Plenty more of these on my Disused Stations label.
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, on behalf of the Lib-Dems in Broxtowe. May I give a special welcome to the new readers that we have this week. May I also apologise that this newsletter is a day behind schedule and also that it is a bit shorter than normal, both due to circumstances beyond my control. 1. EU Referendum There is only one place to start this week, which is with the EU Referendum. Here in Broxtowe the vote was 55% leave to 45% remain. As someone who was firmly ...
An article from Tim Farron has gone up on the Independent website this evening: For a Liberal Democrat, this is visceral. I am an internationalist, who believes we must work across borders to face the great challenges such as the world's largest ever movement of people, climate change, the rising power of multi-nationals and terrorism, along with the arrival in the international labour market of a billion Chinese workers which has depressed wages across the western world. A progressive political settlement needs international co-operation, and it has been the EU that has guaranteed worker rights, consumer protection and environmental safeguards. ...
South Gloucestershire, like the country as a whole, has voted narrowly to leave the European Union. The official result in our area was: Remain: 74,928 (47.3%) Leave: 83,405 (52.7%) Turnout: 76.2% Your Focus Team campaigned positively with people of other parties and none for the UK to remain in the European Union, so of course we are disappointed. Now the momentous decision has been made to leave, we will continue to work to get the best for local people as our country takes the next steps. Now we need to work together to reconcile the divisions this referendum has highlighted. ...
Shouting match going on between Jeremy Corbyn's spokesman and Jon Ashworth outside PLP. Accuses Corbyn's team of "spreading lies" about MPs.— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) June 27, 2016 With so many shadow cabinet ministers having resigned over the last two days, it is worth taking a look at those who have not resigned. And among them you will find the name of the Leicester South MP Jon Ashworth, who retained his position as shadow minister without portfolio in the rump cabinet of loyalists announced by Jeremy Corbyn this afternoon. Why hasn't Ashworth resigned like so many of his colleagues? He is ...
"Lib Dems are the voice of those who see a positive future in Europe" – so writes Tm Farron for The Independent continuing his unapologetically pro-European line in the light of the referendum result: The look of wide-eyed, guilty panic in the eyes of Boris Johnson and Michael Gove on Friday morning hinted at what was later confirmed: the Brexiteers who had schemed for this moment all their political lives had absolutely no plan for life after Thursday... I fought a positive campaign, working with others, setting out an optimistic, open vision of Britain. But sometimes Labour seemed keener to ...
We must quickly learn to cope with the new reality, and respond imaginatively, rationally and practically. I applaud Tim Farron for doing so, and doing it well. With a trickle of enquiries about whether Tim is acting ultra vires, party members will need reassurance that approved constitutional arrangements for policy making in emergency situations are being scrupulously observed. Federal Policy Committee should quickly provide reassurance, and should also circulate its plans to organise and channel the party membership's central role in policy making during the crisis. Meanwhile, back at the inferno, many established aspects of UK governance are under challenge, ...
Organised by the community for the community, our second free music festival set Wallington rocking once again. The sun shone for us, whilst the threatened thunderstorm decided to give Wallington a day off. The people we need to thank for organising the day are exceptionally modest so I will take this opportunity to make sure [...]
Saturday - Happy Pride! I was one of more than 40 LGBT+ Liberal Democrats to march in the 2016 Pride in London Parade, joined by Parliamentary representation from their Lordships Liz Barker and Brian Paddick, along support from London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon and Chair of London Region Chris Maines. A good showing for Tower Hamlets too, with my friends Anita, Ed and Richard, and friend of the borough Drew also joining the march. It was a joyful day, much needed after the referendum results. The crowd greeted us with great enthusiasm, loudly joining in chants of "E.U. We. Love. ...
This morning I spoke with two residents who live along Severn Close, in Gunthorpe, who were telling me that about a couple of bins that they had seen burnt out or set on fire. In previous years the issue of arson has been a serious problem in the Gunthorpe area, which has even seen one [...]
I think we are agreed now that the EU referendum result was not a vote to leave the EU at all, but a howl of protest from the people of Britain that feel left out of the prosperity that predominately benefits the south east, and fearful of the changes affecting their communities. It feels that we are not a liberal country after all. It makes me extremely sad to realise this, and will lead others to question the relevance of our Party. But if we dig deep into the basic principles and aims of our Party we will see that ...
It is not the case that Number 10 do not have a plan. They have a very clear plan. David Cameron let the cat out of the bag in the House of Commons today. He told Angus Robertson, Leader of the SNP group, that Scotland should want to stay inside two single-markets: the British one and the European one. Similar, "helpful" questions came from Ken Clarke, who pushed fairly overtly for Parliament's preference (for which read, the least Brexit-like) and Pat McFadden, who asked him if he knew of any country which was admitted to the single market but which ...
I made only one nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form) for the 1941 Retro Hugos. It was: Weltraumschiff 1 startet Despite what it says on YouTube, this was apparently made in 1940, not 1937. I doubt that many others nominated it though. I also nominated Pinocchio in Long Form. It's 88 minutes long, which is just under the cutoff, but I (and several other voters whose votes were posted on File 770) felt that it belonged in the Long Form category. The Hugo administrators took a different view, so it's my one nominee on the Short Form final ballot. ...
Blyth Town Council Community Grants Committee meets next week to decide on the allocations of grants to Community Organisations. It is most likely that most, if not all, of the money set aside for Community Grants will be allocated. However, each ward councillor has a total of £1000 to allocate to small schemes in their ward. My fellow ward councillor , Cllr Lesley Rickerby has allocated her allowance to the Blyth Battery Volunteers, but as yet I haven't been approached by any organisation. It is too late to put requests in ready for next week, but if any South Blyth ...
It's been a bruising and disappointing few days for all of us, but two nights' sleep, a lot of conversations and some thought have left me impelled to express an opinion in the Voice. I am setting out my contentions, for which I am grateful to the many people I have discussed them with, below. The first point is that the proposal to leave the EU is a major constitutional change and that it is just not apposite to make such changes on the basis of a simple majority in a referendum. That point is reinforced by the fact that ...
[IMG: recruiting website] Many local parties are seeing a growth in membership and now is a key time to recruit and activate members. There will be lots more in the coming days and months on how can can campaign and fight back. There are some immediate things we can do to reach out to our neighbours who are [...]
The Liverpool City Council Lib Dem team Cllrs Makinson, Kemp, Juarez and Kelly invite you to come and join us This is the third in my "What Next" series following the European Referendum and it is by far the most ... Continue reading →
Mon 27th
16:25
Best of Enemies: a great documentary about the debates which changed US political coverage
Best of Enemies is a fascinating retelling of the TV debates between Gore Vidal and William F Buckley Jr which changed TV coverage of US politics.
Vote Leave seem to have ridden a tide of resentment to a narrow referendum majority, and immediately had to start admitting to lying in their campaign. The lies were impressive and, combined with the idea that experts are not to be trusted, were irrefutable. They played on the fears and anxieties of people who already felt left behind. They spoke to people struggling from years of austerity and feeling ignored by "elites". What happens to these people as they realise they were taken for a ride by a faction of that "elite" that played on their vulnerability? What is happening ...
I voted to Remain I voted to remain in the EU Referendum. I am a firm believer in the idea that together the EU, as a group of countries, has a strong global economic voice and that the union has allowed a shattered post-war continent to rebuild. Like most outside the political system, I was disappointed but not necessarily shocked by the referendum result. It has been impossible to ignore the recent growing disparity of wealth across Europe as a whole. A political system which only favours the elite and turns its back on the people the system was designed ...
Mon 27th
14:57
Public Meeting: Whitefield & Unsworth Township Forum 5 July, 6.30pm - plus PACT at 5.30pm
The next Whitefield & Unsworth Township Forum takes place on Tuesday 5 July, 6.30pm at Elms Community Centre. Agenda items include: · Appointment of Chair and Vice Chair · Advisory Board membership · New Health and Care Centre for Whitefield - update on progress (Mike Woodhead, Acting Chief Finance Officer - NHS Bury CCG) · Police Update · Shaping your town plan (roundtable discussions to identify key local issues) · Updates – Uplands, Former Town Hall, Hickory Grange, Porada, Pilsworth · Public Open Question Time · Funding · Any Urgent Business Whitefield/Unsworth Township Forum agendas and minutes of meetings can ...
So there we are. The deep splits in the Conservative Party and the Labour Party have foreshadowed the division of the British voting public now into two nearly equal halves. There will be plenty of analysis of who the Brexiters are and why they won, but one thing seems clear. The Leave voters rejected the supposed authority figures, the elites of politics and business and finance, all the leaders to whom our forebears looked up. It seemed to be in that respect a genuine revolt of the masses. An almighty wave, worthy of a Japanese painter, has crashed our own ...
The UK fiasco has continued unabated. Neither the Conservatives nor the Labour party have any effective leader. It is quite clear that the victorious Leave camp is totally divided as to what should happen next, and there is no clear plan as to what level of engagement or disengagement the UK will have with the European Union. The market collapse that is taking place is the responsibility of the utterly irresponsible leaders of the Leave campaign. So, it could well be that having wielded the knife against David Cameron, Boris Johnson may yet go the way of a previous Tory ...
HQ tells us that by last night 6000 new members had joined the Liberal Democrats, echoing the big increase in membership after the General Election last year. We love having new members so we hope you will all get involved and help push the party forward. Encourage your friends to join; if they think like you then they probably won't need much persuading. Caron Lindsay has written a post full of useful information for new members. Also, search us out on Facebook and Twitter (@LibDems, @timfarron, @libdemvoice) if you haven't found us already. Lots of local parties and activists are ...
This morning I was at the National Trust in Formby to help with a litter pick on the beach. It was good to see so many volunteers from the NT and Lancashire Wildlife Trust including a contingent from Merseytravel. We were also joined by pupils from St Luke's CofE School Formby.
By last night, 6,000 people had joined and numbers are continuing to rise, driven by social media. "A lot of people have felt this very deeply," said Tim Farron. "They are concerned that the Brexit leaders clearly had no economic plan and are understandably fearful about what lies ahead for jobs and investment. But more [...]
While campaigning for Remain outside a local train station, I spoke to a woman who seemed to be a conspiracy theorist. She told me that she expected that the majority of people would vote Leave, but that she was nevertheless convinced that Britain would remain in the EU anyway. "They'll fix it somehow." She said. I tried to assure her that it was more or less impossible for the count to be rigged (which I assumed to be the sort of scenario she was envisaging). She was clearly unconvinced, and walked away, with a smile which seemed to say "You'll ...
Mon 27th
12:23
Will Joe or his Labour challengers just suck the life out of Liverpool's surrounding borough's?
The Liverpool Echo has a story about Labour's potential candidates for Lord of Merseyside – see link above Readers of this blog site will know that I am in no way a fan of Merseyside having a Metro Mayor to lord it over us all, indeed I think the whole carry on will potentially be the death of Liverpool's surrounding council areas. But whether we want a Metro Mayor or not this wretched Tory Government, whose bed Merseyside Labour has all to firmly jumped into, is making us have one. So who will the Metro Mayor be? Just look ...
Sometimes the Scottish Liberal Democrats needs a bucket of ice water dropped on its head. There was a members meeting on Sunday in Edinburgh in which we were to discuss the way forward. Chatham House rules mean I am restricted in what I can say but I think it's fair for me to outline the broad nature of the challenges that face the party. It is to Willie Rennie's credit that the meeting was called at all, but there was a real feeling among many at that meeting that the party just isn't facing up to the reality of the ...
Mon 27th
12:15Cameron – one of those leaders who will be defined in history by a single enormous mistake
Another powerful piece spotted by Roy Connell on the Guardian web site – have a read of it via the link above.
Anthony Tuffin of STV Action says: Turnout Yesterday's EU referendum turnout was 72% compared with 65.1% and 66.2% in the 2010 and 2015 general elections. An important reason for this is, as David Cameron said on 8 June, "every vote counts the same [in the referendum]". Comparison Although the referendum result was very close (51.9% - 48.1%), at least it was clear and obvious - unlike the general election results in 2005 and 2015 when, respectively, the Labour Party was awarded an overall majority for only 35.2% of the votes and the Conservative Party was awarded an overall majority for ...
Boris Johnson campaigned in the referendum on an NHS spending promise he's never going to be able to keep. Which is quite a problem for the Tories if he's their leader.
Do not support the 48% who voted remain; support the 100% who have the same values as we do. Liberal – Willing to respect, accept behaviour or opinions different from your own; open to new ideas Democrat – The belief in freedom and equality between people Not my words but dictionary definitions of what Liberal Democrats should stand for. So what does this mean post-Brexit? Let us get rid of the rhetoric and angst among individuals that voted remain or leave. Let us find the good in all individuals whichever way they voted. Those who already agree with our ideals ...
Since Thursday we have been overwhelmed at LDV with posts from very many readers, and they are still arriving. Thank you to all of you! I was in the editor's chair yesterday and again today, and have been working my way through the submissions. It is clear that we simply can't publish all of them because of the sheer volume. So I thought I would explain how I am choosing the ones that will appear. First I am looking for posts that bring something new to the debate. And second, I am giving priority to members who have not contributed ...
I am English. I am British. I am European. When I woke up at 6am on Friday 24th June, I wept. I wept for the country I have called home for my entire life no longer feels my own. I wept because my voice had not been heard, had been drowned out. I tried to make the arguments for unity, and against intolerance, but they simply were not strong enough. I am part of the 48%. I am a Yorkshire lass. I am a Northerner. I am Human. I am deeply concerned about the future of England, of the United ...
The country is in a mess at present – only the most passionate Leave oriented folk will deny that; even most of them concede it. Everyone is looking to what happens next. Some clues are given in what is possibly the most extraordinary newspaper article ever written by a major political figure in British history. Boris Johnson attempts to calm frayed nerves with his vision of what Brexit now means; it is one so ludicrous it would make Douglas Carswell laugh with incredulity. Boris tells us that somehow we are going to have access to the single market while eliminating ...
The UK has followed Ireland, France and the Netherlands in rejecting the EU in a referendum. As in those countries, the result was unexpected, the government unprepared and the situation unresolved by the outcome. Overall, 51.9% voted to leave the EU and 48.1% voted to remain. But in hardly a single community was that the actual result. In most communities two thirds voted one way and one third the other in a ballot which ripped Britain limb from limb. As was said with grim humour when Wales defeated Northern Ireland 1-0 in the European football championship on Saturday, 'this is ...
I am indebted to the writer Jeanette Winterson for the title to this blog. It is worth checking out the link for a few more Brexit phrases. But the reason why I chose the headline is this article on the BBC in which the former Mayor of London proves that he really does live in a fantasy land. The BBC reference a column written by Mr. Johnson for the Daily Telegraph in which he writes: "I cannot stress too much that Britain is part of Europe, and always will be. "There will still be intense and intensifying European co-operation and ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 27 JUNE 2016 Scottish Water Clatto East mains renewal - Mid Wynd closed. South Tay Street closed northbound. Perth Road (Hawkhill to Nethergate) and Nethergate (Perth Road to Union Street) - closed eastbound from Monday 4 July. West Marketgait - nearside northbound lane closure at Ward Road for one week for BT cabling work. A90 Kingsway (at Swallow roundabout) - overnight (7.30pm - 6.30am) offside northbound lane closure on Thursday 30 June for barrier repair. Thomson Street - closed for one week for water service ...
Over 3 million people have signed the Parliamentary petition calling for a second referendum. By contrast, under 2.5 million people voted Lib Dem at the last general election.
Originally posted on Robinince's Blog: It is probably an ill-advised gesture to write about feelings that occurred on Friday morning. I have typed it and hastily reread it, but I am sure there will be errors in grammar and logic. I post it rapidly before I lose faith in it. Hopefully this is clearly...
This is a reminder that I welcome guest posts on Liberal England. And as you can see from the list of the 10 most recent guest posts below, I am happy to consider a wide range of subjects. If you would like to write a guest post yourself, please send me an email so we can discuss your idea. Politic360: Mending online political discussion - Jason BrownA new hole in the safety net - AnonymousMemories of Snailbeach in the 1950s - Christina SamsonWe are all the poorer for soundbite politics - Tony RobertsonA few thoughts on walking - Phil SmithThe ...
Big Data and the Law Fascinating. (tags: crime statistics ) UK physics faces huge uncertainty after EU referendum result Solving the problem of experts by getting rid of 'em. (tags: eu science ukpolitics ) The EU will treat Britain like Greece Only worse. Great article - in @Telegraph! (tags: eu ukpolitics ) Brussels bickers over Brexit The dynamics of the EU's response. #fb (tags: ukpolitics eu )
One of the key moments I remember from politics in my twenties was when Harold Macmillan, then the aged Earl of Stockton, intervened in the miners' strike, to the rage of the Thatcher government, in a speech in the House of Lords. "This terrible strike," he called it, "by the best men in the world." Those, as he put it, who had stood up to the Kaiser and then stood up to Hitler as well. It was electrifying partly because it was such a stark contrast with the prevailing narrative of the time. One of the clear implications of the ...
Just to let you know that I've updated all the postcodes and wards at api.flocktogether.org.uk to the latest versions. It's a quick and easy way to: Postcode & geo look-up of ward, constituency, council etc. Boundary lookup Plot data based on postcode Add area and geographical data to CSV files Let me know if you spot any problems.
