Embed from Getty Images Was Victoria Wood my Bowie? I guess in some ways she was. Bear with me on this. After all, I was about 15 when the BBC repeated her breakthrough series, As Seen On TV. And I loved it. Still do. Acorn Antiques with Julie Walters' Mrs Overall and Celia Imrie's Miss Babs, Patricia Routledge's self-righteous Kitty, Susie Blake's superior continuity announcer, Duncan Preston as token male. Her songs, her stand-up, her sketches. They made their impression on me. Most of the jokes I got; some I didn't (usually to do with ladies' things) so I made ...
Leisure and Culture Dundee is hoping to establish a Friends of Blackness Library group, similar to the successful initiative at Broughty Ferry Library. If you are interested, please print off and complete the short questionnaire below and hand into the library (hard copy of this is also available in the library) - many thanks :
This Michael Crick report, giving the latest revelations in the growing scandal over Conservative spending at the last election, was broadcast by Channel 4 News earlier this evening. Read more on the Channel 4 website.
Following complaints from residents about litter being dropped, Keith and the Lib Dem team have organised a litter pick on the South Park Road Estate from 10-11am on Saturday 30th April. If you can lend a hand, meet us by the underpass. If we can get a good-sized team, it shouldn't take long. We'll bring bin bags and plastic gloves. Please note the litter-pick won't be insured.
I am a cautious soul, something which comes with being a bureaucrat, I guess. And so, having got my head around being a Returning Officer again, my first thought was to read the rules and work out how the proposed schedule fits into the rest of my life. My first thought was, "I really need to talk to the Regional Executive.", as they appoint a shortlisting committee which is subject to my approval (I am tasked with ensuring that it is properly reflective of the Regional Party's membership). The Regional Executive is expected to appoint the shortlisting committee in a ...
Online registration is now open for the autumn Liberal Democrat federal conference in Brighton (17-20 September). There is a super early bird cheaper rate* for people who register well in advance – but this extra reduced price is only available until 27 April. If you aren't able to make this deadline, you can check to see how the prices increase with later registrations here. You can register online here for the Brighton conference. This autumn's conference in Brighton will have different timings from past conferences. Travel information for Lib Dem conference is here and accomodation information is here. * Although ...
I'm a political animal, and I am fascinated by the way that Shakespeare looks at leadership and kingship, what we might today call governance. Many of his plays are about politicians who get it tragically wrong - Brutus, Richard III, Coriolanus, Macbeth. I think Macbeth is much the most interesting. His character arc takes him from trusted chieftain to demented despot to death in disgrace; he is offered temptation by the witches, goes for it and then finds that ὕβρις brings νέμεσις. As a teenager, I really enjoyed two novels inspired by Macbeth which both came out around that time. ...
Gibraltar is part of the UK for purposes of EU membership and will vote in the referendum on 23 June. The Gibraltar Chronicle has reported on a speech to rally support for Remain by former Deputy Party Leader, Simon Hughes: Gibraltarians should use their personal, professional and family networks to campaign for the UK to remain in the European Union, Sir Simon Hughes said this week. The former deputy leader of the UK's Liberal Party said Gibraltar had a role to play ahead of the ahead of the June 23 referendum on EU membership. "You have friends, you have family, ...
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Why do so many so-called 'conservatives' back such a radical upheaval? The watchbreakers I want to briefly take you back to 1980. This was the point when the deflationary policies of the Thatcher government were beginning to bite. The government had raised the cost of borrowing in an attempt to wring inflation from [...]
In response to the NUS electing Malia Bouattia as their president, Liberal Youth wish to make known that we condemn her recent statements on Jewish student bodies at UK universities. Her statements are offensive and illiberal, conflating "Jewish" with "Zionist" and serve only to fuel the growing antisemitism in the UK today, particularly amongst student [...]
Lib Dem Hame editor Dawud Islam, who is also the Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate for Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley, was completely unimpressed with the SNP Manifesto Launch in Edinburgh today. Speaking to his own website Mr Islam said: 'This manifesto is completely sterile. It's more timid than Mr. Timid the Timid Person on his [...]
I got an email 24 minutes ago inviting me to register for Federal Autumn Conference. This year's event takes place from 17-20 September. I acted on it immediately and have secured my place. I'm not impressed with just a week being allocated for the early bird discount though. We're offering a special early bird rate of £60 for members who book by 27th April so register now! Hang on a wee minute. It's giving us a week to register at the early bird rate before whacking the price up? In the middle of an election when most of us are ...
Here's the new film from the Electoral Commission and it's interesting to note the differences from voting elsewhere in the UK:
[IMG: Your Liberal Britain] How many times have you heard it? "What do the Lib Dems stand for?" I mean, it's not as though Labour have been socialists for the last 20 years. There is clearly no such thing as one-nation Conservatives, or fiscally responsible Tories, or compassionate Conservatives. Yet the public seems to think they understand the main parties' positions. The typical voter thinks it's the Lib Dems who have no stance, the piggy in the middle that invited the Cameron treatment for five years. Not a party of government, as our failed campaign slogan confirmed last year. Our ...
I'm intrigued recently by this piece by the founder of Politico - Jim VandeHei It's sensible in that it predicts the death of clickbait (praise be!) and the rise of more interesting, well researched paid for content. But, what interests and worries me in equal measure is this phrase (my emphasis) "A content revolution is picking up speed, promising a profitable future for companies that can lock down loyal audiences, especially those built around higher-quality content. " I don't really want to be "locked down", tho I may be to a certain extent loyal, but loyal to more than one ...
Ten leading United Kingdom Independence Party activists in Scotland, including Party Chairs for 5 out of the 8 electoral list regions, have written a letter to party bosses asking for their leader in Scotland, David Coburn MEP, to be replaced as the spokesperson and face of the party north of the border. Coburn has been [...]
What a strange coincidence, the very day (yesterday) that I publish the views of former Sefton Councillor Cliff Mainey on the muddle (that's putting politely) and trouble over how freight will access the newly expanding Seaforth Dock, Bootle's MP is raising the same issue in Parliament. I am glad that Peter Dowd MP is raising the issue (see the link to the Liverpool Echo article, which was written before Peter raised the matter in Westminster Hall, above) but I do wonder how chuffed his Labour colleagues on the Council will be about his intervention. Is it my imagination or ...
What is it about politicians and hi-vis jackets? They always come out during an election. Building is, I guess, a sign of economic health and everyone wants to be involved. Tim Farron and Kirsty Williams visited a building company in Wales yesterday: .@timfarron @Kirsty_Williams and her @WelshLibDems team have the ideas to unleash Wales' business potential! SHARE→ pic.twitter.com/ZdQd7Madlr — Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) April 19, 2016 Tim then went on to Ceredigion where he campaigned with the amazing Liz Evans: Great to have @timfarron with us in #aberystwyth tonight #ceredigion #liz4ceredigion pic.twitter.com/T1nPJeBd0w — Elizabeth Evans (@liz4ceredigion) 19 April 2016 Afterwards a ...
ETA: Hah! This is what happens when I don't get around to deleting all the spammy twitter retweets. Must do better, Rigg. DWP may have to publish details of benefit claimant deaths | Society | The Guardian RT @guardian: DWP may have to publish details of benefit claimant deaths Instagram My fellow pen geeks, if you're ever in York this is a shop you MUST visit. Fabulous service,... Instagram Day 19 of onicahanby's #quotedapril2016 #challenge - prompt: practice I rushed this one a... University of Edinburgh to monitor staff location | THE News Re-coupling - many railway lines that that ...
Judith now has a web page showing her track record and pledging improvements to policing in South Wales if she is elected.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said yesterday that by refusing to use the new powers coming to Holyrood or being bold on issues like local taxation and education to tackle poverty, the SNP are offering no alternative to austerity. Commenting after Nicola Sturgeon's speech to the Scottish Trades Union Congress and her acceptance of [...]
This week I am asking the Tory government how much revenue they anticipate local authorities will raise from May 2016 when they are given the power to add to council tax a precept of up to 2% to fund social care. During the last government Paul Burstow and Norman Lamb achieved something which had eluded all governments of the last thirty years, an equitable and sustainable settlement for social care. The Care Act restated the purpose of social care: enabling the wellbeing of both the person needing care and their carer, prevention and delay of the need for care and ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has warned that another five years of SNP government would only lead to the NHS drifting further down the agenda, as he set out his party's proposals to make Scotland's health service the best again. Liberal Democrats' plans to improve health care in Scotland include: Increasing the share of [...]
[IMG: Macbook keyboard CC0 Public Domain] There are two very useful keyboard shortcuts when watching YouTube videos which are almost never mentioned: the comma and the full stop. The first nudges you back a second in the video, the latter nudges you forward one. Which makes them great allies if you want the video to stop at a very particular place to look in more detail at what is on screen or to get just the right screenshot. J and L, by the way, move you 10 seconds at a go, whilst K is pause. And then if you want ...
The indefatigable researchers of the Lords Library have updated the information they gave me earlier in the year on the age profile of Peers. Excluding those that have taken "leave of absence" or are disqualified there are now only two Members under 40 (both of them are 39) and there are 12 over the age of 90 still eligible to participate. The most popular age group for the whole active House is now between 70 and 79, although the Liberal Democrats and Bishops (who automatically retire at 70) bring the figure down to 60-69. The Library have reported some other ...
John Thurso, the Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross until last May, is back in Parliament after he was 'elected' as a Lib Dem Hereditary Peer last night. The move completes a full circle for Thurso who started his political career as a hereditary peer before Labour abolished most of the [...]
There has recently been news that Stirling Council is set to save £31m over the next 30 years by installing energy saving street lights. That local authority is borrowing almost £10m from the Green Investment Bank to install LEDs in 12 000 street lights over the next four years. I think that's a great initiative and asked the City Council its position on doing so. I have been advised by the Street Lighting Partnership Manager : "We are currently putting together a business case for LED lighting in the city and the source of funding for this will be given ...
As I have said many times before, I cannot wait until June 23rd comes and goes and we can (hopefully, so long as we vote to Remain) stop talking about the EU every second of the day in increasingly inane ways. The one thing I will really miss – and I mean this in all sincerity – is the Leave.EU campaign group backed by Arron Banks. We live in dark political times. So now more than ever, the comfort that is to be gained by watching a group of people who stand for something you detest acting like the most ...
Predata Signals Offer a Fresh Perspective on the Brexit Campaign Crunching data from online debate. (tags: ukpolitics eu ) She had a Washington job on TV. Then this 'West Wing' actor got one in real life Beautifully appropriate! (tags: uspolitics tv ) Is it fair for Shakespeare to overshadow Cervantes? Maybe not; but life isn't always fair! (tags: shakespeare spain ) Message in a bottle, promising finder a shilling, bobs up after 108 years I've had cross-channel journeys that seemed that long! (tags: science ) 8 porkies Gove uses to build Brexit case Leavers lying. (tags: eu ukpolitics ) Leyla ...
We are shocked and saddened by the death of a 39 year old woman in Cheadle Hulme on Monday evening. Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the woman. We would like to thank the Police for their swift response and extensive search which has resulted in a man handing himself into the Police and being charged with murder. Cheadle Hulme is a peaceful place with a strong community spirit and we will work with residents to recover and move on from this tragic event. Cllr John Pantall Cllr Keith Holloway Cllr Paul Porgess Cllr Graham Greenhalgh ...
The Independent reports that the UK Government has been forced into an embarrassing climbdown over controversial plans that would have gagged academics and scientists from lobbying the Government on matters of public interest. They say that proposals put forward by the Cabinet Office to stop organisations in receipt of Government funds from promoting changes to laws or regulations from next month have been abandoned: Universities and research organisations warned the move would have had a chilling effect on scientific research and prevent academics from participating fully in public debate. Such a ban, they argued, would prevent doctors from advocating a ...
