You may also enjoy Iain Sinclair and Jonathan Meades in conversation.
UPDATED DETAILS. Labour seat. Cause: Resignation (Now MP). No LD Candidate.
UKIP seat. Cause: Death. Candidate John Freeman Agent Josephine Ratcliffe Contact Lorna Dupré 07930 337596 lorna@lornadupre.org.uk
Labour seat. Cause: Resignation. LD Candidate- Neville Farmer.
UPDATED DETAILS. Labour seat. Cause: Resignation. LD Candidate- Benjamin Maitland. Polling day VPB DDA651I-8691
Current The Arabian Nights, ed. Muhsin Mahdi, tr. Hussein Haddawy The Deadstone Memorial, by Trevor Baxendale Last books finished TARDIS Eruditorum - An Unofficial Critical History of Doctor Who Volume 6: Peter Davison and Colin Baker, by Philip Sandifer The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuition Deceives Us: Or Why You Have No Idea How Your Mind Works, by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons Business Unusual, by Gary Russell A Question of Time: J.R.R. Tolkien's Road to "Faerie", by Verlyn Flieger Next books A Star Chamber Court in Ireland: The Court of Castle Chamber, 1571-1641, by Jon G. Crawford ...
The Labour mess over the Fiscal Charter has rather obscured any rational debate about its suitability in a democracy. I start from a position in which I believe that a budget surplus (on revenue and current expenditure) is a good thing. Debt financed current expenditure is, in my opinion, generally a bad thing. Anyone sitting in my house will probably have heard my rants at the television each
Photo by Sabine J Hutchinsonwww.virtual-shropshire.co.uk In the Shropshire Star Peter Harrison, who was chairman of Wrekin Young Socialists when Jeremy Corbyn was secretary, recalls an escapade of the Labour leader: "We used to meet in the Raven in Wellington where there were a series of old rooms, and the landlord allowed us to use one of them. We were all young and idealistic people, pretty much as Jeremy is now. We were drinking and it was May Day the following day, and asking what we were going to do to celebrate, and next thing you know one said, 'Why not ...
My goodness, "John Smith, SEO expert of a Leading SEO service provider company" certainly knows how to win friends and influence people, doesn't he! ... somehow, I don't think I'll be taking him up on his very, ahem, kind offer.
[IMG: According to The Daily Mail: The audacious sabotage of tacky tabloid newspapers and trashy TV] According to The Daily Mail: The audacious sabotage of tacky tabloid newspapers and trashy TV by Laurence Simpson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Although not without it's flaws, I really enjoyed this novel. It's a crime caper that has hints of Kyril Bonfiglioli, without resorting to his relentless salaciousness. "Will Our Hero get away with it?" is the main question the reader is asking throughout this book, and the answer is left right till the end. The lead character, Jonathon, is clearly an ...
Thu 15th
15:30
Tories' "obsession with selective schooling is damaging the educational chances of children" - Pugh
The BBC reports: England is to get its first "new" grammar school for five decades after ministers allowed a grammar school to build an "annexe" in another town. Weald of Kent school in Tonbridge will open a site in Sevenoaks, Kent – side-stepping a ban on new grammar schools. But Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said this would not "open the floodgates" to more schools being allowed to select by ability. ...The decision to allow the new grammar school site, with places for 450 girls, has raised expectations of similar bids in other parts of the country. But Mrs Morgan said ...
One thing I've found from reading many different political blogs over the years is how they reveal the different cultures that exist within each party. It's not just in the style of blogging, but the way they reveal – deliberately or not – how a party runs in practice. That's part of the reason – along with the sheer joy of schadenfreude – that I've been reading Labour blogs recently and watching the ongoing reaction to Jeremy Corbyn's victory. While the left of the party appear to have mostly accustomed themselves to the shock of winning and are now planning ...
Thu 15th
13:55Yes campaigner who said No voters were bad parents announced as SNP list candidate for Holyrood elec...
Lloyd Quinan was an SNP MSP from 1999-2003. Since then, he's left the SNP, flirted with the Socialists and caused controversy during last year's independence referendum when he said that No voters were bad parents. From the Huffington Post: Lloyd Quinan, who served as a MSP between 1999 and 2003 told a meeting in North Berwick on 9 June that the Scottish people "have an opportunity to change the lives and life chances of our children for he future". He added: "I will be partisan about it, if you vote 'No' you leave them with more of the same, then ...
Thu 15th
12:25Wilson Doctrine: Carmichael says Lib Dems will demand protection for journalists, lawyers & parl...
Liberal Democrat politicians have reacted with alarm to yesterday's ruling on the Wilson Doctrine The Investigatory Powers Tribunal basically shrugged off Harold Wilson's declaration in 1966 that MPs' phones would not be intercepted without him knowing, saying that it had no basis in law. This comes on top of two Police forces abusing their powers to try to find journalists' sources. If an MP, or a lawyer, or a journalist is investigating the Government for doing something it shouldn't, the idea that the Government could snoop on that investigation is alarming. This is why Liberal Democrats from across the UK ...
[IMG: Vegetable soup. CC0 Public Domain] Detroit Soup is a concept for crowd-funding dinners that has raised more than $100,000 (£63,900) for community projects in the Motor City. It has rapidly spread around the UK. More than 100 people turned up to the first Sheffield Soup in July... You pay a small entry fee in return for a bowl of soup – and the chance to hear local people pitch ideas to help your community. After questions are taken and liquid meals are served, everyone votes for the project they liked best. The winner gets to keep the money paid ...
It's all quite simple, really – the Liberal Democrats, unlike Labour, were not going to fall into Osborne's trap. Here is Tom Brake's speech from last night's debate: The Liberal Democrats will not support the charter tonight. Whatever the machinations in the Labour party, our reasons for opposing it are clear: the charter is just as much about fantasy economics as was Labour's magic money tree. We remain committed to abolishing the structural deficit by 2017-18, and to seeing debt fall as a percentage of GDP in the following years. We will not, however, abandon the critical need for continued ...
Just to let people know that a fairly controversial planning application for two new houses on land between Peveril Close and Westmolme Road was refused by the Council's Planning department this week. Reasons given were: "The proposal would not improve the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area nor does it comply with the development plan and therefore does not comprise sustainable development. There were no amendments to the scheme, or conditions which could reasonably have been imposed, which could have made the development acceptable and it was therefore not possible to approve the application. The Local Planning Authority ...
Press reports today tell us that Radcliffe Civic Suite is to close from next April. Bury Council is to invest £1 million from the Homes and Communities Agency to build 40 new houses on the site of the Civic Suite and the land around it. These would be more affordable houses which should be in place for 2018. The Council states that its long term vision for leisure in Radcliffe is to have a 'multi-purpose' venue to replace both the Radcliffe Civic Suite and the Radcliffe Leisure Centre on the site of the old Radcliffe Pool. (Currently leisure activities are ...
[IMG: boiling-frog1] By CJ – Juesatta Within two years the United Kingdom will have a referendum to decide whether or not it stays in the European Union. Despite a fair amount of noise in the media, the serious political campaigning hasn't started yet. But the Ins seem to have the edge. This is an interesting turn of events. It helps to put your passions to one side to make any sense of the emerging campaign. I heard one commentator suggest that the electorate is split into three roughly equal shares: those who are firmly for In, those firmly for Out, ...
There was a bizarre moment in the Assembly Plenary session yesterday when the First Minister was forced to come to the chamber to defend his decision to sack one of his own backbenchers from the chair of a committee overseeing his European programmes because she had publicly criticised Welsh Government expenditure on the M4. The fact that the two are unrelated was irrelevant. As far as the Welsh Government hierarchy is concerned Labour backbenchers should be seen and not heard. If they have something to say then they should do so behind closed doors. As the Western Mail reports however, ...
Independent Age is a charity that helps older people across the UK to live well with dignity, choice and control. They have announced the launch of their latest free information guide - Your health and the NHS: helping you get the care you need as you get older. It advises older people on getting the best from their healthcare so they can live healthier, more independent lives. Please click on a following link to order your free printed copy: Or download this PDF. [IMG: wise_guide5_cover]
The fifth annual Bury Light Night is tomorrow - on Friday 16 October. There's a focus on 'busy bees' this year, with a variety of interactive events on the theme of this most industrious and essential of workers Visitors can expect the usual wide range of dancing, storytelling, lights and music, bringing the town centre alive through arts and culture. Performances will be held at venues across the town – from The Met to the Mill Gate, The Rock to Castle Armoury and Bury Art Museum - from 6pm until late against a backdrop of lit-up buildings. There will be ...
There are very many reasons to criticise the Labour Party at the moment. The way they fell into George Osborne's political trap when they should have tied him up in knots is just one. And while I'm at it, John McDonnell, if you're going to get a bit passive aggressive with people in the Chamber, don't immediately apologise. Either don't do it at all, or do it with confidence. His responses to James Cleverly and Lucy Frazer show that he's far too easy to wind up. You just can't give that sort of ground. The lack of front bench experience ...
Thu 15th
09:20
My naked run total: thanks to 176 donations (including Kelvin McKenzie's) it stands at £9,417
In case you're one of the three people I know who hasn't yet seen it, I was on the BBC's Daily Politics programme yesterday, when they showed this 2-minute film: It was enough to persuade former Sun editor Kelvin McKenzie to come good with his £5k cheque – which I mailed to Médecins Sans Frontières (UK) yesterday afternoon: Kudos to him. And special thanks, too, to the 175 folk who've also contributed here: www.justgiving.com/stephentall. In total, almost £9.5k raised, so well worth it. [IMG: dp run 7]
A new planning applications has been received in Holyrood Ward as below: Application Number: 59259 Registration Date: 21/09/2015 Location: 162 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1LD Proposal: Two storey extension at rear; Porch and canopy at front and pitched roof to existing front bay window Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require further information or help with this. The details will be on the Council's website here. Tim
Ted Dexter didn't defeat Jim Callaghan in the end. The reference to Tokyo is to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics at which later Liberal MP and Liberal Democrat leader Ming Campbell raced. 1964 was also the year of this great Robert Maxwell leaflet and (probably) of this Liberal Party Christmas card.
From today, friends and family of Shaker Aamer, the last British citizen left in the notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp, will be fasting in support of him. They will go without food for a minimum of 24 hours to highlight his plight. From the Fast for Shaker website: On 25th September 2015, the US told the UK that Shaker Aamer, the last British resident held in the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, will be released and returned to his family in the UK after being held for nearly 14 years without charge or trial. By US law, 30 days' notice ...
Yesterday, I dropped in on the home safety event at Blackness Library, organised by Time2Give, the West End Timebank, with the assistance of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. This event gave residents the opportunity to discuss how to make their home safe, what to do in the event of a fire and prevent accidents in the home. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service provides home/fire safety visits including provision of smoke detectors and if you are interested in this free service, please give Susan Lander, Scottish Fire and Rescue's local community engagement officer, a call on 825295.
The Liverpool Echo has the story – see link above. This situation bags the question about value for public money in times when councils are very strapped for cash. No wonder Cllr. Phil Gilchrist is worried.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/video_and_audio/must_see/34531009 The BBC has a video of this remarkable incident on its web site – see link above – which could have led to a serious accident but which was fortunately avoided. With thanks to Keith Page for the lead to this story.
Annica Ryngbeck goes paperless @ryngbeck shows us the way. (tags: internet work ) Inside the Koch Brothers' Toxic Empire Horrifying. (tags: uspolitics )
One of the trans ppl channel 4 deceived & exploited to get footage speaks out Child refugees subjected to genital examinations to prove their age - just horrific A woman who has lived in Britain for 50 years has been told she is an illegal immigrant Tory MP Who Called The Government's Saudi Climbdown "Disgraceful" Has Accepted Gifts From Saudis MPs' communications have no special protection too much to hope for that this means we'll ALL get better protection? Grayling's court charge forces magistrates to punish the poor - it's time for reform More than nine in 10 individuals pay ...
How Jeremy Corbyn will handle the whole "Britain is a constitutional monarchy" thing continues to roll on as an ongoing concern. As the leader of the opposition, Corbyn has been invited to a banquet Her Majesty is holding at Buckingham Palace; he was apparently thinking of sending someone in his place. Instead, he's decided to attend – and use the opportunity to question Xi Jinping directly about China's human rights record. It's worth exploring some of these issues briefly here. China executes the highest number of people annually by quite some margin; many non-violent crimes, such as smuggling in certain ...
Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has attacked the Government's social homes sell-off Stockport's council leader Sue Derbyshire has joined Lib Dem leader Tim Farron in attacking Government proposals to sell off council homes. Stockport desperately needs more council houses, not less. The letter from Sue and other Lib Dem leaders reads: As Liberal Democrat council leaders we are outraged at the government's short-sightedness in selling off council homes to pay for the right-to-buy extension to housing associations (PM warns councils over housing provision, 12 October). We have a vast shortage of affordable homes, which constitutes nothing short of a national ...
The pig industry in Wales must be as well equipped to deal with the threats from disease as the beef and sheep sectors and the Labour Government in Wales must not to be complacent in its approach to biosecurity in the pig sector. There have been a number of warnings about the need to improve biosecurity in the pig industry. Some commentators are suggesting that, unless urgent action is taken, the industry faces the potential loss of millions of pounds, as well as valuable export markets. Key disease threats include porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus and African swine fever. Whilst I ...
