Yesterday, Gateshead's all-Labour cabinet met for the 4th time to try to take a decision on whether or not to be part of the North East devolution deal. Yet again, they deferred a decision. While the dithering continues, Labour in the region have demonstrated they could not even lead the way through an open door. They have fallen apart over the devolution package which is now having to be
Literary Norfolk tells the sad story of Alan Smethurst, the singing postman: Allan Smethurst (aka The Singing Postman) was born in Bury in Lancashire on November 18th, 1927 - but at the age of two his family moved to Sheringham in North Norfolk. They lived at 48, Cliff Road and the town would later feature in one of his lyrics: 'I am a Shannock, I wor a Shannock'. Smethurst's mother was originally from Stiffkey and so he was exposed to the Norfolk accent from birth. He also spent many childhood holidays in the village and could vividly recall the burying ...
(I've pushed the Batpost and Beach Boys post back a couple of days, as I had a blood pressure headache yesterday and then news happened today. They'll be up tomorrow and Friday). I've mostly stayed away from the subject of ... Continue reading →
Embed from Getty Images Tim Farron writes in today's Guardian: We have still had no answers the big questions about Britain's future. Will our businesses still have access to the single market, with all the benefits it brings for British jobs and our economy? What will happen to freedom of movement, not just for Europeans who want to live and work here but for Brits who want to live and work in Europe? What will happen to the British citizens who already live, work and study on the continent or EU citizens who have made their lives in the UK? ...
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. A 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 mad, mad world of Maghull Town Council ...
Oh, how many times have Maghull residents heard that in recent years and how many times has less than nothing positive happened at all? The positive news – should it actually happen I heard today that Home Bargains is moving into the Square on left hand side past Martins newsagents in 3 or more units that will be knocked into one large shop. The present Home & Bargains shop will become a Specsavers and a Holland & Barrett. This supposed to happen within a timescale 12 to 18 months, I am told. The bad news – it will happen HSBC ...
Wed 7th
19:11
"We are not going to let them anywhere near power again" - a PM too comfortable with power
Theresa May has not even been Prime Minister for two months. However, she is already displaying a complacency in power that is quite chilling. At only her second Prime Minister's Questions, she had this to say to Jeremy Corbyn: What we do know is that, whoever wins the Labour party leadership, we are not going to let them anywhere near power again. These are not the words of a Prime Minister who believes that power comes from the people. You could dismiss that as banter if the Tories were not trying to stitch up the entire political system in their ...
On the first day of this challenge, I walked through Bass's recreation ground on my way into town. I did a similar walk again today and noticed that the Moscow State Circus is in town. It would have been pretty impressive had I not noticed I suppose ... Circus acts aren't my thing, as skillful as they undoubtedly are. But ... The post 10,000 steps a day – day 7 – the circus has come to town appeared first on ten pence piece.
Second paragraph of third story ("Angel, Dark Angel"): As he crossed toward the conveyor belt, a dozen heads turned in his direction because of the flash of light that occurred immediately before him. Third of the definitive NESFA six-volume collection of Zelazny's short fiction, poetry and prose. Most of the stories were ones I already knew from collections published in or shortly after Zelazny's lifetime, the most striking exceptions being the texts of two children's books, Here There Be Dragons and Way Up High, whose original publication was delayed for years because of a dispute with underground artist, Vaughn Bodē, ...
A fast-growing open hardware movement is creating ingenious versions of all sorts of technologies, and freely sharing them through social media. CERN is home to some of the largest and most complex scientific equipment on the planet. Yet back in March, scientists gathered there for a conference about DIY laboratory tools. Scientists in poorly funded labs, particularly in the global south, have used DIY tools for many years. But well-resourced institutes are increasingly interested in the collaborative possibilities of open labware. Citizen scientists are also using it to build instruments for tasks like environmental monitoring, which can then be used ...
Guest post by Tim Farron, Leader of the Liberal Democrats: Liberal Democrats believe that the British people should have their say on the final Brexit deal in a referendum. Voting for a departure is not the same as voting for a destination. British people have a right to have their say on whether the deal [...]
[IMG: laboursplit] In a time when barely an hour passes without something interesting happening in British politics, some people might have missed that Jeremy Corbyn's position on the UK remaining in the single market appears to have got a little muddy this afternoon: Labour source repeatedly refuses to say that Jeremy Corbyn wants Britain to remain a member of the single market — Emily Ashton (@elashton) September 7, 2016 Now, this might all be a flash in the pan – though attempts to clarify Corbyn's position don't seem to be helping – but it feels potentially important for the future ...
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across England & Wales] Thousands more disadvantaged jobseekers and people with disabilities and health conditions would be supported into work if funding and responsibility for the new Work and Health Programme (WHP) is devolved to all local areas, councils say today. The Local Government Association is calling on the Government to ensure it avoids repeating the mistakes of its [...]
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across England & Wales] Still thinking about whether to register for the Lib Dem Conference next week in Brighton? All councillors are warmly encouraged to attend if they are able to, as this article on Lib Dem Voice makes clear: Councillors: Conference is for you too!
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across England & Wales] Liberal Democrats have called on the government to scrap its plan to hit some state schools that have solar panels with a tax hike. Cllr Liz Green, Lib Dem Education spokesperson at the Local Government Association, said: "The plan from the government is crazy and they should abandon this proposal. Those schools who have solar [...]
Fancy archery, cycling, skateboarding or yoga in the beautiful setting of the Wandle Valley Park? Get Active Wandle Valley is new project being delivered by the Wandle Valley Regional Park Trust with funding from Sport England and the National Trust together with the four Wandle boroughs: Sutton, Wandsworth, Merton & Croydon. It is the first [...]
Tim Farron is popping up everywhere today. You'd think that this was co-ordinatd or something. He's written for us about his plan for Britain and Europe. He was on Good Morning Britain before dawn, Radio 5 Live, the Today programme. He's also gone and pitched a massive great marquee on Labour's lawn in this article for the Guardian. Labour, he says, are all over the place. For Labour, it is still deciding whether it's even a pro-European party. Owen Smith has made clear he wants it to be, but Jeremy Corbyn's ambivalence was plain for all to see in the ...
Oh dear, news is reaching me via Twitter site 'Sefton Hour' that indicates that HSBC may well be closing their branch in Maghull. [IMG: index] The Town has already lost a Barclays and a Nat West branch recently; got to be bad news for Maghull if this closure is followed through. Update/Stop Press – With thanks to a local HSBC customer I can tell you the following:- HSBC have stated that the Maghull Branch is to close at 2.30pm on Friday 2nd December, and all accounts held at Maghull will be transferred to Stanley Road, Bootle Branch. Picture credit – ...
I have commented on the this project before and having been told that work on the Mill site had been completed I decided to have a look. [IMG: A view across the site with Sefton Church behind the camera. The clods of soil/grass on the hard landscaped pathways, which are meant to represent where the walls of the mill were, are evident.] A view across the site with Sefton Church behind the camera. The clods of soil/grass on the hard landscaped pathways, which are meant to represent where the walls of the mill were, are evident. I must say I ...
For the genesis of this inventory please see previous post, which examines the UK in respect of Beveridge's "five giants." Now to look at some additional, random, issues. Democracy: The House of Lords, the electoral system, the financing of political parties, all remain insufficiently reformed; respect for politicians is severely diminished, largely as a result of expenses scandals which seem to continue in spite of embarrassments; and lobbyist have influence which far outweighs that of the public. Our democracy is moving closer to the American model - available for purchase Equality: Our society is becoming more and more unequal, with ...
[IMG: ALDC Master Logo (for screen)] Each year, ALDC recognises the outstanding work of local Focus teams through our Campaigner Awards and the voting is now open to select your best Focus teams from across the UK. This year, after shortlisting, we have opened the vote to you! Regardless of whether you are a member of ALDC or not, we want members of the party to have a say in this year's winners so click below to login and get voting today. Voting closes on 14th September. This year, our categories and candidates are: Best by-election campaign Aird & Loch ...
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Tim Farron writes: This morning I'm setting out our party's plan for Britain in Europe. Our key demand is simple - we demand the British people have their say on the final deal in a referendum.Read the plan ➤ The simple fact is, voting for a departure is not the same as voting for a destination. The British people deserve a real choice over what comes next, to guarantee that it is the right decision for them, their families, their jobs and our country.In the meantime, our party has another vital task, to fight for ...
I'm really hoping this is a rumour that pans out. She seems like an excellent fit for the series. Watch this scene from the Manchurian Candidate and tell me otherwise: Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Angela Lansbury, Game of Thrones, TV
What % Dog Are You I got: You're 75% dog! What % dog are you? via @BuzzFeedUK 'Little has changed': migrants and refugees are still seen as the enemy - Media Diversified RT @WritersofColour: 'Little has changed': migrants and refugees are still seen as the enemy... New Snowden leaks unravel mystery behind NSA's UK base Snowden leaks what we all knew about Menwith Hill Star Trek's iconic computer voice may live on in your phone Yaaaay! Bringing borders into the classroom: the new immigration duty in the School Census | Migrants' Rights Network (MRN) RT @KojoRTE: Borders start at schools ...
After a hiatus in meetings over the summer, the Federal Policy Committee met for the first time on 6th September 2016. This was a very lengthy meeting. It commenced at 14:30 and went on well into the evening. There were only two items on the agenda. Snap General Election Manifesto The Federal Policy Committee is responsible for the preparation of the General Election manifestoes for the party. Earlier in the year, following the turmoil surrounding the Brexit vote, the change in party leadership in the Tories and the extreme instability in Labour, it looked like there might be a snap ...
Wed 7th
09:56
Do we need a new Clause IV moment? Why socialism is the elephant in the centre-left room
Many on the left of Labour still take pleasure in decrying Blair's altering of Clause IV of the party's constitution, citing it as definitive proof that the former Labour leader never cared about his own party's ideological core. Yet what I've always found interesting about that "moment" at the special Easter conference in 1995 is the first line of Blair's revised clause. For those of you who can't recall what it is, let me remind you: "The Labour Party is a democratic socialist party." The reason I find this noteworthy is because while the changing of Clause IV is famous ...
One of my roles on Colchester Council is being deputy chair of the Governance and Audit Committee, which is almost as thrilling a role as it sounds. It's one of those jobs – checking that the council's operations are running correctly, and that the finances are properly audited – that's necessary for good government and democracy, but doesn't usually generate headlines and vast public interest when it goes right. One task the committee is dealing with this year is hopefully of more interest than our usual agenda though: reviewing how the Council runs meetings and our ways of working. The ...
[IMG: Conf Stand (500x375)] For ALDC members attending Conference next week, we've put our heads together and made a short list of ways to get the most out of the event. 1. Come to the ALDC exhibition stand Claire Halliwell, Campaigns Officer Come over to the ALDC exhibition stand and catch up with the team, we'd love to find out [...]
Theresa May's assertion that 'Brexit means Brexit' may well have sufficed as a soundbite on the steps of 10 Downing Street as she assumed the premiership, but it clearly is not good enough to enable the UK to navigate the uncertain future imposed on us by a very close referendum result. A recent cabinet away day has left us no wiser as to how the government wants to conduct negotiations, what their red lines are and what May's vision is for a post-European Union Britain. So thank goodness we have had the Secretary of State for exiting the EU answering ...
Wed 7th
09:00
Winterbourne Medieval Barn event - Heritage Open Days with Bell-ringing 10 and 11 September
Heritage Open Days with Bell-ringing from the Lichfield Diocesan Mobile Belfry Saturday 10 September 11am - 5pm and Sunday 11 September 12.00 - 5pm National Heritage Open Days celebrates England's fantastic architecture and culture by offering free access to properties across the country that are usually closed or charge for admission. Winterbourne Medieval Barn is an outstanding and unique building of national importance now owned by South Glos Council. Built by Thomas de Bradeston in 1342, just a few years before the Black Death hit in England, only three barns of this scale are recorded as built by gentry' families, ...
Yesterday Public Health England produced a report on the health of every local authority area in England. The report for Liverpool is very poor index. This is not the fault of the council or the NHS or housing providers. It ... Continue reading →
How history forgot the black women behind Nasa's space race Wow. (tags: space sexandgenderandsexuality uspolitics race ) Japan's Brexit note to Britain Read it. It's brutal. (tags: japan ukpolitics eu ) ++AN-I-MATE!++ The Power of the Daleks celebrates 50th Anniversary with animated reconstruction Hooray! (tags: doctorwho )
Today, I am announcing a plan to keep Britain at the heart of Europe. First and foremost, I believe the British people should be given the right to vote on the government's negotiated Brexit deal. Voting for a departure is not the same as voting for a destination. This is not an attempt to re-run the first referendum; we must respect the result. But the British people should be allowed to choose what comes next, to ensure it is right for them, their families, their jobs and our country. Our relationship with Europe affects our economy, our security, climate change, ...
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron is today launching the Liberal Democrat Plan for Britain in Europe, including a demand that Parliament votes on the terms of negotiation before Article 50 is triggered and that a referendum is held on the terms of any deal negotiated.
Last week, I took part in a Conference call with Tim Farron and was very reassured at the strength of his resolve to ensure that the UK has the strongest possible role in Europe. Our commitment to campaign to stay in the EU, or rejoin if we leave remains at the heart of what we will offer the British people at the next General Election. In that call, we found out that Tim would be doing something that the Government with all its massive resources hasn't managed to get it together to do – launching an actual plan for Britain's ...
