Another video from Londonist. This time there are plenty of interesting remains to seek out.
"This tells you everything you need to know about the desperate, empty campaign being run by a gang of politicians who've stepped beyond mere incompetence, and have ended up somewhere truly nasty, surrounded by supporters who love every bit of it." Rupert Myers is damning about the Brexiteers' assault on President Obama. Monroe Palmer outlines the improvement to the government's Housing Bill that Liberal Democrat peers have battled to make. "The premise of Russian foreign policy to the West is that the rule of law is one big joke; the practice of Russian foreign policy is to find prominent people ...
Four days ago, my friends at Naked Persimmon posted a long list of everything we know about the Monkees' plans for this year — their tour, album, and Blu-Rays. However, even since then, we've had new information about the album, ... Continue reading →
The US President, Barack Obama, has taken the opportunity of his short visit to Britain to underline why he believes it is in Britain's interest — as well as that of the rest of the world — for the UK to remain in the European Union. He argues cogently that Britain is stronger IN and [...]
Fri 22nd
19:02
Merseyrail – Driver only trains (No guards) – TUC puts more pressure on Labour-run Merse...
[IMG: Merseytravel logo] Nice to see the TUC wading into this matter of public safety concerns. Here is the text of a letter sent by the TUC, by Lynn Collins, to Cllr. Liam Robinson the Chairperson of Merseytravel:- [IMG: tuc_Logo] Dear Liam New Merseyrail Rolling Stock - Driver Only Operation of Trains I'm writing following the Annual Conference of the North West TUC which unanimously passed a resolution on the threat of removal of guards and the introduction of a Driver Only Operation in the North West. During a very lively debate, delegates from many unions spoke in support of ...
This is a close run for me between Portia in The Merchant of Venice and Helena in All's Well That Ends Well. The latter is less well known - basically the modestly born but intelligent Helena - a qualified doctor, no less - fulfills the conditions set by her reluctant husband, by tricking him into having sex with her while under the impression that she is someone else. However it's a gifted director who can leave the audience feeling that Helena has actually made the right life choice here. So I think you have to give the prize to Portia ...
[IMG: Cheadle sports club beer festival]
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie today said warned that Scotland's GP services are at breaking point as he met doctors at a surgery in Blairgowrie and set out a four point Liberal Democrat plan to boost primary care. Mr Rennie's intervention follows a recent BMA survey which revealed that on 15 February this year, [...]
This week the Housing Bill has continued in its long worn out path through the Lords. The Liberal Democrats have been battling to make changes to a Bill which will currently only worsen the housing crisis, reducing the availability of housing and moving the first rung of the housing ladder even further out of reach. Across the past fortnight, facing the threat of multiple humiliating defeats at the hands of opposing peers, the Government have been forced to back pedal on a number of measures. This week they made a significant concession on protections for tenants at the hands of ...
The Dementia Café at Yate Library from 2.30 to 3.30 pm on April 28th will be a real "hands on" session featuring items from Yate Heritage Centre's handling collection. David Hardill (Community Heritage Officer) and Cherry will lead this session, which should bring back memories for many people.
The Yate St George's Day Celebrations will take place tomorrow, 23rd April, at Yate & District Heritage Centre, Church Road, Yate, from 10.30 a.m. till 4.30 p.m. There will be folk music, morris dancing, brass and wind bands and some of the best youth performers around. Visitors will be able to sample numerous activities and demonstrations of medieval life from St George, medieval archers, a monk, an armourer plus St George craft activities. There will be a variety of other stalls, and wonderful refreshments from the Friends of Yate Heritage Centre as well as elsewhere in the church and White ...
Fri 22nd
12:40
LibLink: Tim Farron: The Government's latest capitulation to take up to 3000 more refugees is welcom...
Well, it serves me right for not reading something properly. I was on the train yesterday on my way to a hot date with lots of blue envelopes and leaflets when I saw the BBC announce that the UK was going to take thousands of child refugees. I thought that they had agreed to the request that had been made repeatedly by Tim Farron over the last few months. I should have known better that this was just a re-hash of an earlier announcement ahead of a key parliamentary vote on Monday. Tim Farron saw through it straight away, and ...
A new Survation poll for the Daily Record published today (Friday) showed increasing support for the Scottish Liberal Democrats in both the constituency and the list vote, with both indicators up one percentage point to 7%. If reflected evenly in regional polling across the Scottish electoral regions the figure would result in a minimum of [...]
Well it seems so as the Liverpool City Region Authority recently agreed to the development of proposals that would see Merseyside take greater control of stations on the Merseyrail network- currently owned and strategically managed by Network Rail. [IMG: Aintree Station at night] Aintree Station at night Proposals will consider how greater control of stations locally will help target investment, improving the experience for existing passengers and encouraging new users. They will also look at how allowing for better use of station facilities and land can support regeneration and economic development. Mm, we will have to see the detail of ...
Paddy Ashdown has been in very combative form on the EU Referendum. Actually, the one debate I would love to see would be Paddy vs Boris. Our former leader would show up the Mayor's vacuous, disingenuous rhetoric for what it is. Paddy is truly getting out there and taking the fight right to Brexiteers in a way that nobody else has managed. He's been pretty punchy on Twitter for the last few weeks: At last the facts. Gove: Brexit means opening the door to cheap food world-wide. Goodbye UK Agriculture. Been nice knowing you. Steel next? — Paddy Ashdown (@paddyashdown) ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie today said his party's plans to introduce full-time emergency mental health support in A&E units are vital to delivering a step change in the way we treat mental health in Scotland. Highlighting new figures which show that the Scottish Ambulance Service has responded to nearly 100,000 incidents involving people [...]
The relentless Michael Crick continues his investigation into the Conservative Party's non-committal relationship with the law around electoral spending. There's nothing new about party volunteers travelling to other areas to campaign but the law around spending is very clear. Costs incurred for campaigning on behalf of local candidates must be declared by the candidate as [...]
I have taken part in hundreds of debates, canvassing sessions and media interviews about Europe. At the moment I am doing several debates per week. My experience is that to be persuasive you have to be positive. Leave campaigners try to suggest that we are campaigning in a negative, "scare mongering" way. The best way to disprove this is to be positive. Speak about what has been achieved and can be achieved in future by Britain in Europe. This article sets out some words, phrases and points that I find work for me. I hope they may work for you ...
You can read all the articles that have caught my attention this week here: https://delicious.com/stephentall Below are a selection... Sponsored: 64% off Code Black Drone with HD Camera Our #1 Best-Selling Drone–Meet the Dark Night of the Sky! 'Accuracy is for snake-oil pussies': Vote Leave's campaign director defies MPs | Politics | The Guardian My biggest problem with Brexit is t'folk who support it: '"I want my own special sovereignty," Cummings shrugged"' http://bit.ly/1SxiPJ3 Victoria Wood: 'Her shining genius never stopped unfurling' | Television & radio | The Guardian Really good from Lucy Mangan on Victoria Wood: "when someone dies we ...
The artist born Prince Rogers Nelson died yesterday evening in his Minneapolis studio, at the age of 57, for as yet unknown causes. I would ideally like to add here that it is rare that musical figures of his stature die, but 2016 seems to be a year very much filled with such passings – and it hasn't even yet gone May. American comedian Dave Chappelle ran a segment on his show called "Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories", which would involve Eddie Murphy's real life brother Charlie recounting some slice of L.A. life he had witnessed via being the sibling ...
The Government has pulled the pin on a trial of online voting in this year's local body elections, saying it could not guarantee the security of the system in time. Internal Affairs Minister Louise Upston announced the plan for some councils to trial online voting would not go ahead because time was running out for councils to prove voting system addressed concerns about security and vote integrity. "Due to timing restrictions, preparations for the proposed trial have not yet met the legislative requirements and cannot guarantee public confidence in the election results." She said security testing was planned but had ...
David Steel has written an article for the Scotsman explaining why liberalism is needed more than ever in the face of both domestic and international challenges. He praises both Tim Farron and Willie Rennie and urges liberals to "re-assert themselves and support them." His comments about the SNP also struck a bit of a chord with me. It's not just that they stitched up the Scottish Parliament with their majority, giving themselves control of the committees so that they couldn't be effectively scrutinised, it's their general attitude to politics. They are reminiscent of Labour in the '80s and '90s, with ...
Thank you for getting in touch with your concerns about TTIP and CETA - the trade deals currently being negotiated by the European Union with the USA and Canada. Personally, I first blogged about TTIP in 2014 and identified the potential difficultly of the negotiations, that is how to overcome ISDS - Investor State Dispute Settlement mechanism. It is this mechanism that has led to concerns, as voiced by organisations such as 38 Degrees and the potential future of public organisations such as the NHS. The ISDS mechanism struck me then as a particular threat to national and EU ...
On the BBC website Labour make the entirely reasonable assertion that UKIP plans to scraps the Welsh Government's climate change and sustainability budget will mean that future plans for flood defence work will be scrapped. They say that communities which have been the victims of serious flooding such as St Asaph, Boverton in the Vale of Glamorgan and along the A55 would be affected by any such proposal. The planned cut would also end schemes like "Nest", which provides warm home environments and lower energy bills for lower income families. UKIP have immediately started to row back on their own ...
Meols Ward Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, Nigel Ashton and Jo Barton are holding their next advice centre in Churchtownn We will be at Cafe Moo Moo on Cambridge Road (by the junction with Preston New Road, next to Boots) from 10:30 to 11:30 am on Thursday 28th April. 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 Crossens, at St John's School, Rufford Road, Crossens every month (except August) on the second Saturday of the month from 11:00 am ...
The Friends of Balgay Spring Meeting takes place tomorrow, Saturday 23rd April 2016 - at 2pm in the Mills Observatory. The guest speaker is Kate Treharne, Dundee's community allotments officer, who will speak about community gardens in the city. Refreshments provided and all welcome!
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie yesterday questioned the reason for the delay in the publication of a national survey showing numeracy and literacy levels in Scotland. Over the past five years the results of the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy have been published in March or April. But this year, despite the survey [...]
Scottish Liberal Democrat campaign chair Jeremy Purvis has criticised Ruth Davidson for standing with her Tory colleagues at Westminster against equal pay for equal work, as she admits she supports a lower minimum wage for young people. In a BBC interview with young voters aired today, when asked if it is fair that the minimum [...]
The Medieval Tube Map Lovely bit of research! (tags: maps london ) As your friend, let me tell you that the EU makes Britain even greater Obama on Brexit. (tags: eu ukpolitics uspolitics ) How to Explain Mansplaining New York Times reports. (tags: sexandgenderandsexuality )
Figures released this week show Welsh A&E waits in March were worse than the 'winter pressure' months, with only 70.8% of patients at major emergency units discharged within 4 hours. Health boards have been expected to meet a target of 95% of patients seen within 4 hours, yet not a single one with a major A&E department has met that target. Labour Ministers are also going backwards on their target to eradicate waits of over 12 hours, with 4,387 patients in March not seen within the 12 hour benchmark. These figures are absolutely shocking. If the people of Wales weren't ...
