One of the most encouraging developments on Britain's cultural scene in recent years has been the upsurge in festivals, not just the well-established ones like Edinburgh's but dozens of other cities, towns and venues now offering a variety of cultural events, some predominantly literary, others more diverse. Among those, one that has been receiving increasing [...]
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, on behalf of the Lib-Dems in Broxtowe. May I give a special welcome to the new readers that we have this week. I'd also like to thank my colleague Stan Heptinstall who has provided much of the material for this weeks newsletter. 1. Scouts Campsite on Common Lane, Bramcote For many years the scouts and guides have used the land owned by the University of Nottingham on Common Lane as a campsite, but their ability to use the area into the future has always been ...
Thank you to all of the readers of this blog who took the time to sponsor "Team Holyoake" in the Race for Life today. Unfortunately, as Emily is recovering from major abdominal surgery, only Jessica was able to run. But she did herself and her sister proud – a new Holyoake record of 1:19.45 for 10k set in the exceptionally ...
The Green Deal - brought in by the Coalition - encouraged people to borrow money, and use it to make their homes more energy efficient. It could be for a new boiler, insulation, replacement doors and windows - anything that means the house or business will use less energy.
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 424th 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 (19-25 July, 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. Rumours of new Lib Dem peers circulate ...
Sun 26th
18:00
[Lib Dem Future]A #libdemfightback member speaks: Why I became a member of the Liberal Democrats
At first instance, on meeting Tim Farron at a by-election at Carshalton and Wallington ward, I rather had him cut as a typical Yorkshire lad with aspiring dreams for happier life. However when he started speaking he struck me as someone in the same genre as gifted as JF Kennedy and Malcom X when it [...]
It was Home Office questions in the House of Lords this week. Three Liberal Democrat peers asked questions about the treatment of LGBT+ people in the asylum system and abroad which has to date been pretty awful. The first was Paul Scriven who asked whether the recommendations to change the disgraceful way LGBT+ people seeking asylum in this country are treated. Here's the exchange in full: Lord Scriven (LD): To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to implement the recommendations in the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration of March-June 2014 regarding the handling of ...
No prizes for guessing that I have a view on this, but given some of the discussions elsewhere amongst campaigners, I'm curious to see what other people think too:
As Care Minister, Norman Lamb (and his Liberal Democrat predecessor) were pivotal in ensuring that the cap for care costs was introduced. The Conservatives have now delayed its implementation by 4 long years. Norman described this as an "outrageous betrayal of people at their most weak and most frail. He said: This an extraordinary and devastating u-turn from the Tories and an outrageous betrayal of people at their most weak and most frail with conditions like dementia. Crippling care costs need addressing urgently. In coalition we designed a solution that would help and was affordable. Local authorities have spent millions ...
[IMG: 7 ver 4 full] Many thanks to the 14,800 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here's our 7 most-read posts... Channel 4, Cathy Newman, Tim Farron, sex and sin (286 comments) by Joe Otten What could a Jeremy Corbyn victory mean for the Lib Dems? (85 comments) by Mark Argent On Farron's lurch to the left (64 comments) by Caron Lindsay Our tactical victories betray a lack of strategy – the need for an economic vision (68 comments) by Fergus Blair Bold new graphics for a new leader (36 comments) by Caron Lindsay #Labstain: Labour's mass ...
Way back in 2011, the then Federal Executive created, shall we say, a little light controversy by deciding not to fund any Liberal Democrat campaigns for Police and Crime Commissioner on the grounds that we didn't support the idea as it concentrated too much power in the hands of one person. After much discussion, the party did eventually contest 24 out of the 36 contests in England and none in Wales. The posts are up for election again next May and FE discussed the party's approach to them at its meeting last Monday. This time it's very different. The recommendation ...
Following up from the Talbots' brilliant biography of Lucia Joyce, this excellent graphic story takes a close look at the suffragette movement, through the person of Sally Heathcote, a red-haired Northern girl who moves to London and becomes a core activist, imprisoned and force-fed through a hunger srike, growing up quickly in brutal political circumstances. Dangerfield brings in the suffragettes as just one of the destabilising factors for the Asquith government in The Strange Death of Liberal England; I hadn't realised just how strong the commitment to political violence was from an early stage, much more so than the Irish ...
Remember that great soul group M People with Heather Small on vocals? Well Snake Davis was their saxophone player who has long had his own band. Keith, my Lydiate chum and I have been to see this band many times across the north of England and last night we went to the Playhouse2 in Shaw near Rochdale to see them once again. www.playhouse2.org/ These are quality musicians who thrive on playing jazz/soul music live and a packed theatre saw and heard a great performance. [IMG: WP_20150725_21_34_27_Pro] Playhouse2 is a great small venue for plays and concerts and we have now ...
I cannot claim the credit for this headline so I immediately acknowledge the brilliance of the Independent whose idea it was! However it does seem to me to encapsulate the problems that the Labour Party do and will have and ... Continue reading →
The first people Tim Farron called on becoming Liberal Democrat leader were his local paper, the Westmorland Gazette. Here are some highlights of his first in-depth interview as leader: Turning his local success into a national phenomenon This is a big deal. It will be a great responsibility and I will work tirelessly to fight for Liberal values. There are real challenges ahead but we have shown in Westmorland how we can succeed and we want to make a difference all over the country. "A fairer, greener, freer Britain" I will make the case for a fairer, greener, freer Britain," ...
[Originally posted on The Policy Press blog, 24/07/15, under a different title. Reposted here under the original title.] [IMG: Choices of a businessman] George Osborne's recent "emergency" budget proposed many changes to state support to lower income households in a bid to fulfil the Conservatives' manifesto pledge to cut £12bn from welfare spending. One unexpected aspect of this package was the proposal to cut housing association rents by 1% each year for the next four years. This proposal was justified with reference to social housing rent rises over the last few years. These have pushed up the already substantial housing ...
In recent months there has been work among partners through the East Birmingham Local Community Safety Partnership to address anti-social behaviour caused by quad bikes and other off-road vehicles. This causes significant concerns for local residents throughout the year, but especially in the summer. As part of the partnership approach towards this problem, they have decided to apply for a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for part of Acocks Green ward. The area covered is Fox Hollies Park and the surrounding area enclosed by Shirley Road, Pool Farm Road, Pollard Road, Gospel Lane, Redstone Farm Road, Westhay Road, Sleaford Road, ...
The Mothers of Invention had disbanded. Well...sort of. Frank Zappa had brought the band to an end, tired of losing money paying the salaries of a large band. The final straw came at a show in 1969 when the Mothers were on the same bill as Duke Ellington, and Zappa saw Ellington backstage begging his [...]
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 ...
Obviously we're all a little wary of using the polls since the General Election, but it should be remembered that while the polls then underestimated the Tories and over-estimated Labour, they got our tiny percentage pretty much spot on. The only problem was that, because the Tory vote was higher in actuality than predicted, that we ended up losing a few more Tory/LD marginals than we'd ever expected to. But Pollsters have been amending their weighting...and the 'Shy Tory Voter' doesn't really seem to exist anymore. They're out and proud! So I've been having a look at what the polls ...
Sun 26th
09:04
Lydiate – Latest on those wind farm proposals – Developer to hold consultation event 5th...
Readers will recall that this is a subject I have commented on numerous times before. My last posting is available via the link below:- To recap, Coriolis Energy submitted a proposal for a wind farm at Lower Alt a couple of years ago (to the west of Lydiate and east of Ince Blundell on land in West Lancashire) but subsequently it fizzled out. At the time, Lydiate Parish Council, Ince Blundell PC and many other groups and residents objected to the proposal. [IMG: cropped-Lydiate-Parish-Council-Logo-e1372273297819] This is what Lydiate PC submitted to West Lancs Council in response to the original ...
Debating "Cultural Marxism" is all the rage intellectually these days. Viewpoints range from it being so obvious a concept no one need explain it to denial of its very existence. Any attempt to deconstruct the concept is resisted by both the Left and the Right; the Left because to them it's a concept entirely invented by the Right in order to justify their prejudices; the Right because to do so brings up some rather harsh truths about modern day conservatism. First off, let us answer a very straightforward question: was Marx a liberal? Pardon my French here: of course, he ...
I've heard quite a few people say that MPs should concentrate on making laws and not act as "glorified social workers." I totally disagree with that approach. I've also heard politicians, ministers, even Liberal Democrat ones, confidently tell meetings that it's fine, such and such a problem is fixed and the service in question is now working well when any service user will tell you that this is far from the truth. This is why it's so important for MPs to understand what problems people are facing and to take action to fix them. One example of this comes from ...
Please see update below from the West End's Communities Officer : "Communities staff are keen to start the process of identifying interest in developing an organisation to deliver evening learning opportunities from the fantastic new Harris facility when it opens in 2016.You may well recall the Harris Education and Recreation Association (HERA) that disbanded when Harris closed for rebuild but over the years delivered all sorts of classes from yoga and ballroom dancing to floral art, guitar lessons and Gaelic for beginners. Similar organisations continue, with great success, at Grove in Broughty Ferry ward and at Morgan in Maryfield ward. ...
In May, I was not alone in castigating Shropshire Council for actions "worthy of a totalitarian state" when it confiscated cameras from members of the public at the beginning of a council meeting. Three days after Viv Parry gave notice of a question at last Thursday's council meeting, the rules were changed. Now Keith Barrow [...]
The decision by Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt to shelve until 2020 the coalition government's commitment to cap care bills to £72,000 for the over-65s and for younger adults with disabilities is not just a broken Tory manifesto promise but also another Liberal Democrat initiative they have ditched. This was an important policy promoted by Liberal Democrat ministers to prevent old people having to sell their home to pay care bills. Those families who were relying on this change are going to be very disappointed. What is more, as this Guardian article makes clear, the proposed delay is going to cost ...
