Whilst the rest of Westminster (and beyond) is talking about Brexit and the emerging leadership contests in both the Conservative and Labour Parties, legislating continues in the House of Lords at least. Ros has been a proponent of transport policy for many years, and this particular bill is especially important to her, offering as it does a chance to improve transport links for those living in rural communities like Creeting St Peter. She isn't terribly impressed by the response of the Government to some of the points that she has already raised though... Baroness Scott of Needham Market (LD) My ...
From the Lib Dem website with a few light edits: Nominations are now open for this year's Party Awards. These awards are voted and decided by party members, with the winners announced at our Autumn Conference. The awards recognise the fantastic work our members do in our communities and this is your chance to tell us who we should be rewarding. The following awards are open for nomination: President's Award – open to any Party Member elected to public office and who has demonstrated excellence and commitment. Harriet Smith Liberal Democrat Distinguished Service Award – open to any Party Member ...
592 - words from Jon Ashworth on Tory leadership crisis 0 - words from Jon Ashworth on Labour leadership crisishttps://t.co/U3MWR7qyfa— Dan Martin (@Danjamesmartin) June 29, 2016The other day I blogged about the mystery of the failure of Leicester South's Jon Ashworth to resign from the shadow cabinet. Since then the mystery has only deepened. Jeremy Corbyn is down to 40 supporters in the parliamentary party, but Jon Ashworth has still not resigned. He sits their among the Cat Smiths and Richard Burgons. Yet neither has he offered any public explanation of his decision. It has been suggested to me locally ...
Here's what the Greens are calling for: The Green party has written to the leaders of Labour, the Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru to propose an anti-Brexit alliance to oppose the Conservatives in any snap general election. The letter argues that centre-left parties clubbing together to avoid challenging each other in certain constituencies is the best way to counter the iniquities of the first-past-the-post electoral system, which allowed the current government to be voted in by 24% of the electorate. [The Guardian] Of course, one problem with considering a deal involving Labour is the huge uncertainty over what sort of ...
Wed 29th
19:01
Understanding Differences in the Canadian and UK Liberal General Election Strategies in 2015.
I recently reviewed Kenneth Carty's "Big Tent Politics, the Liberal Party's Long Mastery of Canada's Public Life", which was published after Justin Trudeau had become Liberal leader but before his sensational win in the General Election. Liberals went from 34 seats to 184 seats and majority government. As I noted in the review of Carty's book, in his analysis the key planks of Liberal dominance of Canadian politics were expressing liberal values as national identity (being Canadian and liberal are the same thing, and we alone speak for all parts of the country), having a winner's mentality (we will do ...
After a successful local election campaign for the local Liberal Democrat FOCUS Team, it was a bit of a bugger, when I read that the majority on the newly created Gunthorpe ward, had voted in favour of leaving the EU. I certainly realise that people will have a range of valid concerns, but I wonder [...]
All the work the council does and the decisions it makes are in the public domain and largely accessible through its website. However as this is often embedded in committee reports and paperwork you need to know what you are looking for or put in an FOI. So in an attempt to make it simpler [...]
Tim Farron has rightly pledged we should campaign to take Britain back into the EU in the next general election. Should the election take place earlier than expected, we may still be an EU member, and should propose to withdraw from the Article 50 process. In either case, it would not be politically credible to advocate reinstating or maintaining EU membership without proposing major domestic initiatives on immigration. The overall Remain campaign failed to a considerable degree because it did not factor in concerns, whether real or imagined, about immigration. The voices of the, largely, English hinterland must be heeded. ...
Second paragraph of third chapter: Un jour, une colonie mystérieuse partit de l'Espagne et vint aborder à la langue de terre où elle est encore aujourd'hui. Elle arrivait on ne savait d'où et parlait une langue inconnue. Un des chefs, qui entendait le provençal, demanda à la commune de Marseille de leur donner ce promontoire nu et aride, sur lequel ils venaient, comme les matelots antiques, de tirer leurs bâtiments. La demande lui fut accordée, et trois mois après, autour des douze ou quinze bâtiments qui avaient amené ces bohémiens de la mer, un petit village s'élevait. One day, a ...
The three days following the UK's decision to leave the European Union saw Britain's political landscape descend into chaos. Whilst both the Conservatives and Labour have been damaged both by intra-party division, the Liberal Democrats have remained unscathed, benefitting considerably from the turmoil the vote to leave has incited. Division is rife within the Conservatives, with the likelihood of a leader attractive to both pro-and anti-Brexiteers in serious doubt. The 16 million that voted to Remain are unlikely to heed Boris Johnson's call to "build bridges" with a man many perceive has just chosen isolationism over unity and progress. Likewise, ...
[IMG: scam] KCC Trading Standards have received reports of scam telephone calls claiming to be from HMRC, requesting outstanding payments from residents or offering rebates. Please be aware that these calls are NOT being made by HMRC and that scammers may be using caller ID spoofing equipment to make the call appear genuine. HMRC offers guidance on spotting scams and suspicious communications. Please do not disclose any personal information such as bank details, no matter who the person claims to be. If you receive one of these scam telephone calls please report it to KCC Trading Standards. For advice and ...
We probably shouldn’t worry too much about who our next Prime Minister is going to be or whether we can forge a trade agreement without… Continue reading on Medium »
[IMG: Sandgate Esplanade road and pavement flooding (Claire Hudson (www.twitter.com/clairehudson73))] There has been an increase in ther number of large lorries parking (and often "overnighting") on Sandgate Esplanade. This parking causes visibility issues for those crossing the road, blocks the pavement, noise when refridgeration units are left running, and waste being left (and in some instances, complaints that the beach is being used as toilet). A waiting ban for lorries in this area has been approved by the Shepway Joint Transportation Board. Shepway and Kent County Council have to apply for a traffic regulation order for the road to make ...
[IMG: Chelmsford Road re-surfacing farce] Kent Highways are intending to resurface Military Road (Sandgate) from its junction with Sandgate High Street to the junction with North Road. The micro resurfacing works are programmed for 8th August 2016, and there should be local signage to advise on any closures, diversions or parking suspensions, and other restrictions during the works. Kent County Council say micro resurfacing "is generally used on urban roads and lasts up to 10 years. We fix faults and potholes, but we then place a pre-mixed tarmac dressing which is then pressed down." You can learn more about micro ...
[IMG: Lynne Beaumont and Tim Prater on Horn Street bridge] Folkestone Campaigners Lynne Beaumont and Tim Prater calling for the widening of Horn Street bridge Despite residents, campaigners and councillors from Folkestone and Sandgate insisting that for the new Shorncliffe development to go ahead required a widened road bridge at Horn Street, Shepway Development Control decided... against making that a condition on the developer. Instead of widening the bridge to allow east two-way running, there there will be traffic lights put on the bridge to enforce one-way running, and associated works to the approaches and creation of a junction to ...
[IMG: Shepway District Council Sandgate Parking Consultation Notice on Granville Parade] The news is... there is no news. The proposals for a Sandgate Granville Parade / Castle Road CPZ with 2 hour parking restriction for those without a permit (8am-8pm every day of the year) was opposed by a huge number of local residents, your Lib Dem team, businesses and Sandgate Parish Council. The formal consulation held by Shepway District Council on the scheme received hundreds of objections (we know, having handed in many of them ourselves!) and apparently very few comments in support. Since the close of that consultation, ...
[IMG: money pound save savings] The Shepway Community Chest scheme is now open and the deadline for completed applications is 5pm on Monday 1 August 2016. There is a total of £95,000 available in 2016: one amount of up to £50,000 and smaller grants between £1,000 - £5,000 are available. The community chest is a funding scheme that allocates grants to community groups and charities delivering projects for the benefit of Shepway residents. Projects must not start before the grant has been awarded and the grant must be claimed within 12 months. The grant and the funding is paid retrospectively ...
With acknowledgements to Adams of the Daily Telegraph.
In light of the recent referendum result, as a Young Liberal, I have found this result disheartening and frustrating. Joining the party at 16 and now being 17, I have not yet been able to exercise my voice and vote in any democratic election aside from the Liberal Democrat leadership election. This matter disappoints me and, I'm sure, many other politically passionate 16 and 17 year olds massively. From a personal perspective I cannot help but feel that there is an enormous need for change to cater for this currently unheard voice in politics. I and many other young people ...
www.facebook.com/steamport/videos/1792830200935509/ I picked up on this wonderful film on the Steamport Facebook page. Worth looking at for bit of Southport nostalgia. Just scroll down the facebook page until you see it.
We are now facing the reality of life outside the EU and with it the prospect of a new United Kingdom. With the result of the referendum so close it is essential that the path we move forward on as a country is determined by a wide range of views: those who voted in and those who voted out; the young and the old; people from the left, the right and centre; voices from all parts of the United Kingdom. We have a chance to take this huge, albeit unwanted, change in our relationship with the world and turn it ...
Well Brexiters you didn't have a plan before you won and there's little sign of one being put on the table for us all to scrutinise now you have won. You may, in your view, have 'got your country back' but what on earth does that mean other than it being an emotional political slogan? Your leaders (Johnson, Gove and Farage etc.) told big fibs during the referendum campaign, not least the one about extra funding for the NHS which they dropped like a stone as soon as the polls closed. Take a look at this on the BBC web ...
[IMG: talking website] It is that time again when we are out again knocking on doors - hopefully in the glorious sunshine. To give ALDC members a helping hand for your next session, we are have released our latest survey This template is designed so that you have a standard back page and then you can mailmerge on different versions [...]
Amongst the post-apocalyptic Brexit debris, I have somehow managed to steel myself and pore over the depressing map of blue England in an attempt to seek out some positive signs of life and hope. The immediate signals are clear and well-documented, pretty much yellow 'Remain' for the large metropolitan areas and swathes of blue for the rural 'Leave' (although the blue is practically purple on the East Anglian fringes!). Amongst all this there are some exceptions, some yellow remain anomalies that stand out amongst the sea of blue. On closer inspection, these areas are identified as Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire, South ...
Wed 29th
12:08
Why do politicians ramp up anti immigrant rhetoric instead of solving the real problems?
(this is mostly adapted from a stream of consciousness I posted earlier on twitter, so might look familiar to some of you) We all know that there are some politicians who actually are racist, and stoke up racist tensions because they are racist and want to see racism succeed. But what about the vast majority who think they are not racist? Why do we see, over and over again, people who pride themselves on being progressive saying we must listen to people's genuine concerns on immigration* and similar shite? Why did Gary Younge have to write this article? One reason ...
After 40 years of eschewing any formal affiliation with a political party, I threw the towel in the day after the Brexit vote and joined… Continue reading on Medium »
[IMG: Kickstart 2016] We live in politically uncertain times. Following the referendum vote, British politics seems more volatile than ever and yet, as the growth in the party's membership shows, it is a good time for Liberal Democrats to campaign. Whatever the next few months hold we know that we have local elections next May. Campaigning in wards [...]
Someone uploaded Boris Johnson's speech to a porn site because he's 'f***ed Britain' "Dumb British Blonde fucks 16 million people at once" Polish girl, 16, found dead at school after complaints of racist bullying after moving to Cornwall After a campaign scarred by bigotry, it's become OK to be racist in Britain Brexit: if you think Corbyn is the problem, you haven't been paying attention Prof Brian Cox criticises 'nonsensical' university speaking bans | Media | The Guardian Brian Cox on the healthy scepticism of science and the wisdom of changing your mind (unless you're his wife in which case ...
[IMG: Flag_of_Europe_Crying_LD] The referendum result has been a dramatic and emotional experience for us all. A mixture of anger, worry, upset and concern has been felt since the result became known last Friday morning. We've got mad, now let's get organised. We need to ensure that we are focused so we can grasp any opportunities this uncertain [...]
For those of us waiting for the publication of the Chilcott report on the Iraq war, a BBC documentary tonight might prove to be a useful appetizer. In it former weapons inspector Hans Blix claims that Tony Blair "did not represent the reality" in relation to Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction ahead of the 2003 invasion. In other words Mr. Blair misled us all: Mr Blix did not suggest the former PM acted in bad faith, adding: "Many people bring themselves to believe something that they want to believe." The Swedish diplomat and politician added: "I think Blair ...
The news that UKIP have been handed the chair of the Assembly's Climate Change Committee has naturally caused outrage around Wales. After all this is the party which publicly denies the existence of man-made climate change. Quite how the new chair is going to reconcile that belief with the evidence that he will be presented with is difficult to see. I do not share the view of some that he may be won over to a different viewpoint. What exactly was going through the minds of party business managers when they decided on the allocation of chairs will forever remain ...
The unravelling of the Brexit vote - and parallel calls for a second referendum - is gathering pace. There may be hope for us in this, but there is also a massive warning which is crucial to the viability of liberalism in our country. The referendum result was a triumph for illogicality. Many of those who voted Leave stand to lose most, through everything from endangered employment rights gained through the EU to the security of jobs reliant on trade with Europe. So we need to look deeper behind the reasons for the Leave vote, and when we do, we ...
It's that time of year again - the Party Awards season, and the nominations pack is now up on the website. The awards recognise the exceptional and dedicated work our members do in our communities and this is your chance to tell us who we should be recognising. The following awards are open for nomination: President's Award – open to any Party Member elected to public office and who has demonstrated excellence and commitment. Harriet Smith Liberal Democrat Distinguished Service Award – open to any Party Member never elected to public office and who has demonstrated excellence and commitment. Belinda ...
Embed from Getty Images During the Liberal Democrat leadership contest Tim Farron has published a manifesto setting out his political credo. Titled My Values – My Liberalism, it set out what liberalism means to him and his priorities for the party's ideological development. The document set out a strong and positive case for liberalism, the Liberal Democrats and Tim Farron as leader. It also served a more defensive purpose, because one of the criticisms made of Tim Farron previously is that some said he was a bit of a policy lightweight. Tim Farron has been working to banish such views, ...
[IMG: Boris Johnson] Boris Johnson 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 ...
Brexit is great news for the rest of the EU This is probably more true than I would like it to be. #fb (tags: ukpolitics eu ) Volkswagen to Pay Up to $14.7 Billion to Settle Diesel-Emissions Claims And it won't end there. (tags: uspolitics environment )
Wed 29th
06:58
This is what I think the Tories will do next in the Brexit saga - and its consequences
Before the EU referendum, I predicted that if the country voted Leave, the Tories would do one of two things. Either take us out of the single market and try and remodel the country as a low tax, small state neocon paradise; or they would curl up into a foetal position and beg for mummy. So far, the second thing seems to be winning the day. They still might pluck themselves up and go for the Singapore off the coast of France deal, but at present they seem to lack the cojones. Which is good for all us, I'd like ...
