No honeymoon here: First YouGov polling on LAB's new leader for the Times shows the massive challenge Corbyn faces pic.twitter.com/fQNQSUIcx4 — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) September 16, 2015
The Shropshire Star leads us to our Trivial Fact of the Day: In the long-running detective drama Inspector Morse, actor Kevin Whately played the role of Det Sgt Robbie Lewis, the no-nonsense Geordie who served as the perfect foil to the highbrow, Oxford-educated title role. Off-screen though, it was a different story altogether. While Morse was played by John Thaw, who grew up in the tough Longsight area of Manchester, Whately was the grandson of the Rev Herbert Whately, the Oxford-educated former rector of Church Stretton.Reader's voice: It's not that interesting, is it? Liberal England replies: No, but I wanted ...
Having complained on here more than a few times about the way in which some organisations fail at customer service, it's really good for a change to be able to write something praising an organisation that got it right. Take a bow Premier Inn, Bagshot. I checked in there early yesterday evening and was told about a partial power failure ...
The Cheadle Muslim Society writes: Cheadle Mosque held its eleventh Open Day this month, blessed with great weather it was a great success with over 2000 people attending and through their generosity, over £4000 was raised for local charities. The charities supported this year included the Starlight Unit Children's ward at University Hospital South Manchester, St Anne's Hospice and The Seashell Trust. A proportion of the funds raised this year was also donated towards supporting destitute refugees. [IMG: cma1] Attendees were treated to the very finest cuisine, including fresh kebabs and fabulous curries as well as being entertained by Bouncing ...
Earlier tonight Tim Farron chaired his first Federal Policy Committee as party leader, setting out – rightly – his intention to be closely involved in the FPC's work. Or at least he did once he got the chat about football grounds out the way. As I wrote when breaking the news that Tim Farron would chair FPC: [A] question yet to be settled is whether Norman Lamb will also be on the committee. Norman has experience of chairing FPC and is one of the party's few MPs with a good record of engaging fully in the policy process, getting out ...
Current Liberal Democrat policy is that we reduce our fleet of nuclear missile submarines from four to three - but reducing the cost of our nuclear programme by less than a quarter. Most of the time we intend to have a nuclear missile submarine at sea but not armed with nuclear missiles. However at times of international tension we would sortie a submarine armed with nuclear weapons. Trident and its successors are designed to penetrate sophisticated air defence systems such as those developed by Russia. I can think of no occasion when it would be rational for the United Kingdom ...
Unlike many in my own party, I remain utterly unreconciled to the majority of the political positions that Jeremy Corbyn has taken in his long and hitherto undistinguished career. I think that virtually all of his foreign policy positions are not merely mistaken but actively dangerous. Most of his economic ideas are wholly wrong and would fail if enacted. So the fact that on some constitutional positions he is closer to the Liberal Democrats than to his own party does not- and should not- leave most of our party particularly enthusiastic. Yet the monstering that the new Labour leader has ...
The Motion. Scrapping Trident 1 Conference notes that the go-ahead for building Successor submarines 2 for the Trident system is scheduled to be decided upon in 2016. 3 Conference believes that British possession of nuclear weapons is 4 inappropriate and unhelpful to today's needs. 5 Conference rejects the projected spending of £100billion on the system 6 over its lifetime, believing the money could be better spent. 7 Conference therefore calls for the plans to renew the Trident system to 8 be scrapped, and for the earliest decommissioning of the existing Trident 9 forces. Amendment One 14 conference representatives Mover: Baroness ...
[IMG: Conf Stand (500x375)] For ALDC members attending Conference from the end of this week, we've put our heads together and made a short list of ways to make the most of the event. 1. Find people for photos Craig Whittall, Communications Officer Liberal Democrat parliamentarians and spokespeople from campaigning organisations across the country will be in attendance, either [...]
Today marked the begining of the Corbyn era of Prime Minister's Questions and I must say that I have been really impressed. Many of my regular readers will know that I have not a big fan of the Labour party over recent years and am still dubious of many of their policies/MPs etc however I thought Mr Corbyn hit the nail on the head. Charles Kennedy wrote in his book "The Future of Politics" that the House and indeed PMQs was stuck in a rut of like a Rugby game with two sides vying for supremacy and scoring points. Indeed ...
Blog Categories: Economics Political Comment Vote: 3 votes + Vote up! - Vote down! Could it be that the best way to achieve an economically liberal Britain might be to get a "mad" left government headed by Corbyn and McDonnell elected? Now sure, ALTER has long touted the LVT-supporting credentials of leading Lib Dem MPs: Clegg, Huhne, Cable, Davey and others have been or are presidents or vice-presidents of ALTER, and both Farron and Lamb in the leadership campaign stated they supported the idea, but with how much conviction is anyone's guess! Labour Land Campaign, ALTER's equivalent LVT campaign group ...
Issue 374 of Liberator is on its way to subscribers and will be on sale from our stall at the Bournemouth conference. This issue's free sample online content is the Commentary on what the party is for if when it shares national power it can survive neither a coalition with the Conservatives nor, a generation ago, a pact with Labour. A second Commentary provides some hopefully helpful guidance for new members. Also available is Professor Alex Marsh's article on how government policy is squeezing poor people out of affordable homes. See: www.liberatormagazine.org.uk The new issue also includes: LOOK LEFT FOR ...
In my opinion Jeremy Corbyn acquitted himself reasonably well at Prime Minister's Question Time today. As others have said it was a defensive performance that partly resembled a radio phone in but he touched on some key issues and raised some valid points. His performance outside the chamber however, still has the air of that political satire 'The Thick of it' about it, in which his team overreacts to criticism and where front bench spokespeople contradict him on key policies. The so-called affair of the Labour leader not singing the UK National Anthem is a good case in point. Frankly, ...
Yes, it's another Corbyn post. Sorry about that. But there's the thing. Politics is absolutely fascinating at the moment. If Burnham or Cooper had won the Labour leadership, we would have had the same old Blair-like triangulating platitudes. Instead, we have inspiring authenticity from Jeremy Corbyn. There appears to be a highly interesting Marmite-like dichotomy developing. On the one hand, people who previously had no formal connection to politics are joining the Labour party in droves. Jeremy Corbyn has attracted the young and old to his speeches. People love him. He can turn up to commemoration services with his top ...
What passes for news at the moment is pretty lamentable. Actually, it's not just at the moment. The tabloid news agenda has its own way of taking our focus off what really matters in this world. Any responsible press would be highlighting the even greater hardship and poverty faced by those households whose tax credits are being slashed by the Government. Also this week trade unions face unfair and illogical restrictions which, if applied to the rest of our democracy, would mean we couldn't have a legitimate government. Both those changes will make lives really difficult for the least powerful ...
I have been seeking reliable information about the process for obtaining the new trains and from what I can see at present the situation looks like this:- * Merseyrail/Merseytravel/Liverpool City Region – have not selected the next generation rolling stock. [IMG: IMG_4864] * It will only become known what new rolling stock has been selected once they (Merseytravel on behalf of Liverpool City Region?) have completed the procurement process that is about to commence assuming there is political approval for the procurement. [IMG: Could the new guardless Merseyrail trains look like this?] Could the new guardless Merseyrail trains look like ...
This is an interesting commentary on the position that both Labour and the Lib Dems find themselves in – Please take a few moments to read the Independent newspaper article by John Campbell. With thanks to Jen Robertson for the lead to this posting.
There is a great deal of unwarranted glee in Lib Dem circles that Jeremy Corbyn will drive disaffected Labour members into their ranks. Quite the reverse, I would say: Corbyn threatens the Lib Dems in three ways. First, because we know that people need to feel safe about the opposition before they dare to vote for outsiders. Second, because he risks trapping the party forever in the cul-de-sac of split-the-difference centre politics. Third, because the handful of ideas he has brought now into the mainstream, and which are important, may be undermined as a result. I count two of these ...
Sir Nicholas Soames, Churchill's grandson no less, has complained that Jeremy Corbyn failed to sing the words of the national anthem when it was played at a service in St Paul's Cathedral to commemorate the How puerile can you get? Yet this event, or rather non-event, has hit the front pages of many British newspapers. The Guardian, to its credit, has relegated it to a modest half-column on page 8. In my youth the main function of the anthem seemed to be to clear the cinemas quickly after the last showing. About two thirds of the audience would rush out ...
The new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had to face David Cameron at Prime Minister's Questions this midday, looking far more calm and collected than one might have expected after the roller-coaster week he has gone through since being elected. He asked the Prime Minister to help change the nature of PMQs and himself introduced an [...]
Wed 16th
11:55
Conference Countdown 2015: Would you abolish One Member One Vote if it was already in place?
A good test of a proposed new rule is to imagine: if it was already in place, would you be convinced by arguments to abolish it? So imagine with me that the Liberal Democrats had one-member, one-vote (OMOV) in place, instead of our conference representatives system, for electing our federal committees and for voting at party conference. A world with all party members able to vote in both. It would not be nirvana. You can imagine some being concerned about the time and cost involved in coming to conference and the members who therefore miss out. You can also imagine ...
Following the successful launch of a Friends Group for Broughty Ferry Library, I asked libraries staff if a similar initiative could be considered for Blackness Library. I am very grateful for Leisure & Culture Dundee's positive response and staff would be grateful for your views. Please print off & complete the survey below and hand into the library - many thanks!
There has been a tendency in recent years for the Liberal Democrats to define the party in relation to others. We will give a heart to the Conservatives and a brain to the Labour Party. Look left, look right, then cross. There will be those who will argue that the election of a left wing MP to the Labour leadership means that the Lib Dems will have to keep close to the the centre. Any temptation to reposition itself on the left wing of British politics after leaving the coalition should be resisted. Immediate reactions of this nature should be ...
[IMG: Liberal Democrat Newswire logo] Liberal Democrat Newswire #71 came out last week, taking a look at the controversy over Nick Clegg's final list of honours, new figures on diversity in the Lib Dems and more. You can also read it below, but if you'd like the convenience of getting it direct by email in future, just sign up here. It's free! Dear Friend, Welcome to the 71st edition of Liberal Democrat Newswire, which includes a look at the new Liberal Democrat peers, an important but neglected statistic about Nick Clegg's record, a special book offer from Biteback for readers ...
At meetings of Bury's 'Full Council' the Liberal Democrat group of councillors normally only get once question answered by the the Council Leader at each meeting. Last week we asked our one question about the role Bury can play in the current refugee crisis in Europe and in Syria. It has been impossible for anyone to ignore the crisis in recent weeks and months. Obviously there are no easy answers, but we felt that it is important that Bury can play its part. In response to our question the Council Leader confirmed: "Bury has a proud history of welcoming asylum ...
[IMG: Ruth Pentney] "F*** off!" That was Ruth's succinct response to those who requested her to back 'Lib Dems 4 Change' and their ill-fated attempt to oust Nick Clegg as leader in the summer of last year. That two worded response aptly illustrates the three worded summary of Ruth given by former Torbay MP Adrian Sanders, when he described her as: "tenacious, dependable and loyal." Attracted by the 'self-help' tradition that the party was closely associated with, Ruth joined the Liberals in the early 1970s. Having known what it means to be poor, she saw the hope that the Liberals ...
Bury's planning department are currently undertaking an initial consultation on a proposed new Synogogue on George Street, Sedgley Park. Although this is not in Holyrood Ward, it may well be of interest to residents. Application No 59177 If you have any views on the proposal please respond by 30 September 2015. Details are on the Council's Planning Website here. [IMG: Screenshot 2015-09-16 09.38.35]
Yesterday, at the Battle of Britain memorial service, Jeremy Corbyn stood in tight lipped silence through the national anthem. I haven't bothered to look at the right-wing tabloids yet this morning, but I can pretty much guarantee every one of them will have a picture of Corbyn looking as sullen as possible (they having gone through the roll looking for the one he looked most sullen in) while those around him are open mouthed (clearly showing their love of this country, says the Daily Whichever), accompanied overhead by a headline that's a terrible pun involving Corbyn and the war. Now, ...
A Prestwich Clough 'Forest Garden Open Day In the Jungle' event takes place on Sunday 27 September 1.30-4.00pm. The event is organised by Prestwich and District Incredible Edibles and includes children's, refreshments and more. We are invited to sit on 'Stripey' the life-size model zebra and take photos! More information about Increadible Edibles Prestwich, and how you can get involved at their website here. [IMG: image011]
There is a Prestwich area Polie Consultation event on Monday, 21 September 2015, 6-7pm at Prestwich Library (Wilton Suite on the 1st floor). All members of the public are welcome to raise issues of concern with local police. [IMG: Screenshot 2015-09-16 09.05.46]
This book explains why Jeremy Corbyn now leads Labour. Its author died in 2011. The late great Peter Mair saw it coming. (tags: ukpolitics )
The final meeting of Federal Conference Committee prior to us all heading to Bournemouth took place this Saturday, where amendments were debated and selected. One big difference from the motions selection meeting is that debate is more rapid, with 73 amendments, 9 emergency/topic motions, 12 questions to federal bodies and one appeal to deal with. When discussing motions the ultimate decision is a yes or a no, but with amendments there is also the option of accepting it as a drafting change. This only applies to simple and uncontroversial changes, often clarifications, and means it does not need to be ...
[IMG: Tony Blair - photo courtesy of From Michael Ashcroft's research into Labour loyalists and those who switched from Labour in 2015: [IMG: Labour voters like Tony Blair] Tony Blair's record at winning elections was not only good in its own right but even more impressive when compared with other Labour leaders. Download this document
Tay Square is the present-day location of The Rep theatre. It stands to the west of South Tay Street, which runs north from Nethergate to the junction with Overgate to the east and West Port to the west. It is impossible to date this photograph below by Alexander Wilson as not only are there no visible names, but there was very little change of ownership over a considerable time span anyway. No 9. (the house behind the central tree!) was home to James H. Laing. No. 10 belonged to David Ogilvy, tailor, and No. 11 is listed in the Dundee ...
Wednesday I recall my excitement after the February 1974 general election when I realised its outcome meant that the Liberal Party once again had enough MPs to put out a rowing eight. I wasted no time in signing us up for Henley, though my decision was not without controversy: I recall the headline "Row Splits Liberal Party" appeared in one of Fleet Street's more prominent organs. I remain, however, convinced I was right, for a party that pulls together pulls together, what? As to a cox, I generally being a Well-Behaved Orphan along - they tend not to be on ...
I produce an e mail bulletin roughly every fortnight with news and info about South Liverpool (mainly L18 and L19 but sometimes further afield). If you'd like to start receiving this, you can subscribe by using this link.
There's a jobs fair coming up on 1 October organised by the Speke Retail Park. The event takes place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (next to David Lloyd and Damons). More information is at this link.
"Follow Your Passion" is Terrible Career Advice An unelectable extremist who hijacked their party has already served as prime minister - her name was Margaret Thatcher Author Defends Sci-Fi as A "Purely Male Domain" in Cringingly Sexist Review of All-Women Anthology Some people are never happy. Here's how to deal with them. A level playing field to improve candidate diversity - interesting idea here from @CenLD The Inaccuracy Of "Historical Accuracy" In Gaming And Media "You may say that I'm a dreamer": inside the mindset of Jeremy Corbyn's supporters [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
