In the three days since the UK's referendum it has become clear that the Leave campaign were not merely lying about the impact of the EU, they literally had no idea about what would happen if they won. The backlash has been enormous- I think the level of "buyers remorse" is now so severe that if the referendum was now re-run, that Remain would utterly crush the Leavers. The problem is that even if the referendum could be re-run, the damage is already done. The differential vote, with Scotland strongly supporting the EU, and England voting to leave has restarted ...
As so often with this series and its predecessor Yes Minister, there is a lot of truth in this clip. It reminds us that it was the Conservatives who promoted the expansion of the European Union after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In part this was out of a wholly creditable desire to embed democratic institutions in the newly liberated nations of Eastern Europe. And in part it was due, if not to cynical motives laid out by Sir Humphrey, then to a hope that a wider Europe would prove shallower and there would be less of a desire ...
The article below was published on Liberal Democrat Voice earlier today. Lib Dem Voice is the main forum where everyone from day-old members to party leaders expresses their hopes and angst for the future of an open, tolerant society. Love or hate the referendum decision, we now need to get on with the delivering what... Continue reading Brexit - it could be the finest hour for internationalists if we act now →
The following is a personal opinion piece looking at some of the issues Northern Ireland face it is not a policy position of Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats. Other members may well post alternative views on this issue. We believe that sovereignty rests with the people and that authority in a democracy derives from the people....
Embed from Getty Images One of the very slight crumbs of comfort to be found in the referendum campaign was the way in which, in some parts of the country, members of the Liberal Democrats, Labour and Green parties were able to campaign together positively for a 'remain' vote. The 1975 referendum on membership of the European Community saw a very similar experience - with profound results for British politics thereafter. In the happier of the UK's two referendums on Europe, Roy Jenkins, then Home Secretary in Harold Wilson's Labour government, led the 'in' campaign alongside the Liberal leader Jeremy ...
Like many people, both in our party and out of it, I felt a sense of numb devastation following the result on June 23, a date etched into our country's storied history. The resulting euphoria of the Leave campaign, pouring salt into the wound, has little consolation in that the Remain euphoria would have been as high. It doesn't surprise many of us, however, that a Conservative election for a new leader has started (don't be so sure that Boris is loved by everyone in that party). What did come as a surprise to me, is how quickly the Leave ...
Second paragraph of third chapter: 'So where, you fortunate man, is your charming wife Gelis?' asked Anselm Adorne, seating himself two places from Nicholas at Master Lamb's table shortly afterwards. Behind them, Albany's trumpeter let off a blast, and Julius, in the middle, began cheerfully to cut up his meat.Fifth in the series of eight novels about Dunnett's fifteenth-century hero Claes van der Poele, now rebranded Nicolas de Fleury, on a canvas that takes us from a long first section in Scotland at the court of the young James III, to Cyprus, Alexandria and the monastery of St Catherine on ...
I want to be proved wrong. I want our economy to grow, jobs to be protected, household wages to grow, and household bills not to soar. I desperately hope that the experts that the Leave camp so often disparaged are actually wrong. I hope that my future, and the future of my generation and generations to [...]
I don't believe in a second referendum, but do believe we need to listen to the dissenting voices. What happened on Thursday was not a 'landslide victory' or even a mandate by any stretch of the imagination. But it WAS a big two fingers up at the established political system that we have here in the UK. Many Leave people voted to get rid of David Cameron. Many voted to Leave because they were always going to vote against the government. Many people voted Leave because they were lied to about things like the NHS or that we would somehow ...
It would be churlish not to congratulate the Brexit campaign, especially its leaders Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, and Nigel Farage on their stunning success, which amongst other things has led to The ousting of Boris and Michael's friend Dave from the office of Prime Minister. Chimes of Perfidious Albion. 'Et tu, Brute?' With friend like this Cameron needs no enemies. The rest of us should watch Johnson and Gove, and beware. The wiping of many £billions value from UK shares The wiping of $trillions value from global shares The fall of about 10% in the value of the £ The ...
This account from inside Labour HQ highlights one of the key issues at the heart of the current Labour in-fighting: how hard did Jeremy Corbyn really campaign for Labour's official position during the European referendum?
Welcome to the thousands of people who have joined the Liberal Democrats over the past few days. This is basically a repeat of a post that I did last year when many joined the party in the wake of the election result in the hope that it might be useful to tell you a little bit about how our party works and give you a bit of an idea of the opportunities open to you. If you are not yet a member, read it and think it sounds appealing, sign up here. What do we believe? Before we get into ...
Yes, I know these have been the questions burning through your mind for the last 48 hours: "What were the answers (questions) to the LDV referendum day quiz?"..."and who on earth won?". The answers (questions) were: 1. A: Nuneaton Q: Which voting area was touted as being the first district to declare, which would give a good indication of the final result? 2. A: Manchester. Q: Where will the results be collated and declared? 3. A: Jenny Watson Q: Who will declare the result? Congratulations to Crewegwyn, who is the winner! An ode to Crewegwyn is being prepared, should they ...
It's been repeated ad nauseam since Friday morning – and the phrase "a week is a long time in politics" has never seemed so apt as this week – but worth repeating again: Scotland voted 62-38 to remain in the EU, while England voted 55-45 to leave. That's a gaping 17 point difference. Back in September 2014, I was passionately for the No side. I wanted the Union to stay together in a very heartfelt way. But post-Brexit, if there was a second independence referendum, I couldn't in all conscience argue that Scotland should stay in the Union. I would ...
Sophie a Brownie from Ainsdale Lord Street was filled with folk viewing the parade for Arms Forces Day. There were lots of proud Mum's and Dad's watching their children. We had Rainbows and Brownies from Ainsdale and Scouts from Holy Trinity, Sea Cadets, Army Cadets, veterans, reservists and people currently serving in the armed forces in the Parade. The band in their scarlet uniforms led the way. It was good to meet folk from SSAFA and the British Legion who do such good and important work and had organised the day. And finally thank you to the ladies of Christ ...
It seems a lot of people think that there is such a petition, have signed it and have asked me to support it. They refer me to a petition on the Government site with the headline "EU Referendum Rules triggering a 2nd EU Referendum". When you read the text of the petition, you will see that it is not asking for another referendum at all. What it was asking – ahead of the vote – was for a change in the rules that governed the European Referendum, to bring it in line with (I believe) the protocol in Ireland. It ...
That's the finding in today's Survation poll*, asking people who voted Leave in the referendum: Now that the result has been announced, do you regret voting Leave? Yes: 7% No: 93% Sample size (for this question): 454 (unweighted), 467 (weighted) [Note to self: I must not write Bregret. I must not write Bregret. I must not write Bregret.] To cloud matters somewhat there's also this from Remain voters: Now that the result has been announced, do you regret voting Remain? Yes: 4% No: 96% Sample size (for this question): 430 (unweighted), 432 (weighted) If you assume that the regreters on ...
From Laura Kuenssberg on BBC News this morning: Documents passed to the BBC suggest Jeremy Corbyn's office sought to delay and water down the Labour Remain campaign. Sources suggest that they are evidence of "deliberate sabotage". One email from the leader's office suggests that Mr Corbyn's director of strategy and communications, Seumas Milne, was behind Mr Corbyn's reluctance to take a prominent role in Labour's campaign to keep the UK in the EU. One email, discussing one of the leader's speeches, said it was because of the "hand of Seumas. If he can't kill it, he will water it down ...
... can somebody explain the Scottish education system to me? Like, what are the landmark exams? How would it affect a theoretical 13 yr old hypothetically moving from England? Currently, when she goes back to school in September, she'll be starting her 3 year GCSE courses, this totally hypothetical 13 yer old, if that helps... [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
So much has been said. So much more will be said about last week's referendum result. But what concerns me greatly is hearing Lib Dems speak in anger. If we allow anger to dominate our agenda and the way we react, we will let the people of Britain down. We Lib Dems are the true Europeans. We think as internationalists. We now have an opportunity to become the steadying, wise voice on Britain in a post-EU age. The grim reality is that voters did not back our arguments. But this is not a time for licking our wounds. It is ...
Read about how the Lib Dem candidate approval system works in this inside account from new member Ben Sims.
This brilliant Liverpool panorama has been designed by my good friend Tom Maguire who has also designed a Scouse passport! Will it come to that? Possibly not but we should set our ambitions for the future high! So now the ... Continue reading →
You don't have to be a racist or an idiot to have voted leave, of course, you just have to have allowed yourself to be misled by those who are. That is, sadly, what has happened - people have been misled. Duped. Lied to. The leave camp lies are already falling apart, and it is already clear that they have no plan whatsoever, and no clue about what's even maybe supposed to happen next. They never did. For many of them it was never supposed to really happen - for the likes of Boris it was a Tory party power ...
Well that was fun wasn't it? Wait, no, that isn't right, that was a fucking disaster and one of the most stupid things that any country has ever done it itself. Bugger. Still, whilst my views on the result are pretty clear, I am pretty fed up with people who are ragging on those who voted in a different way or want a second referendum. You don't just keep going until you get the decision you want (I'm looking at you Scotland...) that isn't how democracy works. So I don't want a second referendum and won't sign a petition to ...
I fear Friday will be remembered as the day Great Britain became little Britain. A tolerant outward looking nation with a diverse culture and economy thanks to those who bring their talent here to benefit us all. A nation with the confidence to seek common ground rather than conflict with our European family. This morning that changed. We walked off the world stage to sulk in the corner. As
Will Labour clear out their stable of will they just let the muck pile up? I could see my country go into meltdown when I left the Gateshead count at 3.30am on Friday morning. By then, the Leave lead was over 750,000. There was no way short of a miracle that the gap could be closed. I went to bed at 4am and woke up at 7.45am to the news of the official declaration that Leave had won. At 8.30am
As The Monograph, an East Midlands music magazine says, Ska-Boom were legends on the local music scene in the 1990s. I recall that one of their songs, 'Traffic Warden', caused controversy in the national press because it was seen as being less than supportive of that find group of public servants. Anyway, here they are in 1990.
The referendum is over. The people have spoken. Democracy is flawed. Many elections go "wrong", and it does not hold up to demand a rerun because we did not like the result.. And now we have a number of Leave voters similarly saying "Oops". That happens. It has happened before. Back in 2015, Lewes lost its best ever MP, Norman Baker. I am not often stunned, but I was stunned in the days after by the number of Green and Labour acquaintances of mine who had lent Norman their votes before but withheld them on this occasion, and afterwards said, ...
This is a quickly written post as I really need to get on with my dissertation today. However, here are two thoughts about what not to do, and what to do following the EU referendum 'leave' result. First – the what not to do. Don't sign the petition arguing for a second referendum on the same question immediately. We may ... The post Two thoughts following the referendum result – and what to do next appeared first on ten pence piece.
Go where you will find the simple form above.
You begin to wonder if the Labour Party can find anything they all do agree about. I suppose it is no surprise that Labour's 'Red Tory' MP's are yet again after Corbyn following the EU Referendum catastrophe. They were always looking for the next opportunity. And yes Labour did fail to engage with its white 'working class' (oh how I hate that terminology) membership/vote and yes, that is at least partly why you could argue (and I do) that we are in the mess that we are in. BUT, the real culprits here are the Tories and that is where ...
This is aimed at everyone who thinks this a good idea but especially those friends and colleagues in my own party.There is a feeling among many that Parliament and the wider political class do not listen to the public. Whilst this mood is prevalent among many of those who voted Brexit, it is a view that cuts across all demographics and how those voted. How exactly therefore will a significant number of MPs (perhaps a majority) marching into Parliament and overturning the will of the people address this?It is undeniable that we are in for a couple of years of ...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-36566214 The BBC has the story on its web site – see link above It may not go as far as it needs to go but it it is certainly a big step in the right direction. The UK needs to address this issue rather than keep running away from it. Surely it is the most Liberal of all humanitarian causes to allow those with no hope to terminate their own life on their own terms at a time and place of their own choosing.
I received the letter below from Lib Dem Party Leader Tim Farron and thought I would share it:- [IMG: Tim Farron with Cllr. Pat Keith on Southport Station recently] Tim Farron with Cllr. Pat Keith on Southport Station recently Liberal Democrats have always believed that Britain should be outward facing, collaborating with other countries to tackle global challenges. Our membership of the European Union allows us to do that. Britain has now voted to leave. The margin of victory was small and risks dividing our country. We must respect the outcome of the referendum in how we talk about moving ...
Why does poisonous politics keep winning in Britain? A glance down your newsfeed will tell you that, for many, it's because people are stupid. Let me put this plainly: it's not. We all vote with our hearts, however much we may protest otherwise. Brains too rarely come into it, clever or otherwise. The voters who take solace in the myth of us vs them are just people who feel afraid. People who feel disenfranchised, powerless, ignored. And until we can offer them anything that speaks to their concerns, nothing is going to change. I believe liberalism is the answer. But ...
Sun 26th
08:31
Will Labour enter into its own civil war in the wake of half-hearted referendum effort?
I woke up this morning to the news that Hilary Benn has been sacked amid claims he was encouraging ministers to resign should Jeremy Corbyn ignore a vote of no confidence. The BBC quotes a Labour source that Mr Corbyn had "lost confidence" in Mr Benn after the Shadow Foreign Secretary said there was "widespread concern" about Mr Corbyn's "leadership and his ability to win an election". We are now hearing that up to half the Labour Shadow Cabinet may resign if Jeremy Corbyn does not accept the verdict of the Parliamentary Labour Party in a no confidence vote tomorrow. ...
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the Dundee West Church Strawberry Fayre. It was extremely well-attended, as the photo (below) indicates and a really enjoyable way to spend Saturday morning!
What Europe must do, now that England has decided to leave Former Taoiseach John Bruton on the next steps. (tags: eu ) Seven Immediate Lessons From the Brexit Vote My colleague Geoff Beattie, on what went wrong and what comes next. (tags: ukpolitics eu ) How to apply for an Irish passport Just in case you wanted to know. (tags: ireland ) The path to Belgian citizenship: an expat trail guide Just in case you wanted to know. (tags: Belgium ) Brexit, devolution and legislative consent Holyrood and Stormont do *not* have a veto. #fb (tags: ukpolitics northernireland eu scotland ...
Sun 26th
01:30
When is democracy just a misunderstood concept? and should we fill in an online petition ?
My last post on the subject for the weekend and for possibly sometime, I promise, i can't and will not apologise if some of my comments are somewhat from the heart and direct but i have been so angry by the complacency of so many and the insidious rise of the it wont happen it will be ok arguement and those saying I am undemocratic because i cant let something i believe in lie. Principally thats because i have been a Liberal or Liberal Democrat for some 32 years and I have had my fill of swallowing my pride and ...
I think I'm lucky, I don't have anyone crowing on my social media feeds. and I don't have anyone being aggressive or using bad language. A little tetchy, perhaps, but people are understandably bruised by this. Mostly I've seen contemplative stuff, interspersed with a little clutching at straws, and a bit of black humour too. [...]
