This hunk of Chaucerian fantasy stands on the main drag through Canterbury. Enter its portals and you find yourself in a modern library, museum and art gallery - The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England
Sat 25th
23:05

New Batpost

On Patreon, I look at King Tut and the Berkeley free speech demonstrations of the mid-60s, for paying backers. For the rest of you, the Penguin goes straight over at Mindless Ones. And thanks to my Patreon once again going over the $100/month level, podcasts have restarted: here's the podcast version of the Penguin essay

Posted by Andrew Hickey on Sci-Ence! Justice Leak!

When Labour lost its soul, and the next election – Simon Wren-Lewis on Labour's mistakes in abstaining on the welfare reform bill. I gave up Ayn Rand for Bernie Sanders – An interesting perspective from the US on how the concerns that drive some towards the libertarianism of the right can be redirected towards the left. 10 Things I Wish I'd Known About Gaslighting – "Gaslighting is the attempt of one person to overwrite another person's reality. There's a good chance that you now know more about gaslighting than most therapists." How Democracy Works – Andrew Rilstone examines how his ...

Posted by Nick on What You Can Get Away With

As many of you follow me on twitter. You should know that one day I hope to be elected a Liberal Democrat MP hopefully for the Eastleigh constituency (my home town constituency) in the 2020 general election and make Eastleigh liberal once again. Yes I admit, I fear that I may not be taken seriously [...]

Posted by vloggerhannah on The Liberal Queen

New designs have been drawn up for controversial plans to build two houses on the last remaining green field on the Linney, adjacent to Linney House (14/04328/FUL). The developers, McCartneys, have brought in a new architect who has drawn up radically different plans. The new layout for the houses now partially preserves the view from [...]

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington

Former AM Veronica German has been chosen to lead the South Wales East list for the Welsh Assembly elections next May. From the Welsh Lib Dems website: A democratic postal ballot of all members in the region chose the following candidates for the regional list in 2016: 1. Veronica German 2. Paul Halliday 3. Bob Griffin Veronica German is a former Assembly Member for the region who has served as the Welsh Lib Dem spokesperson on health, local government and equalities. She is a former county councillor in both Newport and Torfaen, and worked as a science teacher for over ...

Posted by The Voice on Liberal Democrat Voice
Sat 25th
18:11

Reculver

Reculver is on the North Kent coast. It was once an important Roman fort: later a church was built within the fort. At the start of the 19th century, as coastal erosion threatened, the church was largel demolished. The two towers were kept as a landmark for shipping. In their prime they raised roofs and must have resembled Southwell Minster by the sea. I was at Reculver today and could not stop photographing it.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

It sounds obvious, but well-,managed employees who feel part of a team with a shared goal perform better. Sadly, not all employees work under good managers who are able to get the best out of their teams. This week, Jo Swinson highlighted the need for good management as WSB reports: "The role of good management skills needs to be more prominent in the thinking about productivity," Swinson said. One of the biggest challenges we face in dealing with the productivity dilemma in this country is about improving the quality of management skills. She said the lack of managerial training was ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice

I was intrigued to see that Professor Richard Grayson had written an article about Liberal Democrat tribalism. Grayson, a former Liberal Democrat who joined Labour three years ago, is an intelligent person with insights to share on this subject. It ... Continue reading →

Posted by acidandamnesty on underthewesternfreeway

Some of the most vociferous critics of Tim Farron have come from the gay people within the church. It is not surprising given the way that the LGBTI communities have been treated by some folk in the church at home and abroad. Their legitimate concern is that those who believe them to be 'sinful and unwholesome' will not give them full support on human rights issues. A couple of case studies will illustrate the point. Close to home we have the CofE which is at present in front of an Industrial tribunal in Nottingham in a discrimination case brought by ...

Posted on birkdale focus
YouGov

Who's an MEP? I got 5/10. (tags: eu games ) Portlander Ursula K. Le Guin is Breathing Fire to Save American Literature Another brilliant interview. (tags: sf ) New Horizons Discovers Flowing Ices on Pluto Awesome! (tags: astronomy ) The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature's Most Epic Road Trips Glad someone did this! (tags: maps literature uspolitics )

The Liverpool Echo has the story – see link above These are high pay rates until you look at what staggering rates of pay are handed out by Premiere League Football Clubs.

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus » Sefton Focus

[IMG: Wait for it... Sky News with an added bonues] Hat-tip: LumpyBumps

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

I have a tenuous relationship with Bjork's music. She released her ninth studio album, Vulnicura, meaning "Cure for Wounds" in January this year, and it's certainly not a summery listen, but I've come to it late, so you'll have to deal with this somewhat unseasonal choice. The album is as conceptual as any of her previous work, dealing with [...]

Posted by Tom King on Never Cruel Nor Cowardly

I had forgotten how raw and tragic this book is, with Dick's classic themes of confused identity and paranois merging in the story of the disintegration of Bob Arctor / Fred in the California drugs scene of the mid 1970s. The central section, when the viewpoint character is made to spy on himself, is particularly effective. However, it's noticeable that all women characters, I think without exception, are referred to in terms of their beddability and breast size. Of course, Bob Arctor is almost the epitome of an unreliable narrator, and his semi-girlfriend Donna is almost the only main character ...

Sat 25th
11:55

A liberal century

In many ways the 20th century could be described as a socialist one. Internationally parties using that label emerged gaining electoral strength, or in some cases,notably Russia, lead successful revolutions. In Britain, Labour overtook a Liberal Party wracked by division and by 1945 they appeared totally dominant.But as the century ended the collapse of the regimes in Eastern Europe left socialism of the authoritarian variety totally discredited and the democratic socialist parties in the West struggling to define themselves. Here Blair created New Labour, dropped Clause 4 and built a new philosophy that turned out to be ideologically hollow. A ...

Posted by David Warren on Liberal Democrat Voice

Claimant unemployment fell 28 to 641 (4.9%) in Acocks Green ward last month. Long term (over a year) claimant numbers were static at 230 while the level of youth (18-24) claimants fell by 10 to 105. Across Birmingham as a whole, seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment fell by 445 to 29,404 (5.9%), while nationally it rose 12,380 to 804,173 (2.5%). Despite this relative improvement, Birmingham's unemployment remains the highest of all the large UK cities. Meanwhile crime in Acocks Green ward has fallen by 6.3% year to date, which represents 38 fewer offences. There is a particular focus on tackling the ...

Posted by Roger Harmer on Roger Harmer

This week saw a set of by-elections which produced a strong set of results for the party. Not as strong as last weeks exceptional results but none the less a good performance. There were five by elections in upper tier authorities. The party stood in three of these. In all three the results showed sharp [...]

Posted by libdemviewseditor on libdemfuture

With a new leader elected and committed to changing the rules for the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats* so that it no longer has to be an MP, that just leaves the small questions of who should be Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats and what should the remit of the job be? The latter David Howarth and I covered in our pamphlet on a new strategy for the Liberal Democrats: The Deputy Leader post should be that of a national party campaigns chair - elected by all members, and with a role therefore that is separate from, and ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

[IMG: Neil Houston Long Ditton] Liberal Democrats had another good night in yesterday's five principal council by-elections with the bonus of a parish council gain in Seaford, Lewes, East Sussex. Holding Long Ditton ward on Elmbridge Borough Council in Surrey following a Lib Dem resignation was a healthy result and a welcome return to being on the council to Neil Houston. Neil was born in Liverpool and brought up Norfolk served as a Lib Dem councillor in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames till 2014. Sadly we did not stand a candidates in New Tredegar Ward of the County ...

Posted by ALDC on Liberal Democrat Voice
eUKhost

We have all been touched by the tragic death of 19 year old Ayesha Rahman, who was hit by a car near the junction of Gatley Road and Delamere Road in Gatley last Monday night and died of her injuries in hospital early on Tuesday morning. We would like to let you know about a community initiative to bring us all together to remember Ayesha this Thursday at 9pm in Walter Stansby Memorial Park. Residents are invited to bring candles and flowers to observe a two minute silence at the park. We would also like to thank everyone who has ...

Posted by Iain Roberts on Keith, Graham and Iain

Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers Association [IMG: IMG_0001] [IMG: IMG_0002] Click on the images to enlarge them Or follow OPSTA on twitter @opsta15

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus » Sefton Focus

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-33624728 The BBC web site has the story – see link above. Seems the Tories are backtracking on a promise made by the Coalition Government to cap the amount that we have to pay for our care. The cap on care costs has been a long time coming. Nearly 70 years in fact, as the social-care system has remained relatively unchanged since the post-World War Two welfare settlement. But last Friday, in a written ministerial statement, the long-awaited changes were put on ice. Instead of the £72,000 cap starting in April 2016, the elderly, and younger adults with disabilities, will ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus » Sefton Focus

More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe:

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

It is indicative that the 'Welfare Bill' made a news splash mainly for the Labour Party's disarray "now we vote, now we won't". Otherwise no emotions shown or played, no questions, no strong public reaction. (With the exception of Tim Farron's speech). The conclusion? Business as usual. At the other end of the political spectrum, Labour is leaning left - we do not know the policies yet but the move is apparent. Whatever the result of the Labour leader's election it will be 'business as usual'. What it shows is that Labour and the Tories are reverting to their stereotype. ...

Posted by George Smid on Liberal Democrat Voice

The new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Amber Rudd, certainly wasn't messing about in her first major speech, delivered yesterday. "It cannot be left to one part of the political spectrum to dictate the solution – and some of the loudest voices have approached the issue from a left-wing perspective. So I can understand the suspicion of those who see climate action as some sort of cover for anti-growth, anti-capitalist, proto-socialism. "It was Margaret Thatcher who first put climate change on the international agenda. She said 'the danger of global warming is real enough for us to ...

Posted by Nick on nicktyrone.com

At last Thursday's council meeting, highways boss Simon Jones admitted that the performance of the council's road contractors is not up to scratch. He has only just taken over the transport portfolio, which he held a few years back. He said that dealing with Ringway was like dealing with a company in the first year [...]

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington

Update from the City Council about the management of dog walking at Riverside Nature Park : "The Environment Department wishes to gather views on a change to the management of dog walking at Riverside Nature Park. Riverside Nature Park is part of the Inner Tay Estuary Local Nature Reserve opened in 2011, and borders on the Tay Estuary which is protected internationally and known for some of the most important wetland wildlife in Britain, mainly wading birds. The Nature Park has been created from a land fill, with grazed areas, scrub and Dundee's largest wildflower meadows. Over 130 bird species, ...

Labour is misreading the election results: Five years is a long time in politics I fully agree with an endorse this letter to the board of Pride in London I wouldn't have been quite so bothered about UKIP being on the march had they signed the charter, accepted the code of conduct, and paid their fees. I would still have been pretty bothered, mind, but the fact that they got this special treatment pushed it into full blown outrage. Mandatory psychological treatment, by the DWP, on a mandatory benefit sanctions involuntary no choice basis. Brain connections give clues to sensory ...

Watching the Tories make cuts to welfare benefits, which the Liberal Democrats had blocked when in Government is painful enough, but having Labour collude with them in measures such as limiting child tax credit to two children defies belief. Now it seems that, not content with delivering unnecessary and ideological cuts to our welfare system, the Tories also want to undo some of the good work of our Ministers on climate change. In particular, they have announced they will end all Government funding to the Green Deal, a programme set up by the Liberal Democrats in Coalition that helps people ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

New trains being introduced to Wales in 2017 could actually deliver slower travel times for passengers. New hybrid trains which are able to run using both electric and diesel power are arriving in the UK from Japan for testing and are due to enter service from 2017 at a rate of one a fortnight. These brand new trains will enter service on the Great Western Mainline connecting Cardiff and Swansea with London. The long serving InterCity 125s will be transferred to Scotland in a deal already struck between the Department for Transport and ScotRail. However the new hybrid trains, whilst ...

Posted by Eluned Parrott on Freedom Central

July 23, 2015 Labour 648 [82.5%] UKIP 90 [11.5%] Conservative 47 [6.0%] Independents[0.0%] Majority: 558 Lab hold No Lib Dem Candidate Result from 2012 New Tredegar electorate : 3319 turnout : 35.58% candidate party votes % Jones Morgan Independent 362 17.48% Jones Gerald Welsh Labour 965 46.6% elected Rees Les Welsh Labour 744 35.92% elected [...]

Posted by libdemviewseditor on libdemfuture
Sat 25th
01:04

Hastings for Europe

Dear Editor, I am sure that all progressives in Hastings would have been pleased to read in your paper the first column from Peter Chowney, the new Leader of the Council. He is an approachable, thoughtful and in my experience of him, significantly less tribal politician than some of his colleagues. I believe he means [...]

Posted by nickperrylibdem on Nick Perry For Hastings & Rye

Local Liberal Democrat campaigner, Nick Perry, has welcomed the election of Tim Farron as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats. Farron, who is MP for Westmorland & Lonsdale, convincingly beat former Mental Health minister Norman Lamb to the top job. The new Lib Dem leader will have a significant role to play in opposition [...]

Posted by nickperrylibdem on Nick Perry For Hastings & Rye

Ipsos MORI have released their latest political monitor. Opinion polls have been very limited since the General Election. This may be partly influenced by investigations that are being made by polling companies to understand why they failed to accurately predict the election. The poll results are Con 37% Lab 31% Lib Dem 10% UKIP 9% [...]

Posted by libdemviewseditor on libdemfuture

Plans to chop down hundreds of trees in two local cemeteries which form part of the Green Chain Walk close to Honor Oak and Forest Hill have provoked outrage in the community. But despite massive opposition and the signatures of more than 8,500 local residents, Labour-run Southwark Council are insisting that the plans must go [...]

Posted by George Crozier on Up in Forest Hill

July 23, 2015 Labour 1139 [75.4%] Conservative 334 [22.1%] UKIP 38 [2.5%] Green 0 [0.0%] Turnout 19.4% Majority: 805 Lab hold Results from 2014 Bush, Ruth Labour Party Candidate 1788 Elected Green, Grazyna Conservative Party Candidate 546 Kitching, Russ UK Independence Party (UKIP) 308 McKie, Guthrie Labour Party Candidate 1493 Elected Mukerji, Nilavra Labour Party [...]

Posted by libdemviewseditor on libdemfuture