the House of Lords last Wednesday. Anderson was tasked with advising on what should replace the Communications Data Bill a.k.a. the Snooper's Charter and other, existing legislation, that allows the state to invade individual's privacy for the purposes of terrorism and crime prevention. The Government Minister and other leading Tories talked-up the threat posed by terrorism. I told the House we should listen to Anderson who said in his report 'claims of exceptional or unprecedented threat levels ...
I'm writing this on the train on my phone so I apologise in advance for any errors I make. I also don't have access to facts, figures and quotes as I write this so it's coming purely from a personal opinion standpoint. I've not been very vocal about the leadership election going on within the [...]
Animal rights groups are reporting a planned vote re: fox hunting in the UK, with David Cameron hoping to appease hunting lobbyists by watering down the current legislation. The vote is scheduled for Wednesday 15th July leaving activists little time to fill petitions) and co-ordinate letter writing appeals to mobilise sympathetic MPs. But how will the Lib Dems vote? In terms of an outright repeal, the Daily Telegraph reported last month their belief that all eight remaining Lib Dems would vote to keep the law intact. But this is not a repeal, per se, but rather a set of amendments ...
George Osborne went big in his budget on the issue of devolution. He is behind the 'Northern Powerhouse' plan to create a powerful city region based around Manchester and to have projects in Leeds, Birmingham and elsewhere. His colleague Greg Clarke, the local government secretary has given a similar message. So why is the Chancellor now telling local people that he wants to remove their right to make decisions over local planning applications? The Chancellor's view is that local councils have been to NIMBY-ish and have failed to deliver the new housing needed. He has got a bit of a ...
Well, the BBC has given a little bit of a gift to the many Liberal Democrat conference goers who are Doctor Who fans. The new series starts on the Saturday night. Unfortunately, this presents a little bit of a dilemma to inveterate rally goers like me. Do I go and see the new leader at his first big event of the Conference, or do I go and watch Doctor Who with the other fans? Conference is full of such clashes. In any given time slot there is likely to be at least 3 things you want to go to. To ...
Fri 10th
09:45
FAO all leadership contenders: "Clever politicians push against the grain of their own party"
The Times's Philip Collins writes today about the political savviness of George Osborne's sudden conversion to a higher minimum wage than promised by Ed Miliband (£9/hour by 2020, compared with £8/hour): There are two lessons here for Labour. The first is that how a policy sounds depends on the tone of voice of the advocate. It's not all about press bias. If Ed Miliband suggests a profits surcharge you get the impression he wants to foreclose capitalism. It smells like the distilled essence of his politics. When George Osborne says the same thing it sounds like an exception concocted to ...
You can read all the articles that have caught my attention this week here: https://delicious.com/stephentall Below are a selection... News & Events | News & Events | The Education Endowment Foundation / @BBCr4today discussing Philosophy for Children, boosts primary pupils' learning – read @EducEndowFoundn report here http://bit.ly/1HRHXmo The Guardian view on the budget aftermath: the elusive heart of Osbornomics | Comment is free | The Guardian Guardian on Osbornomics: "disdain for consistent policy of any sort, save for that which yields political advantage" http://bit.ly/1eKE6w8 The new Conservatism | The Economist Economist scathing on Osborne's budget: "slick politics hid economics that ...
Fri 10th
09:09
Lessons from Greece: why the Liberal Democrats need to rethink their enthusiasm for the Euro
This post was first published by Liberal Democrat Voice I can't help but sympathise with Greece. In responding to the Eurozone's latest debt offer, its people found themselves choosing between a rock and a hard place. Neither choice was appealing, and the referendum was a bit like asking a vegetarian to chose between beef or chicken. The overwhelming rejection of the Eurozone's proposals is the act of a nation with nothing left to lose: vote 'yes' and you sign up to breathtaking austerity and misery; vote 'no' and you take a huge step into the unknown that may take you ...
[IMG: Trident] The Lib Dems Against Trident group was formed on Facebook at the end of October. Its objective is to get a motion on Trident onto the Agenda for September's Party Conference. It currently has some 450 members. This is a quite remarkable tally for a Party Facebook group on one issue, and leaves one wondering how much support there is in the Party as a whole for scrapping Trident. The group began by discussing the possible format of a motion. It eventually voted to promote the following motion: "Conference notes that the go-ahead for building Successor submarines for ...
Claims reflected by the Western Mail that the M4 relief road around Newport is to be scrapped because of a peculiar cock-up in the process by the Welsh Government may well prove to be unduly optimistic, but there is no doubt that Ministers and their officials have blundered once more and that it is going to cost taxpayers more money. The paper reports that a Cabinet decision to press ahead with Transport Minister Edwina Hart's favoured route is now considered to be fatally flawed due to the fact that a cabinet meeting which gave the go-ahead to the project was ...
George is on the up, no question. Facing no one of equal political calibre in his own party (many note how much of a diminished figure Boris cut in the Commons as his rival to replace Dave had his crowning moment), and having tied Labour up in knots over his latest budget, many in Westminster wonder whether Osborne has Number 10 locked down. Where the Conservative Party is concerned, one should never take such things for granted; there is always someone from crazy town who poses a threat. You can never discount a John Redwood or Owen Patterson emerging from ...
Yesterday, along with two members of the Bonnie Dundee team, I had a very useful site visit with the new maintenance contractor for JCDecaux, who own the seating area at the corner of Ryehill Lane and Perth Road, in front of the company's advertising hoardings. The area has become overgrown, untidy and there's also some litter - see below. We were pleased to get assurances that, henceforth, the area will be maintained fortnightly, which is good news.
Some good news for Norman Lamb's campaign after the various media endorsements for Tim Farron: Lamb has secured the backing of The Economist, in a piece likely to cause multiple eyebrow raising on many fronts from many Liberal Democrats... Mr Farron is not proving the shoe-in that many had anticipated. If he is a traditional social democrat concerned primarily with equality, Mr Lamb is a classical liberal who has focused his campaign on personal freedoms: championing drug decriminalisation and attacking government plans to prohibit legal highs, for example. He also warns against "simply opposing" reductions in welfare spending. With others, ...
I listen to The Now Show on podcast rather than live. I normally fast forward through Jon Holmes' bit because he's a cock; but I saw [IMG: [personal profile] ] djm4's comments on it, so I listened to his routine. "I don't speak misogynistic bellend" he says, before proving himself entirely wrong by doing a misogynistic bellend's routine about hysterical women complaining about a man's conduct. I am now entirely sure that I am correct to fast forward Jon Holmes every week. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
It's not just workers at the bottom of the pile George attacked, but businesses too. But that cut in corporation tax will be lovely for BIG business... Eurgh. Tories. Cheese and Wine Evening in a Box by @Czerwik1991 - caters for 12 tasters or 2 or 3 greedy pissheads ;) For all the shouting on twitter, Labour oppose almost nothing in George Osborne's budget UK Government's surveillance plans could put citizens, economy and entire internet at risk, argue leading computing experts Benefits freeze 'to hit 13m families' - that's a LOT of people. Oh God. That's me not able to ...
Commenting on the budget last night Jonathan Calder wrote: Tax credits are a way of subsiding bad employers from the public purse and are a move towards the intermeshing of the power of the state and the power of capital that Belloc warned about in The Servile State. There is new interest in the ideas promoted by Chesterton and Belloc in The Servile State that became known as Distibutism. The list of Liberals who have been influenced by them includes Elliot Dodds (and the Ownership for All movement) Jo Grimond who launched many of the ideas that fuelled the Liberal ...
During 2014 I ran a series of postings about war memorials to remember the 100th anniversary of the start of the war to end all wars. But of course that war went on for 4 years and it was sadly not the war to end all wars. Here is a shot taken by ace Lydiate photographer Keith Page of the grand memorial at Townley Hall in Burnley. [IMG: War Memorial Townley Hall Burnley r] Click on the photo to enlarge it. The Keith's photo is amongst my Flickr shots at:- www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/
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