"...When it comes to opposition to gay rights, conservative Christians have been on the front lines, opposing measures that would give people in same-sex relationships the right to visit their partners in the hospital, file taxes jointly, adopt children, share insurance, and rent apartments without fear of unjust eviction. Routinely fundamentalist Christians compare people in same-sex relationships to paedophiles and demand an explanation for how their most important relationships are any different than people having sex with dogs. Anti-gay bullying, discrimination, and hate-speech often go unchallenged by Christians, and are far too often perpetuated by them...." (This extract is taken ...
Fri 17th
22:41
On @TimFarron and that Cathy Newman Interview - in which I work up a few tweets into a blog post
So on tonight's channel four news Cathy Newman went for our new leader's jugular. And lots of people seem to be lapping up the blood like it's going out of fashion. Yes, pink news, I'm looking at you. I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on religion here, because I don't need to be. Does Tim consider homosexual sex a sin? I don't really care, because sin is a concept that does not apply to my worldview. I'm an atheist. I'm bisexual. I'm poly. I voted for Tim Farron and I do not regret it. I don't care ...
New Lib Dem leader Tim Farron was asked on tonight's Channel 4 News whether he thought, as a Christian, that homosexuality is a sin. It's not the car-crash some of his critics claim — but there's no denying Tim squirms and ends up looking evasive. There are two separate issues here. 1) Does Tim need a sharper response? Yes. "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" may be a good place to start. 2) Does Tim's actual view matter? No. I guess if pushed I'd say adultery is a sin (not my kinda language, but still). Does ...
Fri 17th
21:30
Interviewers should be asking politicans who say they are Christians why they don't ask God for wisd...
There's a transcript of John Humprhys' interview with Farron (God section) below, thanks to the New Statesman blog where Isabel Hardman has written a very good article, albeit with a dissonant headline. I'm not quite sure why all this focus about Christianity has been pointed, laser-like, at Tim Farron. Charles Kennedy was a Roman Catholic, as is Shirley Williams. David Steel, Theresa May and Gordon Brown are all the children of priests and have, by all accounts, remained faithful. Simon Hughes is a massive "God botherer". And David Cameron has said that he is "evangelical about his Christian faith". And, ...
On Wednesday I posted a photo of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Leamington Street, Leicester taken shortly before its demolition. A bit of browsing in the Leicester Mercury archives casts more light on this lost chapel and its lost street. A piece from April 2014 begins: This dramatic action shot looks like the climactic scene in an old Gothic horror movie - and I suppose, from a heritage point of view, it is horrific. Taken in November 1978, here we see the sad demise of Emmanuel Baptist Church, which stood in Leamington Street, Leicester. This huge building originally dominated the area of ...
A new Lib Dem member tweets: @GregMulholland1 @FundVimizim @timfarron I was so moved by Tim's speech today that I left Labour and joined the Lib Dems. I nearly cried! — James O'Neill (@jamesoneill0497) July 16, 2015
Peter Kellner has some advice for Tim Farron - think big: "My suggestion that you strive for influence rather than more normal electoral measures of success ... is made not just because I fear that votes will be hard to come by for the next few years. It's also because the progressive project is in profound trouble - just as it was in the Thirties, before Keynes and Beveridge came to our rescue. The big prize is to fashion a new progressive settlement for the 2020s and 2030s." The problem with Mhairi Black's maiden speech is that Paisley is not ...
Tim Farron was attacked during the leadership campaign for not being as socially liberal as many in the Liberal Democrats might like, with flakey support for LGBT rights and a strong Christian faith. But he's the Party leader now so it mustn't have bothered people that much. Today, he was interviewed on Channel 4 News and didn't [...]
Fri 17th
17:03
The Independent View: Tim Farron's election as leader provides hope that the party will embrace and ...
Congratulations to Tim Farron, an MP who has long championed environmental causes. His voting record, especially during the coalition years, was consistently green. In 2013 Farron was one of 16 Lib Dems to rebel and back a 2030 decarbonisation target. How different the energy politics landscape would look had more Lib Dem MPs (and later peers) joined him and ensured there was now a decarb target in the statute books to provide long term certainty for investors in the face of growing short term uncertainty.* But that was then. With Tim Farron at the helm we look forward to the ...
Fri 17th
17:03
FoI review - a lack of information shalt make you free? Hancock abuses the concept of cross-party
The announcement by Cabinet Office Minister, Matthew Hancock, of a review in to the way Freedom of Information policy currently works is just another sign that the Conservatives would much prefer to be left alone in peace to run the country. But, what would be almost amusing if it wasn't so important is the cynicism of his approach. It would not have surprised me to see a review panel stuffed with Conservative sympathisers - after all, it is highly unlikely that they will have launched this unless they have a pretty good idea as to their preferred outcome. That would ...
Liberal Democrats were victorious in three of yesterdays eight principal council by-elections. Two holds and two gains as the party continued it's post-general election momentum in local elections, with the party winning 7 prinicpasl council contests since 7th May. One of the party's two gains of the day came in Wrexham (UA). Rob Walsh polled 52.2% [...]
The following notification from the highways agency has been received relating to nightly closes of the A14 which might affect local residents in Bar Hill;You will recall receiving 'Works Information Notices' regarding the start of the above works and a series of overnight lane and carriageway closures. There will be the need for further carriageway closures in the forthcoming week. Between Saturday 18th July 2015 and Friday 24th July 2015 the eastbound carriageway will be closed between junctions 31 (Girton) to 32 (Histon). In addition there will be no westbound access to the A14 at either J32 (Histon) or J36 ...
[IMG: Tim Farron MP was elected Leader of the Liberal Democrats on July 16th.] Congratulations Tim! After the announcement that Tim Farron is the next leader of the Liberal Democrats, here in ALDC HQ we have produced a few easy to use templates so that you can tell local residents about the election. FOCUS article template - PagePlus and PDF MyCouncillor story template Email template And here is the [...]
[IMG: Iconic scenes of Liverpool] Iconic Liverpool scenes mural at Moorfields Station This is an interesting development in the long-running saga of the substantial refurb' of Liverpool's Moorfields Underground Station but what jumps out at me is the extra £4.4m to be spent on this station by Network Rail. The Liverpool Echo article – see link above – does not mention where this extra money is coming from. The obvious question is, are any other Merseyside rail projects going to suffer from this 'extra' money being ploughed into Moorfields? On the basis that money is tight all round there ...
[IMG: farronforleader] Yesterday was an odd day. I'd met up with some of the other people from the Tim Farron campaign at the Taproom in Islington, just over the road from the Assembly Hall where the new leader would make his first speech. We'd been told to expect the result to be announced online at some time after 4pm, but that came with just an announcement that the result would be arriving at 5pm. So, we sat around outside the bar having a pint or two (and I definitely recommend the Taproom as a place for a drink) waiting for ...
Like I have always said, within politics you decide to join a party because you believe their views, polices and believe that they are best for the country. That is exactly why I decided to join the Liberal Democrats. Yes, we may not be the biggest party within British politics. But we are strong, passionate [...]
Simon Hughes was one of the first people to endorse Tim Farron for leader. He's written an article for today's Independent in which he outlines what he thinks Tim should do next: The new leader knows what to do. He must and will unite, inspire, and enthuse the party, involving supporters of both candidates in one big campaign for liberalism, determined to rebuild - and quickly. The clarion calls dreadfully muffled in the last year must be heard in all our communities: freedom, democracy, respect for our planet, a decent quality of life for all, and much greater equality in ...
Fri 17th
12:55
Paddy Ashdown to do Reddit AMA for new/prospective Lib Dem members: Monday 20 July, 7pm
Here's the blurb about the online Q+A session Paddy Ashdown is going to do on the social network Reddit: Paddy Ashdown, leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1988 to 1999 and Chair of the party's 2015 General Election campaign, will be hosting an AMA [Ask Me Anything] in /r/LibDem next Monday at 7PM. The AMA is targeted at both new members and those considering joining up – but all are welcome to join in if they like. If you or anyone else you know has recently joined up, this will be a fantastic opportunity to learn more about what the ...
There is something bizarrely uniting about Lib Dem leadership elections, or so I realised last night. Not for us the bear pit of the Labour leadership - which is more about uncovering the great chasms that lie between the candidates, and between the candidates and the people. Norman Lamb managed to get nearly 44 per cent of the vote, and Tim Farron turned up the heat and produced an extraordinary performance last night. I felt hugely proud to be in the same party as both of them. And on top of all that, a 900 vote majority in a council ...
[IMG: Lib Dem Leader Tim Farron ] Lib Dem Leader Tim Farron Here is Tim's first speech as the new Lib Dem Leader; I think we are going to hear a lot from this young man:- www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8w64z2zJtQ I voted for him knowing that he has strong religious views, which I do not. I voted for him knowing that he has reservations about same sex marriage, which I do not. I voted for him because he is a Liberal to his core and he fights for the oppressed. I have no doubt that he will take the fight to the Tories ...
The other day I commented on a Facebook post about areas we share with the SNP, mentioning my concerns about the SNPs plans for every child in Scotland to have a "named person" who is their point of contact with the social services. Caron Lindsay mentioned that Euan Davidson had written for this site in support of the measures, and invited me to post a response. I made sure I had the facts right (some of which I had to be corrected on but didn't change my overall view) and got started. To the best of my understanding, the named ...
[IMG: Brian-Paddick_avatar-80x80] So sad that Tories and the new Red Tories refuse to see that UK drugs policy is hopeless and in fact it encourages crime! Brian Paddick was Deputy Assistant Commissioner in London's Metropolitan Police Service until 2007, the Lib Dem candidate for the London mayoral election in 2008 and 2012, and a life peer since 2013.
Liberty is looking for nominations for its 2015 Human Rights Awards. Here's what you need to do by 5pm tonight: We're looking for the NGOs, the national campaigners, the local activists, the volunteers or professionals who are working on human rights issues - whether it be inspiring or organising, providing support or challenging misconceptions. Often individuals and organisations work tirelessly and with little recognition - this is our chance to thanks them for all they do, and shine a light on this crucial work. Past award categories have included Human Rights Lawyer of the Year, Human Rights Young Person of ...
[IMG: Lib Dem 2015 leadership election ballot paper] Turnout. It was the lowest ever for a Liberal Democrat leadership contest, and by some margin. 56% this time, compared to 62%-72% in previous contests. Nor is this the first time in recent years we've had a turnout problem with an internal party contest. Turnout in the last federal committee elections was anemic – as I wrote up in The turnout massacre: what went wrong with the Lib Dem internal elections?. Turnout in the last Presidential contest, at 39%, was well down on 2010 (42%) and 2008 (48%) – although it was ...
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across the country] Our friends at the LGA Liberal Democrat group have put together the following template press release on the welfare cuts announced by George Osborne in the summer budget. ALDC members can also download an MS Word template of the release, and an accompanying spreadsheet of impact statics localised to council level. If you would like [...]
You can read all the articles that have caught my attention this week here: https://delicious.com/stephentall Below are a selection... Bitly | Page Not Found | 404 The Times decides Tim Farron's Christianity means he can't be a liberal. Bit illiberal of 'em really ... http://buff.ly//... Tim Farron's First Speech As Lib Dem Leader – YouTube The point of the LibDems? For starters: "We see immigration as a blessing not a curse" http://bit.ly/1I6PwWr http://bit.ly/1I6PvSn Daily Telegraph rails against secretly organised warning letter designed to protect establishment institution | Stephen Tall Daily Telegraph rails against secretly organised warning letter. Not this one, ...
Well, that was a turn up for the books. Liberal Democrats in Kingston have stormed to victory in the Grove Ward by-election. The Tories threw the kitchen sink at the ward, even sending Chris Grayling and Sol Campbell there along with a huge amounts of activists, but their vote was pretty embarrassing to be honest. UKIP: 58 Greens: 88 Conservatives: 688 Labour: 223 Lib Dems: 1577 In Wales, we took a seat from Labour by some margin. Llay – Wrexham: Conservative 64 Labour 353 Lib Dem 700 UKIP 60 Green n\a Ind 124 Ind 41 Lib Dem Gain from Lab Swing 38% to LD from Lab — ...
Ok, so the Government is telling us that they want a 7 day a week NHS, and they're not afraid to use force to get it. And, while they're at it, they're going to make striking all but impossible... a bit like finding an MP that fulfilled the conditions they're going to set on the unions to get elected, but we'll leave that one for another day. With this show of force to get consultants to tow the proverbial line and give the people what they want (allegedly), we see in interesting difference of approach. Let's, for fun have a ...
I wasn't going to write an article on this subject. But somehow, it was staring me in the face; the following is the product of necessity. Yesterday afternoon, Tim Farron was elected the fifth leader of the Liberal Democrats (if you discount interim leaders). As a self-avowed member of the Orange Book wing, some might expect me to mourn. Yes, I probably would have preferred Norman had become leader, but I'm not particularly gutted. I can see why Tim was elected. I was tempted to list his positive traits here, but you all know what they are. The big fear ...
For once the Liberal Democrats have delivered a textbook example of how to change leader. Two candidates fighting a spirited and good-natured campaign, the contest wrapped up in 10 weeks with a clear outcome and a party uniting around the winner. In contrast Labour's leadership contest seems to be spiralling out of control with months still to go, controversy over the decision by their acting leader to support the Conservative's welfare bill, bizarre rules that seem to encourage entryism and which has led to the candidate representing the left wing of the party to call for a witchhunt to root ...
#ThisWasNotACoup Perspective. (tags: eu greece ) A Greek Farce, Then Gloom Ivan is not optimistic. (tags: eu greece )
Autism doesn't have to be viewed as a disability or disorder - I agree with every word of this article The promise of a rail revolution which turned sour post-election - Brighouse Echo *sounds the Vaguely Sensible Article On Labourlist klaxon* I wonder if the Daily Telegraph's editorial team have bothered to read the Conservative Party's membership rules... I do like it when Lady Mark is gently but firmly subversive The British Election Study suggests that differential turnout the most likely cause of the GE2015 polling failure Far be it from me to point out that and I have been ...
Fri 17th
07:57MP pay - is it really too difficult to read the whole story before engaging outrage mode?
Yes, it seems. Oh, you want me to say more than that. Right. Ummm... let's see. Wait a minute, it's on the tip of my tongue... In my day job, I spend my time examining all of the available data in order to define any areas of doubt and uncertainty and then, having done so, work out a fair and rational way of dealing with them. It is surprisingly enjoyable, especially as you learn more about human nature and about how people organise, and rationalise, their lives. You get to meet interesting people and get a sense of their worlds. ...
A particularly satisfying hold in Kingston given the spectacularly nasty and personalised Conservative campaign: Liberal Democrats HOLD Grove (Kingston upon Thames). — Britain Elects (@britainelects) July 16, 2015
Here it is in full, courtesy of Sky News – Tim's first speech, delivered to a packed Islington Assembly Hall. I followed it on Twitter while I was on a train and it was giving me goosebumps so you might need to sit down with a cup of tea to watch the whole thing. Full of passion and energy and purpose and articulating an practical, relevant, optimistic, joyful liberalism. A member of the audience fainted at one point and was incredibly apologetic but Tim was quick to reassure him and make sure he was ok. * Caron Lindsay is Editor ...
[IMG: IMG_4864] The Merseyrail report [that I posted about recently – see link below] needs to be read in the light of the March 2015 ORR [Office of Rail Regulation] statement reiterating their opposition to 3rd rail electrification extensions:- ORR says: 1. It must be safe. 2. There is a presumption against 3rd rail in new build or extended 3rd rail due to safety requirements. 3. Where 3rd rail exists the operator should continually review it whilst seeking improvements in design, operation and maintenance. ORR considers that the weight of safety evidence creates a presumption against new-build or extended ...
The Welsh unemployment rate has risen by 8,000 over the last quarter, accounting for more than 50% of the UK's new jobseekers. Statistics published by ONS show that over the last quarter there are an extra 15,000 unemployed people across the UK as a whole, with over half of them in Wales. Once again Wales is lagging behind. This Labour Government has serious answers to give about why our unemployment figures are still consistently dragging down the UK totals. Labour have been running the Welsh Government for 16 years now and this really shouldn't be happening. We need to address ...
The full speech at the Islington Assembly Hall has been released and is available below. The main speech can be seen from 6 mins 25 seconds in. The speech was wide ranging and touched on the need to begin the fightback.
The Lib Dems have won the Grove Ward by-election with an enormous surge. A by-election had been fought in the ward in May and had led to a narrow win by less than 50 votes. In this by-election the Lib Dems won by nearly 900 votes. Jonathan William Tolley (The Liberal Democrats Party) was elected [...]
