I can't say I've been looking forward to when this would come up. Mostly because the argument surrounding AWS has a tendency to become fractious, most farcically when you see things like female members of the party who oppose the measure getting shouted down by middle-aged men. I'm not going to repeat the merits and [...]
It has been a busy Monday - including : + A meeting of the Tay Road Bridge Board. In addition to the usual business about board administration and finances, there was an update on the proposed 50th anniversary celebrations that will take place on Sunday 21st August. Events will take place on the bridge and in the new Slessor Gardens and there will be a photography competition, vintage buses and other vehicles taking part, a pipe band, a memorabilia roadshow and public art on display. + A meeting of the Rail Station Concourse Project Board. It was good to hear ...
Embed from Getty Images The former Liberal Democrat MP Paul Keetch announced in an article on the Independent website this afternoon that he will be voting for Britain to leave the European Union in June's referendum. Keetch, who sat for Hereford between 1997 and 2010, also announced that he has joined with other party members and supporters to set up the Liberal Leave campaign group. He makes some valid points in the article: Why should African countries be forced to pay 30 - 60 per cent import tariffs if they want to sell cocoa products to British chocolate factories? Are ...
Many people will remember the battle against a terrace of housing adjacent to the Readers House and St Laurence's Church a few years back. Although planning permission was granted, the development was never viable. Now, three almshouses are being built instead. Between the almshouses and the Readers House is a small plot of land. Ludlow... Continue reading Jubilee garden planned for Ludlow's historic centre →
The Lib Dems have a problem with diversity and discrimination within the party. We are too white, too male, too middle aged, too middle class and too unrepresentative of the communities we seek to represent. Within the party itself we have a culture where underrepresented groups are spoken over, their views go disrespected and in [...]
Our Headline of the Day comes from the Northampton Chronicle & Echo.
Ask a party member what they would like more of, politically speaking, and you will often get quite a long list both about the outside world and about how the party is run. For the latter, one common request is 'I'd like to know more about what's going on in the party'. Deciding that helping improve our internal communications was an easier prospect than securing the introduction of land value taxation, back in 2010 I decided to go do something extra to help. Five years on and the solution I created – my monthly email newsletter about the party, Liberal ...
Making Church Road in Gatley one-way is an idea that' been floating around for a few years and we've been asking council officers to take another look at it, following concerns raised by residents about safety at the Horse & Farrier junction. Although the Police have only recorded one accident at the junction in the last five years, we know it's a difficult one and there are fairly regular minor collisions that probably don't get reported to the Police. It's certainly a junction you would never design that way if you were doing it today! The idea is to make ...
This year's submission list for the Arthur C. Clarke Award has been published - 113 books this year, a little more than last year, a little less than in 2014. My best wishes to the judges. As usual, I've run the list through Goodreads and LibraryThing to count the number of owners and record the average ratings. In the table below, I've bolded the top 25 by ownership on both systems, and any rating of 4 or more. I'll just note that only one book which is not a later volume of a series is bolded in all four columns ...
[IMG: Tim Farron on HIGNFY] We know from Have I Got News for You and Russell Howard's Good News that Tim Farron can do very well on the telly. Tonight at 10:30 (11 in Scotland), he'll be on ITV's The Agenda. Don't miss #theagenda tomorrow at 22.40.@tombradby with @GrainneMaguire, @timfarron, Dominic Lawson & @Juliet945600 — The Agenda (@agendaitv) March 6, 2016 Enjoy.
Embed from Getty Images Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder, who sits on the European Parliament's Gender Equality Committee, has spoken about the benefits of the EU for women ahead of International Women's Day tomorrow, She said: Being in Europe has led to huge strides forward for women. Together we have banned gender discrimination in the workplace, given mothers across Europe at least fourteen weeks maternity leave and ensured victims of domestic violence are protected when abroad in the EU. UKIP and others who want to leave the EU have made it clear they want to scrap rules that protect pregnant ...
[IMG: People discussing plans around a computer] 1. Email comes first Email isn't anything new – it's been around only one year less than me. For a long time it was also the least fashionable digital campaigning medium, though Obama, amongst his other achievements, can also add making email fashionable with political campaigners to his list of achievements. Fashionable or not, it's the most important digital campaigning medium, so working on gathering more email addresses, using them regularly and using them wisely should be top of the list. 2. Email comes second, third and fourth too See above. And then ...
William Davis: The river Alt between Ainsdale and Formby On the recommendation of Tony and Jen Robertson I took some visitors from Kent to see the Pre Raphaelite exhibition at the Walker Art Gallery. It is well worth a visit. I had not realised that Liverpool was the only provincial city to have its own Pre Raphaelite school. We discovered many artists new to us including William Davis two of whose pictures were amongst the favourites of our group. William Davies: Speake Hall A more typical PRB painting also took our fancy.Rossetti's Venus Verticordia a rare nude and obviously not ...
I have just come back from a visit to a local business that produces vaping products. We will be voting soon on the Public Health Bill that proposes to ban the use of vaping products in certain public places. The Welsh Liberal Democrats and I are opposed to these measures as we do not believe that they are evidence-based. I recently did an extended interview on this subject, which can be watched here:
The Labour party is running scared of Income Tax powers for Wales. Towards the later stages of the next Assembly term, Wales is set to gain from the partial devolution of income tax. However, in proposals published today, the Labour party is proposing to introduce another hurdle so that Wales would only benefit from this power "following a vote in which at least two-thirds of the total membership of the Welsh Parliament expresses support." Once again we see the Labour party running scared from Income Tax powers. We all know that many in the Labour party are against Wales benefiting ...
Meols Ward Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, Nigel Ashton and Jo Barton are holding their next advice centre on Saturday 12th March from 11 am to 12 noon at St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, Crossens. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in. We also hold a monthly advice centre in Churchtown, at Cafe Moo Moo on Cambridge Road (by the junction with Preston New Road, next to Boots) on the fourth Thursday of every month (except December) from 10:30 - 11:30 am.
Mon 7th
15:12
Baroness Sally Hamwee writes..How Liberal Democrat Lords are trying to make the Immigration Bill les...
The current Immigration Bill presents many challenges: one is its complexity, and another is sheer fury at the mind-set that it demonstrates on the part of the Government. But every time I get angry, I remind myself that we must, we really must, do all we can to make it even a little bit less bad. That means more self-discipline than, for me, comes naturally. We will have far too little time for report stage in the Lords, which starts this week. So we will have to be very focused. It's not just a matter of what we choose to ...
[IMG: York from City Walls] Liberal Democrat Spring Conference takes place 11-13 March 2016 in York and all the staff at ALDC look forward to seeing the many councillors and campaigners who are making the trip. As usual we have a full programme of training, fringe and exhibition crammed into the three day event. Like so many people who attend Conference, [...]
[IMG: Nothing amusing has ever happened here.] Nothing amusing has ever happened here. Until 1771, people weren't allowed to publish detailed reports of what went on in Parliament. Only Hansard, the official record, was allowed to give verbatim coverage of what had been said by representatives. This restriction was lifted, and over time we've been given more and more access to the inner workings of the supposed centrepiece of our democratic system culminating in both radio and television eventually getting the right to broadcast the proceedings of Parliament. Well, most radio and television. You see, there's a provision in the ...
What would a truly Liberal Britain look like, and what improvements would it bring to people's lives? You can help shape the party's vision by writing a post for Lib Dem Voice of around 500 words in response to that question. We all know the Lib Dems exist to create a society based on liberalism and social democracy. We call it Liberal Britain for short. But what would it actually look like? When I joined the Lib Dems last year, I knew that many of my friends didn't know what the party stood for. Chatting with other newbies at Lib ...
Mon 7th
12:45Women and minority candidates are good enough to be MPs already - it's the party that needs the dive...
I understand why people dislike targeted shortlists. I don't like them, in principle. To me, liberalism is all about giving people the greatest personal choice, and in an ideal world I wouldn't support them, which is what I said on the stage at autumn conference in 2014. But we don't live in an ideal world, and that's why I'm supporting the diversity motion at this Spring Conference. The classic arguments just don't hang together any more. People say we need a level playing field. We do need it, but right now we don't have it – and our diverse approved ...
I've always been fascinated about why the welfare state and the NHS are so expensive. Because it wasn't meant to be like that. Beveridge suggested they would get cheaper because the underlying health of the population would improve - but, as we know, it didn't happen. Regular readers of this blog (if there are any) will know that one explanation, for me, is the industrialisation of services - the fantasy (because that's what it is) that people's needs and hopes are one-dimensional and can be dealt with efficiently by a sort of assembly line process. As we now know, thanks ...
Some time ago I raised the odd disappearance of the historic plaque on Liverpool Road North outside the Old Forge. It had been erected by Maghull Town Council and the Olsen family who live there, in celebration of Maghull's last blacksmith business. I've heard no more since then from the Town Council who were looking into the disappearance so I have sent them a quick reminder today. [IMG: This is the missing Maghull Town Council plaque as it once was before it was mysteriously removed.] This is the missing Maghull Town Council plaque as it once was before it was ...
[IMG: UNISON] The trade union Unison has launched a consultation with its members on the EU referendum. Any Liberal Democrat supporters who are Unison members should please take part in the consultation and urge your union to speak up for jobs, the cost of living, social protection and the co-operative ethos of the European Union and campaign to keep us IN. The consultation is here. * Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup.
Embed from Getty Images Reading through the "Electing diverse MPs" motion for the York conference, I was struck by how it comprehensively covers the necessary territory in a very measured and sensible way. In fact, the overwhelming bulk of the motion is not about All-Women shortlists, but I'll cover that topic first. The motion says about AWS: Conference recommends that: 1. Any local party should be able to vote for an all-women shortlist or an all-disabled shortlist, or reserve some spaces for candidates from other under-represented groups;... 4. If any sitting MP elected in 2015 decides not to contest the ...
Watch the latest video from the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign: If you'd like to know more about the wider topic, see my other European referendum posts, and in particular Nick Clegg's demolition of the anti-EU case.
The debate about the EU has in many ways similarities to that in respect of the Scottish independence referendum. The SNP argument could in essence be summarised as "we can do a lot better on our own our problems are caused by London." The Leave argument is "we can to a lot better on our own our problems are caused by Brussels". In any rational sense the wheels fell of the financial
Remembering the time Nick Clegg accidentally went to a dogging hotspot Better late than never: journo FINALLY picks up on that Clegg/dogging site story; all it took was open publication Instagram Pippin keeping my dad's chair warm at mum's house RT @GeoffreyLean: Startling increase in methane over US casts doubt on Government's reliance on fracking Instagram I see you have a biscuit. I really really love biscuits. Adblocking: what are your reasons for blocking ads online? | Media | The Guardian Questionnaire in the Graun that is worth filling in Instagram Snoozing Freddie ♡♡ Instagram Parental units (& pippin) Twitter ...
If you'd like to speak to someone about the library cuts, there will be drop-in sessions at the libraries, including: Thornbury - 9 March, 2pm to 7pm Bradley Stoke - 12 March, 10:30am to 1pmChipping Sodbury - 19 March, 9:30am to 1pmYate - 2 April, 9:30am to 1pmEmerson's Green - 7 April, 2pm to 7pmWinterbourne - 19 April, 2pm to 7pm
For 2014-15, 26.7% of UK electricity was generated from coal, 29.7% from gas, 22.2% from nuclear,19.3% from renewables and 2.1% from other sources. Coal is the most prolific carbon emitter, so the argument goes that we should replace it. The question is with what? Liberal Democrats, and particularly Scottish ones, are grappling with the question over whether to oppose fracking outright. Leaving aside new forms of energy (and leaving aside carbon capture), the decision on how to replace coal for electricity generation seems quite simple: gas, or nuclear, or renewables; or a combination of the three. All three are possible, ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD FOR WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 7 MARCH 2016 West Marketgait (Nethergate to Westport roundabout) - northbound nearside lane closure from Thursday 10 to Monday 14 March for BT duct repair works. Forthcoming Closures Perth Road (at Roseangle) - temporary traffic lights on Saturday 19 March for BT duct repair. Glenagnes Street (Ashbank Road for 100m westwards) - closed from Monday 21 March for 5 days for demolition works.
Remember the... er... hang on.... it'll come to me.... @conbrunstrom on the Alamo. #fb (tags: history ) The EU referendum, John Longworth and the British Chambers of Commerce If there's a line, stick to it! (tags: ukpolitics eu ) A Moderate Conversation Re: Sad Puppies A valiant effort; will it be listened to? (tags: sadpuppies sf ) February 2016's shocking global warming temperature record For real. #fb (tags: climatechange ) Donald Trump's business disaster is worse than you think @BrettArends looks at the numbers. #fb (tags: uspolitics ) Cecilia Malmström finds her trade groove Go @MalmstromEU! (tags: eu ttip ) ...
Mon 7th
00:52
How about rebuilding Warrenby village instead of building houses on the green fields between Redcar,...
What do people think of the suggestion I put to the Local Plan Steering Group that we should be looking at cleaning up places like Warrenby, getting rid of the derelict buildings and restoring it to a nice coastal village? So many people have said to me over the years that they have fond memories of living in Warrenby. Those industrial units that are actually occupied could be relocated. Coatham Marsh could be widened and deepened to make it a more attractive place and at the same time act as a much needed flood alleviation scheme. The Council is currently ...
