I have no idea if the story is true - and Alan Johnson has shown no enthusiasm for being Labour leader when he has been asked to stand or lead a coup in the past - but the Mirror is reporting this evening: Moderate Labour MPs want veteran MP Alan Johnson to step in as caretaker leader if they manage to oust Jeremy Corbyn . Four senior sources including members of the shadow cabinet have said they see the former Home Secretary as the best man to unite the party if Mr Corbyn was forced to step down. One shadow ...
[IMG: Mayday] In the wake of the most recent exit by Labour's serial resignationista Dan Hodges, the question of where next for those on the moderate centre-left has again been given an airing. Toby Young helpfully responded to Hodges' departure by suggesting he join the Tories. Nick Tyrone provides a clear statement of why that strategy isn't very plausible for many on the centre-left. He also notes that there are members of almost all the main parties who might more comfortably co-exist in a clearly centre/centre-left party, if only such a thing both existed and had some chance of being ...
There's a disturbing article on the front page of today's Sunday Times (£) which reports that David Cameron is going to make it easier for Police using firearms to avoid prosecution. The prime minister stepped in after police chiefs warned that the fight against terrorism is being compromised because firearms officers risk prosecution if they pull the trigger. Cameron ordered a review of the law after a national security council meeting last week at which police chiefs demanded greater political and legal backing for those charged with protecting the public from a Paris-style massacre in Britain. Senior government sources say ...
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has penned a Christmas message for the Mirror: As with every year, I'll be making the journey with my children to Ewood Park to see Blackburn Rovers play over the Christmas break, and re-watching the Father Ted Christmas Special for what feels like the hundredth time! All these Farron family traditions make my Christmas because I get real quality time with my family and they remind me how important that sense of belonging is. Turning to his political hopes for 2016: My primary mission politically in 2016 is to raise the issue of inequality up ...
Before the rain hit this morning I was out campaigning with the brilliant Lauren Pemberton-Nelson and the Southwark Lib Dem team for the Faraday ward by-election: Out campaigning for Faraday with @BambiStJay @cllr_anood @CarolinePidgeon @markpack ☺️ #laurenforfaraday pic.twitter.com/yWj12ZrNkM — #LaurenForFaraday (@_laurenpn_) December 20, 2015 The by-election has been caused by (yet another) Southwark Labour councillor falling foul of the law, this time with a conviction for assault. As the local party says about the Faraday ward by-election, being held on January 21: For those with a sense of history, Faraday ward includes the famous Aylesbury estate which Tony Blair used ...
With only a few days left before the end of the year, I thought that I would share with you the latest stats (so far) from this year's on-line Peterborough Resident Survey: 81% say they would like to see more police on the beat. Nearly 70% of people have said they do not believe facilities [...]
The early 90s were a terrible time for the Beach Boys. Critically, they were at their lowest point, before their late-60s and 70s work had been reevaluated and seen for the clever, beautiful, music it was. Artistically, they were even lower — trudging through oldies shows with a backing band that was steadily getting worse, [...]
Thank you to the 40,000 or so visitors to this blog during 2015. I hope you found something that you liked in the 85,000 pages that you viewed! While statistics definitely aren't everything, these are the 12th – 7th most popular articles that I've published during this year. 12. Underneath the arches – five of my favourite bridges in Derby. ...
[IMG: WP_20151220_14_36_36_Pro] The recent heavy rain has left Lydiate's Lambshear Lane flooded just along the road from the Village Centre. I have reported the problem to Sefton Council and hope they will quickly resolve the matter.
These past two weeks have taken me back to being a 16 year old first starting to watch election debates in the UK. I've watched so many Spanish debates I know the campaign messages off by heart, and, being a young person, I'm up to date with all the Twitter memes. A (comparatively) young centrist leader, Albert Rivera, branded as a kingmaker, and constantly questioned about who he'll seek to work with after the elections can't help but be compared to Nick Clegg, especially when considered to be "the sexiest candidate in the campaign according to all the polls.", and ...
As you may have read on the Peterborough Environmental City Trust's website, some of the Peterborough United players recently chipped in to help support the Forest for Peterborough campaign. The planting took place in an open space near to Werrington Meadow, with the aim of creating a new woodland in the heart of Werrington. It's great [...]
Recommended buys of 2015 Not in my top 10, these are worthy of mention. Def Leppard - Def Leppard Sees an amazing return to form. Slick and what old fans will surely be pleased with. the Classic Rock Presents, fan pack is excellent. With new interviews and a break-down of the albums tracks. How the album was made under trying circumstances, Vivian Campbell's cancer diagnosis and his subsequent treatment. Overall a Cracker. Black star Riders - The Killer Instinct Their second album. Formed from the touring Thin Lizzy mk 100 +, with the rather excellent Ricky Warick on vocals, it ...
As we hit the festive season, one of the most commonly asked questions I get as a councillor is not, "What is Father Christmas bringing me?" but "When are my bins going to be emptied?" Obviously this varies as to whereabouts in the Ribble Valley Borough you live, however hopefully the chart below will help explain. Christmas & New Year Refuse Collections Normal Collection Day Christmas & New Year Monday 21 December Saturday 19 December Tuesday 22 December Monday 21 December Wednesday 23 December Tuesday 22 December Thursday 24 December Wednesday 23 December Friday 25 December Thursday 24 December Monday ...
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Postcard from Madrid: Podemos has done up its top button, now it needs to put on a tie
Embed from Getty Images Jeremy Corbyn has, since being elected Leader of the Opposition, experienced a crisis in reconciling his radical politics with the wider want of the general public. He's been reluctant to dissociate himself from perceived radicals such as the Stop the War Coalition (just as Podemos have with the likes of Syriza and President of Ecuador Raffael Correa), has refused an invitation to the CBI conference (citing prior engagements, despite him being invited the day he was elected party leader), has had to relent to party pressure on a free vote on Syria bombing and so on ...
Trees were a short-lived 1970s folk rock band. On the evidence of this track they were strongly influenced by Fairport Convention. You can read more about them on Going Weird.
[IMG: sundaypaps] Here are a few articles which have caught my eye from the Sunday papers. In the Observer, Andrew Rawnsley looks at various Tory measures which weaken our democracy, from one-sided restrictions on party funding to curbing the power of the House of Lords. The one thing I will pull him up on is this: He (Cameron) went along with an attempt to reform the Lords during the coalition because the Lib Dems insisted upon it, but he didn't fight all that hard to prevent it from being sabotaged by Tory MPs and peers. His election manifesto dismissed Lords ...
The row within UKIP rumbles on with its sole MP accusing party officials of effectively trying to blackmail him in an attempt to pull him into line. Politics Home says that Mr. Carswell learnt yesterday that a secretly recorded Ukip call regarding allegations into his private life have been circulated in his constituency: The call was made after Mr Carswell had a row with party secretary Matthew Richardson over parliamentary funding for opposition parties shortly after the general election. Mr Carswell said he later learned Mr Richardson, who apparently threatened him, was "sent" by Mr Farage. He later received a ...
The demise of New Labour and election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader will kill the Labour party unless a new "project" is born to champion modern progressive policies on the centre ground, a leading figure in Tony Blair's former administration says. In a devastating critique of the party's recent failures, from New Labour's second term onwards, Blair's former speechwriter and chief strategist Peter Hyman suggests its plight is now so desperate that it may even be necessary to form a new party with others, including the Lib Dems, to fill the "gaping hole in the centre and centre-left of British ...
Embed from Getty Images Tim Farron says that his mission for 2016 is to raise inequality up the political agenda. In a special Christmas message for the Mirror, he says: From my family, to yours I want to wish readers of the Sunday Mirror a happy, joyous and restful Christmas. My primary mission politically in 2016 is to raise the issue of inequality up the political agenda. No-one should go hungry or homeless in Britain. We must have a national crusade to end this scandal. Once and for all. We have the mission but we must also have the will ...
Only a few weeks ago Southport FC looked doomed to relegation from the National League but a new manager and results have quite remarkably turned around. [IMG: Southport FC] Another win yesterday in a high scoring match where Port scored 5 goals. Things are looking up for Sandgrounders.
[IMG: leisure_parkpool1_06] I got this e-mail the other day:- We are writing to you because you recently signed our petition to save Park Pool. This generated over 1000 signatures in 48 hours - a huge response that quickly prompted some backtracking by the [West Lancashire Borough] council Leader. We are writing to you now to make you aware that the threat to Park Pool's long term future is still very real, even if it is safe in the very short term. In spite of the Council Leader's categorical assurances that Park Pool was safe, the draft [West Lancashire Council] Leisure ...
From the City Council : The Protecting People in Dundee Communications Group has teamed up with Dundee Community Safety Partnership and created a new Facebook page. If you have a personal Facebook page or are part of a service which uses Facebook, you can ' like' this page - it can be found by clicking here. By adding this page to your 'likes' you will be kept up-to-date with information about what Protecting People is doing to alert people to scams, door step traders, etc. Help us to help you and those you care about - safe. To find out ...
Rwandans this week voted in a referendum in favour of changing the country's constitution by a provisionally announced margin of 98.4% to 1.6%. The changes were notably to remove the current limitation of the president's terms of office. The incumbent, Paul Kagame, 58, took power in 1994 in the turmoil after the country's genocide and [...]
When the going gets tough, the tough get knitting. Gladys Phillips is my new hero. Update: Boooooooo apparently this site is satire :( [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
What was fake on the Internet this week: Why this is the final column The untruths are too painful. (tags: uspolitics ) Give Up Yer Aul Sins Absolutely charming! (tags: ireland religion ) 23 Reminders That Every 23-Year-Old Needs To Hear Right Now A lot of it sound advice at any age! (tags: psychology ) [Review] The Hunger Tower by Pan Haitian A really bad story, reviewed. (tags: sf )
