Blyth Valley Labour MP Ronnie Campbell is a cheer leader for Comrade Corbyn. He has spent all his years on the backbenches (he was elected in 1987). He has now waded into the row between Corbyn and a significant part of Labour's shadow cabinet over Syria. In our regional newspaper, The Journal, yesterday, he lets rip about those on the right of the party. "They make me sick," Comrade Campbell is
A scene from the Hove by-election of 1973. Des Wilson was already well known as a campaigner, particularly as the founding director of Shelter, and joined the Liberal Party in order to fight this election. He later became a significant figure in the party and in the Liberal Democrats in that party's early years. The Liberals had not fought Hove in 1970 (though they did achieve 16 per cent there in the 1966 general election), when the Conservatives had won 69 per cent of the vote in a straight contest with Labour. In what was seen as a brave by-election ...
@jk_rowling no he died to clear his conscience— Harry Potter Fans (@__HpFans__) November 27, 2015This exchange turned up in my timeline. No doubt I was meant to laugh at Harry Potter Fans and praise Matthew Hankins for condemning mansplaining. But I think the Harry Potter Fans tweet is fine. Behind Hankins' contempt lie a number of connected and faulty aesthetic theories: that a work of art has one fixed meaning; that its meaning derives solely from the author's intentions; and that those intentions are somehow transferred from the author's mind to the book, which it then inhabits as a sort ...
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, on behalf of the Lib-Dems in Broxtowe. I'd like to start this week by thanking Stan Heptinstall for taking the reins in the last issue when I was unable to do it. 1. New County Boundaries at its meeting on Thursday Notts county council confirmed that they would be adopting new boundaries to the county divisions from the next elections in 2017. This means that Broxtowe loses one county councillor. The Liberal Democrats on the county council opposed the plans for Broxtowe, because we do ...
Copies of the book have now been sent out to all Kickstarter backers except: Two people who haven't yet given their addresses and who I've messaged One person who hadn't selected his additional reward, and who I've messaged One person who I see in real life on a semi regular basis so I'll give him [...]
Westminster is gearing up for war in Syria. Following the horrific Paris Attacks, a couple of weeks ago, the war against the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) has intensified. IS are a fascist death cult using one of the world's great religions to try and justify its crimes. The need to challenge IS is fundamental, however I am opposed to the United Kingdom joining air strikes in Syria. It is clear that David Cameron wants Britain to join other Western Powers in bombing the so-called "Islamic State". However, air strikes are an ineffective military strategy. Air strikes have been going on ...
Scottish Liberal Democrats MSP and Justice Spokesperson Alison McInnes will this week ask for government time to be freed up at Holyrood for a full debate on Police Scotland. Her call follows revelations that Police Scotland officers broke the law and spied on journalistic sources. It also follows a critical report from HMICS on call handling,... More McInnes Calls For Police Scotland Debate
[IMG: image] The new LDV members' survey is now live. So if you are one of the 2100+ registered members of the Liberal Democrat Voice forum, and any paid-up party member is welcome to join, then you now have the opportunity to make your views known. The survey asks a series of questions related to the situation in Syria and the forthcoming parliamentary vote on whether the UK should be involved in airstrikes against Daesh. It should take no longer than 5 minutes minutes to fill in. All registered members of the Forum should have been e-mailed with a unique ...
It was the Marley Hill Community Centre Christmas market today. I had a small involvement with organising it but most of the work was done by other members of the management committee. I did however have a stall selling the surplus preserves from my self-sufficient lifestyle. Live music was provided. There was a steady flow of people all day. No mad rush but everyone felt the market
[IMG: 7 ver 4 full] Many thanks to the 12,000 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here's our 7 most-read posts... We must reclaim our social democrat heritage (49 comments) by George Kendall Banning the Lord's Prayer – how outrageous (if it were true) (39 comments) by Caron Lindsay Farron's five tests to secure Lib Dem support for UK action in Syria (24 comments) by Caron Lindsay 'Iraq 2'. Why the Lib Dem's Syria conflict position in parliament is militarily and politically unwise (27 comments) by Paul Reynolds UN Security Council Resolution 2249 – historic moment of ...
The Long Mynd and Stiperstones shuttle bus will start running again on Saturday 30 April 2016, running every weekend and bank holiday Mondays until the end of September. While we wait for spring, we can enjoy the audio commentaries on the website devoted to this service. If you know these hills you need only close your eyes to see them. There is even one that mentions Malcolm Saville.
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 441st 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 (22-28 November, 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. ALDC By-Eletion Report 26 November 2016 by ...
Does anybody remember this classic Kenny Everett character? 'Round 'em all up, put 'em in a field, and bomb the bastards!' Well, what struck me today as I was musing over the whole situation of the possible parliamentary vote for air strikes in Syria was that, despite its obvious silliness, it's actually probably a more coherent and effective military strategy than what is being proposed in the real world for dealing with a vile terrorist group. That is something that we should all find deeply worrying. At least following this character's plan we would know exactly where the people we ...
More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe:
Every month or so, the Peterborough Telegraph ask me to write an article on the latest goings on in the Peterborough political scene and so I thought I would share my most recent one with you! So earlier this month, I wrote.......... The top Tories at the Town Hall have now identified £12,000,000 worth of [...]
Non-fiction: 2 (YTD 45) The Battle for Gaul, by Julius Caesar Bits of Me are Falling Apart, by William Leith ~8,600 pages (YTD 72,600) 6/33 by women (YTD 76/261) - Munro, Lessing, Rosier-Jones, Boye, Jones, Staples 2/33 by PoC (YTD 17/261) - Abbas, Staples Reread: 4/33 (The Battle for Gaul, The Past Through Tomorrow, The Ill-Made Knight, Monkey Planet), YTD 19/261 Reading now: Keeping it Real, by Justina Robson When I Was a Child I Read Books, by Marilynne Robinson Short Fiction Eligible for the 1941 Retro-Hugos Vol 3, ed. von Dimpleheimer Between the Acts, by Virginia Woolf Coming soon ...
You may have read in the Peterborough Telegraph that the planned solar panel scheme at America Farm, has now finally been cancelled after several years of wrangling? One of my favourite bits of the report was the way they used the word cessation rather than cancellation! Trying to avoid to much attention on the decision I [...]
In the early hours of 21 August 2013, rockets began to land in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. The civilian population of Syria had now become used to this, since Bashar al-Assad had decided over 2 years earlier that in response to a peaceful uprising against his totalitarian rule he would prosecute the most brutal military campaign by a ruler against his people that this century has seen. But this attack was different: the rockets were filled with sarin, a highly toxic nerve agent. When the images of the hundreds of people killed and thousands injured began to circulate, there ...
Remember the old days when we had a real Christmas Tree in Cathedral Square? That's a phrase that we can now all use, following the latest decision from the Tory controlled City Council to spend, at a time of multi-million pound deficits at the Town Hall, £40,000 on a plastic tree? As always I'd like [...]
One great American/Canadian tradition at Christmas are their holiday trains but whilst they look great and folks love them the trend has never really taken off over here. I wonder why? Here's a shot of Canadian Pacific example. [IMG: images] Come Merseyrail be the first and have a go at something like this.
George Osborne's decision not to impose the cuts to tax credits may be welcome but in many cases is only putting off the agony. As research from the Resolution Foundation and the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows, working families with children still stand to lose more than £1300 a year, more than £100 every month. Nick Clegg spelled this out when he was in Oldham campaigning for Jane Brophy this week: He's just delaying it by smuggling the cuts into Universal Credit. I think we played an important role and a leading role in firstly, identifying the problem and then ...
The value of music as therapy is something that many civilizations have understood. The Abbasid caliphate (750-1257 in the Western calendar) had hospitals for those suffering from mental illness in which music was part of patient care, alongside story-telling and fountains that cooled the summer air and promoted tranquility. But until recently little attention has [...]
A 1976 track by an American band who were trying to sound like a 1960s British band and came to be seen as harbingers of Punk. I think that is what Wikipedia is telling us.
One in five peers could be sacked to help control the size of the House of Lords, David Cameron's official reviewer into reforming the second chamber will suggest next month. Lord Strathclyde, who was asked by the Prime Minister to look at the Lords after they blocked Tory tax credit cuts, is expected to give a "nod" to the idea in his report. The Tory peer also will tell Mr Cameron to create a new law stripping Lords of their ability to veto changes to secondary legislation - his main recommendation... [In addition, his proposals] would see one in five ...
Our beautiful Earth is more under threat than ever before This afternoon there will be a climate charge march in Liverpool in support of the COP 21 climate change talks being held in Paris later this week. I cannot attend ... Continue reading →
Speaking to the Independent, Tim Farron has said that he's disappointed that the Commonwealth Heads of Government Conference is not discussing the issue of LGBT rights. But Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, said last night that the issue should have received greater prominence in Malta. He said: "Sadly, a majority of Commonwealth nations criminalise LGBT people, and in some places homosexuality still faces the death penalty. The Government should have used the meeting in Malta to press commonwealth countries to live up to our collective values. We must be a beacon of human rights, tolerance and the defence of ...
What really happened on Thanksgiving Fascinating, and not what kids are taught! (tags: uspolitics history ) Spam has fallen to a 10-year low and is unlikely to make a comeback Hooray! (tags: spam ) Supreme Court judge could rule a 'cuckoo in the nest' topples ancient lineage Science vs privilege. (tags: genealogy biology ) 300 Kate Bush impersonators perform Wuthering Heights The most bonkers thing you'll see all day. (tags: music )
The Telegraph reports on proposals emerging from Lord Strathclyde's review of the House of Lords that once more fails to tackle the real problem, but instead seeks to put in place a quick fix to prevent further embarrassment to the Tory Government. The best way of assessing the validity of these proposals is to consider whether Cameron would have supported them in opposition. I think the answer is almost certainly not. Lord Strathclyde is apparently going to recommend to the Prime Minister that he should enact a new law stripping the Lords of their ability to veto changes to secondary ...
Some of you out there will be aware of this; some will be hype-aware of it; others, may be oblivious to it. But you should all know that at present the Guardian runs a semi-daily feature, a cartoon drawn by Steve Bell which depicts a universe in which Jeremy Corbyn is a Jedi knight named Jez-bi-Wan Kenobi who is constantly getting the better of evil Tories. McDonnell is Chewbacca and Watson is R2D2 – I could go on, but you get the gist. If any of you think I'm making this all up to be mean to the Guardian, just ...
I have commented on the recently opened Switch Island to Thornton Relief Road (called Brooms Cross Road) many times before but have just come across another photo of the public march through Thornton that re-launched the campaign for a by-pass around that community. [IMG: Thornton by-pass campaigning @2000] Click on the photo to enlarge it It's around the turn of the Century (I can't recall the exact date) in this photo and Thornton residents are marching along the service road of Lydiate Lane near to its junction with Westbourne Avenue with the houses of the Lydiate Park estate in the ...
A bit of Sunday morning fun. Here are some quotes from a hustings in Oldham West and Royton. See if you can match them up to the candidates taking part who are: John Bickley (UKIP) Jane Brophy (Liberal Democrats) James Daley (Conservative) Simeon Hart (Green) Jim McMahon (Labour) Such a pity that Lord Oink-a-lot, the Monster Raving Loony Party couldn't make it. He evokes memories of that delicious night in the Liberal Democrat Conference bar when that story about David Cameron rippled its way round. Groups of people convulsed with laughter as the news made its merry way round. But ...
Yesterday saw more excellent West End Christmas Fortnight events - including : * A packed Children's Christmas Crafts event at Logie & St John's (Cross) Church this morning - hugely well-attended and many thanks to Lisa Earl of Create ... Kids Creative Craft Workshops, Sharon Dickie, Natalie Mackland and Lynne Cameron of the West End Christmas Committee, and all at the church for being so welcoming and providing refreshments : Crafts event in full swing Lynne Cameron, Rev David Gray and myself at the crafts event * A well-attended (despite the weather) "Walk in the Dark" children's event at the ...
surely they mean sistren, not brethren? [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
