This was originally published on Liberal Democrat Voice earlier today. [IMG: David Rendel on Newbury Town Hall steps - Some rights reserved by Martin Tod] As reported earlier, former Liberal Democrat MP David Rendel has died aged 67. David was born in 1949 in Athens, Greece. His father was a foreign correspondent for The Times, and he was a great-grandson of civil engineer Sir Alexander Meadows Rendel, and a great-great-nephew of Liberal MP Stuart Rendel, the first Baron Rendel, a benefactor of William Gladstone, as noted in Roy Jenkins' book "Gladstone: A Biography". David was educated first at Horris Hill ...
Congratulations and best of luck Sara – and thank you Ann: Councillor Ann Shaw has stepped down as leader of Three Rivers District Council. Cllr Shaw will be replaced by Cllr Sara Bedford. In a brief statement, Cllr Shaw said: "It is 30 years since we took over the administration of Three Rivers District Council from the Conservatives, which is long enough for one person to be leader."... Cllr Bedford said: "Ann is going to be a difficult act to follow, but I will have my own ways of doing things. It's a good time to become leader after the ...
Today is the annual International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia as we saw from Team INtogether's post earlier. The party has been marking the day in various ways. We've been tweeting up a storm. Liz Barker and Jonny Oates recorded this video: We will never stop fighting for LGBTQQI+ rights in Europe #IDAHOBIT #IDAHOT2016 #INtogetherhttps://t.co/9mlPvGiija — Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) May 17, 2016 Norman Lamb has resubmitted his motion calling for people who want gender neutral passports to be able to have them. Recently, I saw on social media a teacher who has transgender and non binary pupils under their ...
Watch the latest video from the Britain Stronger in Europe campaign: CEO Michael O'Leary is clear: Ryanair creates jobs and invests in the UK - but that will be lost if we vote to leave. 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.
Londonist heads to Croydon and the surrounding area to uncover the secrets of the tram network there.
[IMG: Black long with hashtag-2] On Tuesday 17th May, IDAHOBIT day, we as an international community recognise that people facing homophobic, biphobic or transphobic discrimination and harassment wherever it exists is not acceptable and has to be fought against in every possible way. It is something we should be challenging every day of the year because the consequences to individuals are life threatening, whether that's execution or imprisonment cross 78 countries across the world, or bullying in the classroom, workplace or sports field we need go continue to fight to ensure at all these locations are eradicated of +phobias to ...
Earlier this evening, I attended a walkabout round Greater Balgay by the Balgay Stakeholders' Group, which brings together local councillors, council parks/Neighbourhood Services staff and representatives from the Friends of Balgay - to look at issues related to Balgay Park and its surrounds. We had a very useful walk round Greater Balgay, and discussed proposals for improvements in the forthcoming year or so which include : • Improved directional and road safety/vehicle speed limit signage• Removal of the unused bowling green at Lochee Park to incorporate it into the main park (but maintaining the remaining bowling green)• A welcome new ...
"His father was a foreign correspondent for The Times, and he was a great-grandson of civil engineer Sir Alexander Meadows Rendel, and a great-great-nephew of Liberal MP Stuart Rendel, the first Baron Rendel, a benefactor of William Gladstone." Paul Walter pays tribute to David Rendel, who has died aged 67. Ferdinand Mount dissects the Brexiteers: "No one since Greta Garbo has said 'I want to be alone' with such feeling. Or perhaps it's not so much Garbo as the chant sung by the fans of Millwall FC that I should be thinking of: 'No one likes us, we don't care.' ...
Embed from Getty Images From the Guardian today: An air quality report that was not published by Boris Johnson while he was mayor of London demonstrates that 433 schools in the capital are located in areas that exceed EU limits for nitrogen dioxide pollution - and that four-fifths of those are in deprived areas. The report, Analysing Air Pollution Exposure in London, said that in 2010, 433 of the city's 1,777 primary schools were in areas where pollution breached the EU limits for NO2. Of those, 83% were considered deprived schools, with more than 40% of pupils on free school ...
Second sentence of third chapter of Banewreaker: It was a deeper green than the beeches Tanaros had known as a boy, the leaves broader, fanning to capture and hold the cloud-filtered sunlight. The trunks of the trees were gnarled in a way they weren't elsewhere, twisted around ragged boles as they grew, like spear-gutted warriors straining to stand upright. Second sentence of third chapter of Godslayer: All of them had been plagued by strange visions in the night. I've generally been a huge fan of Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel books, and picked up Godslayer at a convention ages ago; and then ...
Six months ago Liberal Democrats called for this council to pause the process of slashing teaching assistants' take home pay. We called for a thorough review of their position compared to others across the region. We wanted to examine the approaches taken by other councils and what room we had for manoeuvre. You, the party in control, stopped that by a piece of political chicanery. A month later you summarily voted that review down. That's relevant because of paragraph 17 of this report which tells us that this council risks being judged in court on the process it has followed ...
Gatley residents are fed up after United Utilities went back on a commitment to fix a noisy manhole cover, more than TWO MONTHS after it was first reported. [IMG: Andrea Hollinshead and her family have been kept awake by the manhole cover UU have failed to repair] Andrea Hollinshead and her family have been kept awake by the manhole cover UU have failed to repair The manhole cover is on the main Gatley Road by the station. Every day thousands of cars and lorries drive over it and it clacks loudly with every one. Local resident Andrea Hollinshead said "We ...
This afternoon, MSPs will choose the new First Minister of Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon, the leader of the largest single party will not be unopposed, though. Willie Rennie, on his fifth anniversary as Scottish leader, is standing against her. Willie is a massive optimist, but I doubt even he expects to get more than a handful of votes. We won't have a Wales scenario in Edinburgh. However, it is important that someone lays down a marker that the SNP, which no longer has a majority, has to work to make its case to Parliament. Nicola Sturgeon's comments that she expects Parliament ...
[IMG: David Rendel on Newbury Town Hall steps - Some rights reserved by Martin Tod] As we reported earlier, former Liberal Democrat MP David Rendel has died aged 67. David was born in 1949 in Athens, Greece. His father was a foreign correspondent for The Times, and he was a great-grandson of civil engineer Sir Alexander Meadows Rendel, and a great-great-nephew of Liberal MP Stuart Rendel, the first Baron Rendel, a benefactor of William Gladstone, as noted in Roy Jenkins' book "Gladstone: A Biography". David was educated first at Horris Hill school, Newtown, Hampshire, and then as a scholar at ...
Over many years the EU has built international collaborative structures that robustly serve public health. Brexit would certainly mean losing the European Medicines Agency to another EU country, but what would be the wider impacts for the UK pharmaceuticals industry and patient safety? From agreements of cross-border care to health research collaboration, public health protections and shared institutions; there is much at stake in this referendum debate. One key pillar of health is pharmaceuticals, where the London-based European Medicines Agency (EMA) has a central role in supporting medical innovation and ensuring patient protection. A Brexit would certainly mean losing the ...
There really is a lot of rubbish talked about immigration at the moment. Let's have the truth and hang the consequences. I know that 23% of all senior professionals in the National Health Service are immigrants BUT I DON'T CARE. ... Continue reading →
So bad, I had to double-check at the time that it wasn't a spoof (like this hilarious spoof), but no – it's real. And still jaw dropping. Almost makes Ed Miliband look like a seasoned professional, doesn't it?
A YouGov poll out today, with the fieldwork having been done just last week, makes extremely sober reading for anyone within Labour or indeed anyone on the centre-left generally who isn't down with Project Corbyn. Labour members were asked if they thought Corbyn was doing well or badly as leader. The numbers are: WELL 72% BADLY 27% DK 1%. 53% of members think Labour are on course for victory at the next general election against 42% who do not think so. So around 20% of all Labour members think that Corbyn is doing well as leader but won't win the ...
[IMG: David Rendel on Newbury Town Hall steps - Some rights reserved by Martin Tod] Paying tribute to David Rendel, former Liberal Democrat MP for Newbury who passed away last night, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: I am hugely saddened by the loss of David Rendel. He was a committed, selfless individual who I will remember particularly for his unyielding campaigning over so many years. I will miss him. He won a stunning by-election victory in Newbury where he and his team showed the Liberal Democrats had the fight and passion to deliver a fantastic result in a challenging ...
We're very sorry to report that former Liberal Democrat MP David Rendel has died. Our sincere thoughts are with David's family at this very sad time. Party leader, Tim Farron has tweeted: I am hugely saddened by the loss of David Rendel. He was a committed and selfless individual. I will miss him. — Tim Farron (@timfarron) May 17, 2016 Party President, Sal Brinton has added: So sad that David Rendel has died. Passionate liberal to his core, man of principle, & a great local MP 4 Newbury 1993-2005. Sorely missed. — SalBrinton (@SalBrinton) May 17, 2016 We will publish ...
Have we really got to the stage when the best way to achieve social reform is to get a story line on a soap opera? Those people who are a bit younger than me may not remember the saga of The Weatherfield One, a major miscarriage of justice in which Deirdre Rachid was wrongly jailed for mortgage and credit card fraud while her conman lover Jon Lindsay walked free. Of course age may not have anything to do with it if you were not an avid watcher of Coronation Street at the time, though the national press was full of ...
Deaf people don't need new communication methods, hearing people do Why fat people actually die sooner this is a compelling theory - fat people die sooner because medical professionals insist on "treating" them for being fat every single time, rather than what the problem actually is. Survivor Mom: Teaching Consent — Medium Twitter It totally IS a dalek! Instagram Day 15 of onicahanby's #quotedmay2016 #challenge - prompt: philosophy I had to look a bit of... Instagram Day 16 of @mjrutell's #pfsixwordchallenge - prompt: temptation #ink #inkyfingers #fountainpen... Instagram Day 16 of onicahanby's #quotedmay2016 #challenge - prompt: loyal This is the ...
[IMG: Liberal Democrat Newswire logo] Liberal Democrat Newswire #80 came out last week, carrying out a post-mortem on the 2016 elections. You can now read it in full below, but if you'd like the convenience of getting it direct by email in future just sign up for it here: Email* Name First Last What would you like to receive?* Liberal Democrat Newswire: monthly newsletter Mark Pack's blog posts and council by-election results: max 1 email per day Official Lib Dem news stories from www.LibDems.org.uk: max 1 email per day Official Lib Dem news stories from Scotland: max 1 email per ...
[IMG: Intogether] A huge thank to all the members who came out to support out #INtogether National Day of Action on 14th May. We witnessed a superb drive by members with over 1,000 members coming out to host more than 200 streets stalls throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Each street stall was armed with material to remind people of the importance of voting to stay in on 23rd June. We were delighted to see that campaign material sent to local parties being put to good use with balloons being in high demand. Thankfully the weather gods played in our favour ...
Last year, a planning application for a house fronting onto lower Corve Street met considerable opposition. I said: "The proposal is a perfect horror that will cause significant harm to the conservation area and the setting of historic buildings. It must be rejected." Last September, the scheme was rejected by Shropshire Council planners. The planning... Continue reading New planning application for a house on lower Corve Street →
Further to my previous article from Sunday regarding my astonishment that, after five weeks of roads disruption to facilitate the replacement of high-voltage underground electricity cabling by Scottish & Southern Energy, the company had abandoned the work, yesterday I obtained assurances from Scottish & Southern Energy that there can be no repeat of this debacle. Scottish & Southern Energy's Base Capex Manager has advised me that : " ... the works have been postponed due to the failure of the 132kV cable during the final testing regime in the manufacturer's factory. This cable is specially constructed so it can be ...
[IMG: Joe Otten PCC] The election for a Police Commissioner for South Yorkshire was subjected to perhaps the most powerful and least effective scrutiny of any of them. Following hundreds of children going unprotected from sexual exploitation in Rotherham, with significant and gross police failures to believe, investigate and prosecute, we finally have a large team of detectives working these cases, under the direction of the National Crime Agency. The first Police Commissioner, Shaun Wright, had resigned (after much resistance) having been responsible for childrens' services in Rotherham that had also failed these children. His replacement, Alan Billings off Thought ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton has called for a step change in the way that mental health services are supported as new figures from NUS Scotland revealed a 47% increase in the number of students seeking mental health support. The figures, published to coincide with the start of Mental Health Awareness Week, were obtained [...]
The truth about the 'consultation' on the Bury New Road proposals have been made available following a 'Freedom of Information' request by the Prestwich and Whitefield Guide. The Guide has undertaken an independent assessment of the comments made by local residents, and report act HALF of people who had their say on a £2 million Prestwich regeneration plan opposed it, sparking renewed calls for it to be scrapped. After making a Freedom of Information request to Bury Council, The Guide reviewed the 498 comments made by people during the consultation period at the end of last year. According their independent ...
The newly appointed Business Manager for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Mike Rumbles MSP, will today (Tuesday) seek cross-party agreement at the Parliament's Business Bureau to allow the whole Parliament to have an early vote on the future of Richard Lochhead as a minister. Mr Rumbles will ask the Bureau to suspend the procedural rule which [...]
Voting takes places across the country on Thursday 23 June 2016 in the important referendum to determine whether the country will remain in, or leave the European Union. Many people may be on holiday or other commitments on this additional polling day. Anyone can sign up for a postal vote. The votes arrive in the post for you just under two weeks before the election and you just need to return them in postage paid envelope. The deadline for applying for a postal vote for the EU Referendum is Wednesday 8 June 2016, so you don't have that long. You ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP today said that the first item of business on the new Cabinet Secretary for Justice's desk must be to make a statement on claims that the SNP government used discussions over the possible release of the convicted Lockerbie bomber to their own ends. Mr Rennie's intervention follows the [...]
In association with the Institute of Sport and Exercise at the University of Dundee, the Botanic Garden will be hosting the annual Fun Run on Wednesday 18th May at 7pm. Staged within the scenic setting of the Botanic Garden, the Fun Run is suitable for all the family and levels of ability; whether you are raising money for a worthwhile cause, remembering a loved one or simply keeping active. Entry fee is £5 and registration closes at 6.45pm on Wednesday 18th May. There will be prizes up for grabs from Lowes of Dundee. Please call 381190 for more information.
This Sunday, 22 May 2016, is the 11th annual 'Prestwich Clough Day'. This is a a FREE Annual Event held from 12pm - 5pm in St Mary's Flower Park and outside The Church Inn, Church Lane. The Event features a really impressive range of Activities, Concessions, Countryside Groups, Displays, Entertainment and local Groups. A great event well worth our support. More information from this website.
Clearly the Brexit campaign is led by a colourful bunch of politicians but one thing they seem unable to do is to put before us a clear way forward for life outside of the EU. Yes it is easy for them and their supporters to say daft things like:- 'The EU bosses us about' 'We need Brussels' permission to do anything' 'We are being bullied into staying in the EU' 'We want Britain to be great again' etc. etc.etc. It's like saying we don't like where we are now and want to be somewhere else without having a map to ...
A few planning applications coming up for our area. 61916 – demolition of building at 5 Ashfield Road (Hooked, formerly Jacksons Supper Bar) and replacement with four apartments. We're told that this is not a done deal and, should the applicant decided to go ahead, Hooked would likely relocate to another location in Cheadle village. 61890 – change of use for 17 Wilmslow Road (at junction of Chapel Street) from newsagents to nail bar. 61491 – change to shopfront window and door at 14 Church Road, Gatley 61571 – new shopfront for Boots, 32 High Street, Cheadle You can find ...
I was also under the impression that the London Challenge was fab. The London Challenge was established in 2003 to tackle underperformance in London secondary schools and significant secondary school performance improvements seemed to take place. This was sos successful that it was repeated to some degree in other English cities but without the same marked results. More recent research by The Institute of Fiscal Studies suggests otherwise which I was surprised by. This research suggests this improvement was not from Teach First and the London Challenge but the improvement in primary school results which means that London primary school ...
