Earlier today, I was given confirmation by our local police Chief Inspector that Police Scotland intends to consult on the possible closure of the Ryehill Police Office at the Pennycook Lane/Perth Road junction. I made clear to the Chief Inspector that I am wholly against such a move - the Ryehill Police Office is a crucial resource in the West End and closing it would be highly detrimental. Later today, at the West End Community Council meeting, I reinforced this view and it is clear there is strong community support to stop any proposal to close this local police office. ...
Whoever runs the Lib Dem Lords' Twitter account has a sense of humour: For those who can't get enough of leadership elections votes for the new leader of the @LibDemLords will be counted at 1530 — Lib Dem Lords (@LibDemLords) September 13, 2016 Dick Newby beat Robin Teverson in the race to succeed Jim Wallace. As leader I am determined to head a team which speaks clearly as the credible voice of opposition." @RichardNewby3 pic.twitter.com/pgZmVGNAkd — Lib Dem Lords (@LibDemLords) September 13, 2016 Dick has been the Chief Whip in the Lords most recently but has a long history in ...
So, the count took place, with both candidates and the outgoing Leader present, under the close watch of the Deputy Chief Whip, Christine Humphreys, and I was able to declare the result as being; Dick Newby 59 votes, Robin Teverson 44 votes Close, but no cigar, for the former MEP, but it was no disgrace to pick up more than 40% of the votes. I wouldn't be surprised to see him take on a leadership role in the future. Dick Newby has been on my radar for more than three decades now, from his SDP days. He, like I, have ...
Liberal Democrat members in Lewes have selected Kelly-Marie Blundell as their Prospective Parliamentary candidate in the constituency which was represented by Norman Baker until 2015.
Look back on Ongar.
Following Jim Wallace's decision to stand down as the Liberal Democrat Leader in the House of Lords, Dick Newby was elected his successor earlier today. He beat the former MEP Robin Teverson 59-44 on a 98% turnout. Honoured to have been elected Leader of Lib Dems in Lords. — Richard Newby (@RichardNewby3) September 13, 2016 Dick Newby was previously the Chief Whip and has a long background in political organising, including as Chief Executive of the SDP and as Charles Kennedy's Chief of Staff. In his previous role he was notably active in promoting campaign visits from peers to local ...
We are no nearer learning how Lord Bonkers believes the Liberal Democrats can start winning elections again, but I suppose he does have to deal with his correspondence. Take a cold tub and volunteer for extra delivering Lunch was enjoyable, but before I get down to writing my article I must attend to this morning's post. What do we have? A letter from an Irish bishop inquiring about visiting hours at the aforementioned orphanage. Another from a journalist who wants to interview me about my part in the archaeological dig that discovered 'Ashdown Man' - at one time the old ...
Embed from Getty Images The Spectator's Steerpike quotes Nick Clegg's words at a Commons press gallery lunch today: "I'll just say a word about Liam Fox though because I do feel sorry for him. I'm not a betting man but if I was I'd put a fair amount of money on Liam Fox resigning in a huff in the next 18 months and I'll explain to you why. He doesn't have a job and he doesn't appear to have realised that yet. "He genuinely doesn't have a job. If the United Kingdom doesn't leave the customs union then he is ...
Tue 13th
19:16
LDV Survey now live: Your views on Tim Farron, Brexit, nuclear weapons and a progressive alliance so...
[IMG: LDV survey graphic] The new LDV members' survey is now live. So if you are one of the 2,200+ registered members of the Liberal Democrat Voice forum, and any paid-up party member is welcome to join, then you now have the opportunity to make your views known. Questions we're asking this time include: What do you think of the Lib Dems' plan for Britain in Europe? Should there be a referendum on the final Brexit deal? Should we have a nuclear deterrent? Should parties work together to defeat the Conservatives in a Progressive Alliance? What forms of co-operation would ...
I took the cat to work today. Thrill as you see me pull away without stalling. Be amazed as I slip easily under Derby's notorious low bridge without scraping the roof (11 minutes in). Watch as a taxi driver performs a questionable U-turn in front of the bus station (13:40). See me shake my head! Wonder why I simply didn't ... The post 10,000 steps a day – day 13 – taking the cat to work appeared first on ten pence piece.
Second paragraph of third chapter: Ralph thought of all those weekends spent cajoling David to help him in the garden.A novel about grownup siblings who have always known that they were adopted, and decide to find out about their birth parents, upending existing relationships with their adopted family and their spouses. I don't have personal experience of adoption myself, and I wonder whether Trollope really does either; the plot had no surprises and I didn't feel that the characters' reactions to their new self-knowledge rose much above cliche. It's a long time since I read any Joanna Trollope, and in ...
Well, bugger me! The proposals are out, and although backed up by population figures, they really have made a dog's breakfast of the Northumberland proposals. Most notable is to proposed abolition of the Wansbeck constituency. Morpeth and Rothbury go to the extended Hexham constituency, Ashington and Newbiggin to Berwick constituency (!) and Bedlington to Blyth constituency. So that means that the constituency that is to include Ashington is about 50 miles north to south and borders Scotland Being parochial, the existing Blyth constituency remains, but with the addition of ( I think ) five divisions from Wansbeck ( Bedlington Central, ...
So, I'm on my way to the big city, on an unseasonably warm September day (it's apparently 33 degrees Celsius in Brentwood as I pass through on the train), to perform one of my more enjoyable roles, that of Returning Officer for the Liberal Democrat Peers, although, in strictness, I'm not the Returning Officer, the Chief Whip is. There is no forelock tugging required, which is good, because I'd have to look up what a forelock is, and it's probably not in the Liberal Democrat guidance for Returning Officers anyway. Today, I'm counting the ballot papers for the election of ...
Phil Holden has the story on his blog site – see link above Phil's a mate of mine and Bill Bryson my favourite author. Phil had previously posted about the honours system in the UK and how undeserving rich footballers etc. get awards inappropriately. He then comes across Bill's excellent recent book 'The Road to Little Dribbling' where we are teased by Bryson about how we give out honours. Bill goes on to say how it works in the USA as well. Both Phil's blog and Bill Bryson's works are well worth reading.
As Britons this year have been remembering the fallen of the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago, scant mention has been made of the largest group of foreign labourers who helped dig the trenches, unload ships and trains and make roads: the Chinese Labour Corps. About 96,000 predominantly rural workers from China volunteered to [...]
The following quote from Tim Farron's recently published plan worried me slightly: "We demand that the British people should have their say on the final deal in a referendum.", the idea being to have a referendum at the end of the 2 year negotiation period dictated by Article 50. On paper, this sounds great. I am however afraid this is not feasible because no-one actually knows for sure whether we can pull out of the Article 50 process once it is started, even if some reputable sources 'think' it is possible. The 'think' part must not be ignored. We do ...
Liberal Democrat Newswire #84 came out last week, launching a new pamphlet from me about rebuilding the party, several special book discount offers for readers and the latest party news, including the recent mini-flurry of people resigning.
In the same way that the guest facilities of the Watergate Hotel are not much remembered, neither is the political career of Elbridge Gerry, 9th Governor of Massachusetts and 5th Vice-President of the United States. Both have managed to have their names remembered down the years by having them attached to a particular form of scandal. Thus, every account of potential political wrongdoing and cover-up finds itself with '-gate' stuck on the end of it, and any complaint about changing electoral boundaries is almost certain to call it a Gerrymander. (The original 'Gerry-mander' was a constituency for the Massachusetts State ...
Last week was the regular meeting of Bury Council' Cabinet. A key point on the agenda was Bury Council's financial outlook, which at present shows the Council heading for a £6.4 million overspend in the current financial year. [IMG: Screenshot 2016-09-13 09.24.37] This summary actually hides an even more worrying picture, with overspend in various areas totalling over £10.5 million but addressed partially met by savings or other income elsewhere. The Council has drawn up an 'Action Plan' to partially address the issue (recruitment freeze, no new spending, etc etc), but this only amounts to around £1.5 million. The remainder ...
Chatterers on the left had a clear narrative on the class tensions running through British politics. The Conservatives were led by toffs, who went to elite private schools, had no idea about how ordinary people live, and feathered the nests of their rich friends. They shrugged as they heartlessly condemned people to food banks. The appointment ... Continue reading Theresa May's policy on grammar schools is a new phase in the class war →
Blog Categories: Economics Political Theory Vote: 0 votes + Vote up! - Vote down! So, attached is a draft of the paper on which I shall be basing my presentation at Lib Dem conference next Monday. The whole event was initially envisaged as a joint affair between Green Lib Dems and ALTER, the land tax campaign within the party. But GLD are doing something of their own. But that's why the title was chosen - to try and attract green as well as land taxing members. I will be sharing the platform with Molly Scott-Cato, economic professor and Green Party ...
Today's news is dominated by the David Cameron's resignation as an MP, the Parliamentary boundary changes and of course the defection of the Great British Bake Off to Channel Four. However, the real news remains with the Government's plans to put the referendum vote into effect by leaving the EU and its impact on the UK economy. The Guardian says that a new report by recruitment agency Manpower has concluded that Britain's employers have refused to panic following the referendum vote, but new jobs are likely to become increasingly scarce as concerns over Brexit talks undermine business confidence. Official figures ...
Bury South Parliamentary Constituency would disappear under proposals announced today by the Boundary Commission for England. Instead we would see Prestwich paired with Middleton, to create a new "Prestwich and Middleton" constituency. Middleton and Prestwich existed as a constituency for most of the last century, abolished in 1983 when Bury South was created. The good news perhaps is that Prestwich is 'kept together' for Parliamentary purposes (other towns fare less well with both Whitefield and Radcliffe divided down the middle between two constituencies). And, of course, Prestwich gets its name into national politics as the lead part of a constituency ...
Just to update residents on the empty property on Holyrood Road (between Heys Road and Bury Old Road). This property has been providing a nuisance to neighbours both on Holyrood Road and also behind on Willingdon Drive for some years. The Council has recently had significant success in the courts with the owner of the property with the courts siding with the Council as it has taken action to get the property tidied up. The process is not yet finished, and ultimately the Council can take action to do the work itself. We will continue to keep residents informed as ...
The South Glos Council's Street Care team are going to be using the end of the Road to Nowhere nearest the Badminton Road offices as a temporary storage and compound area to support the implementation of the new waste strategy. This is the bit north of the railway line, at the end of Culvert Avenue - it's NOT the part of the Road to Nowhere on the Yate Common side. Initially the site will be used to store vehicles overnight while the existing yard at Dean Road is re-developed. The site will then be used to store the new recycling ...
Saturday 24 September 2016 sees a free event in Clifton Country Park as part of the 'Kingfisher Trail' The free event is from 11:00am – 4:00pm, organisers say: "Join us at Clifton Country Park as we gather together our friends from across the Kingfisher Trail and Greater Manchester for a day of fun in recognition of the wonderful Kingfisher Trail. [IMG: kingfisher_page_4_5_0] Activities include folk musicians, costumed storytelling, animal handling, guided walks, heritage information, green woodworking, willow weaving, scavenger hunts and wildlife surveys. There will also be the grand uncovering of an old longboat from the canal by Salford Council ...
There are significant road closures and restrictions on Sunday 18 September 2016 for the first every Bury 10K Run. More than 1,000 runners will start and finish close to The Rock. The run gets under way at 9.30am and the majority of the closures start at 8.30am. Routes will open on a rolling timetable as soon as it is safe to do so. Among the roads affected are Angouleme Way, Bolton Street, Bury Street, Cross Lane, Dumers Lane, Haymarket Street, Manchester Road, Radcliffe Road, Redvales Road, Silver Street, Spring Lane, Tarn Drive and Whitefield Road. A full list of road ...
A new planning application has been received in Holyrood Ward as below: Two storey extension at side 7 Droughts Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2ST Ref. No: 60546 Received: Mon 05 Sep 2016 Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require further information or help with this. The details will be on the Council's website here.
When one examines the Conservative Party's internecine divisions and all out obsessions regarding the European Union down through the years, it is worth noting that a great deal of them make no sense. Lest you think this is going to be some Remainer diatribe, allow me to elaborate. Some Brexit positions on the Right at least make internal sense. Take Dan Hannan's argument (which has now become the position taken by most pro-Remain campaigners in Britain, bizarrely): let's leave the EU and stay in the single market via the EEA. We have no influence anyhow as we get outvoted by ...
I have today launched my September 2016 Update to West End Community Council. Subjects covered include: • Bus Services • Utility Works across the West End • Blackness Post Office The Community Council meets tonight at Logie St John's (Cross) Church Hall at 7pm - all residents welcome. You can download my Update here.
As expected yesterday, the Boundary Commission has reported its initial proposals for reviewing the Parliamentary constituencies, with the objective of having more equal constituencies (a strict 5% tolerance, down from 10%) and reducing the number of seats to 600. This is similar to the exercise in the last parliament, though we were told there would be greater willingness this time to split wards to avoid absurd geographies. So lets take a look at what happens to – lets say Sheffield Hallam. [IMG: sheffield-west-and-stocksbridge-2] Apologies for the patchy nature of this picture – as you can see the website is under ...
I cannot recall a political issue since I joined the party in 1998 that has engaged public interest so deeply and for so long as the EU referendum and its aftermath. Almost 3 months after polling day, you can still hear people you pass at the bus stop, in pubs and cafes and other public places talking about it. I agree with the analysis of David Allen Green of the FT that Brexit is not inevitable and will be with us as a political issue for a very long time. Tim Farron has set out the Liberal Democrat plan for ...
Tue 13th
07:00
Constituency shakeup - Ludlow joins Leominster and Bridgnorth and Much Wenlock move into Wrekin
In 2011, MPs decided to cull their number in the Commons from 650 to 600 across the UK. The reasons given were to reduce costs, to make parliament more efficient and to even up the size of the constituencies. The suspicion at the time, and it lingers in some quarters, was that the move would... Continue reading Constituency shakeup - Ludlow joins Leominster and Bridgnorth and Much Wenlock move into Wrekin →
Constituency shake-up looks set to boost SF: expert My interview in the Newsletter (tags: Northernireland ) Ship found in Arctic 168 years after doomed Northwest Passage attempt *shiver* (tags: History canada ) Brexit negotiation details will be kept secret from Parliament, David Davis says Taking back control! (tags: brexit ukpolitics eu ) Confessions of a presidential speechwriter European rather than American. But funny. (tags: eu )
