New research covered by the New York Times shows that presenting people with the truth about a politician's false claims works, even amongst people who support that politician.
I have been advised that, further to the recent road closure on Perth Road (between West Park Road and Glamis Road), Scotland Gas Networks confirms that it will be starting work towards the end of November of the stretch of Blackness Road between Glamis Road to Oxford Street. This does not require a road closure or bus diversions. Scotland Gas Networks' Team Manager advises : "The work in Blackness Road forms part of the same policy replacement project as Perth Road which SGN are carrying out under our powers as a statutory undertaker in accordance with the New Roads and ...
This is a link to the agenda of the 17th national conference of French family lawyers. Here is part of the agenda: Vendredi 4 novembre 2016 9 h - Accueil 9 h 30 à 12 h 45 Jean-Marc ANDRE, bâtonnier Versailles Dominique ATTIAS, vice-bâtonnier Paris, présidente groupe de travail mineurs du CNB Geneviève AVENARD, défenseure des enfants auprès du défenseur des droits (sous réserve) Les maîtres
This is an issue I've wrestled with a bit recently. The individual steps on the Brexit process will all be difficult for us to work through, and I think it's important to respect the result of the referendum and the desire for change. I've nonetheless come to the conclusion that my party should vote against [...]
Marcus Gipps writes: The much-loved UNCLE series of children's books by JP Martin, illustrated by Quentin Blake, were fantastical, surreal, funny and heart-warming. Originally told by Martin to his children, they were finally published when he was over eighty years old - and the hilarious array of characters, including the rich but sometimes foolish elephant, Uncle, captured the imagination of children across the world.I fell in love with them when I was a child and became determined to bring them back into print. In 2013 I was delighted to discover a whole community of fellow Uncle fans when I launched ...
Mon 7th
20:52
GUEST POST The straight line of racist politics from 19th century South Carolina to Donald Trump
Phil Noble argues that Donald Trump's politics are not a new aberration but have a long lineage. "You start out in 1954 by saying, "nigger, nigger, nigger." By 1968 you can't say "nigger"—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states' rights, and all that stuff, and you're getting abstract.Now, you're talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you're talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites...."We want to cut this," is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of ...
Today we glimpse Lord Bonkers in his role as a press baron. Thursday I spend the day at the offices of the High Leicestershire Radical, the newspaper which publishes my weekly column and of which I happen to be sole owner and proprietor. There I learn some worrying news about my chief investigative reporter, an intrepid Arab fellow known to one and all at the paper as the 'fake sheikh': he confides that he really is a sheikh. How the Press Council will view my employing a fake fake sheikh I hate to think. Lord Bonkers was Liberal MP for ...
At the most recent meeting of Bury Council's Cabinet, the main item of discussion was the ongoing consultation on the future of Bury's Library Service. Anyone who took part in the consultation (and 3537 people did) may recall that the Council was consulting on five 'principles' : Principle 1 – To provide a Library Service across the borough which provides all residents and those working or studying in the borough with access to libraries and to electronic services sufficient in number, range and quality to support reading for pleasure, lifelong learning, the development of new skills and the effective use ...
Mon 7th
19:34My Tory MP is "surprised and disappointed" by the government's reaction to the Article 50 ruling
Embed from Getty Images I was pleased to see the comments of Sir Edward Garnier, the Conservative MP for Harborough, on the government's reaction to the High Court's ruling on Article 50. He told the Harborough Mail: "The court expressly said we are not here to discuss whether it's a good or bad idea to be in or out of the EU."The ruling was to do with Parliamentary approval. The court reached the conclusion that the Government alone can not, through use of the Royal Prerogative, change statute law. "It needs to be approved by the whole of Parliament. The ...
Embed from Getty Images The original benefits cap limited the total benefits payable to any one household to £26,000. The argument was that the average household income is £26,000 that people should not be better off on benefits than if they were in work. The aim was to 'encourage' more people back into work, as the cap could be avoided if one of the members worked for at least 16 hours a week. Damian Green, the Work and Pensions minister, has claimed that this strategy was a "real success" – a rather callous comment given the hardship it has imposed ...
[IMG: cwaluidxeaajksq] ALDC are already well underway with phoning for the Richmond Park by-election but we need your help. Richmond Park is a seat we held until 2010. We have a very large majority to overturn and whilst there is no Conservative candidate, Zac Goldsmith is standing as an independent. He has huge resources to call on, [...]
Do you remember? Last year, when Peterborough was making the headlines after the Tories at the Town Hall decided to spend £40,000 on a very ball-focused Christmas Tree? Guess what? It's gonna make a return this year! I've spoken with several people at the Town Hall, who have confirmed the intention is to reintroduce the silver [...]
Embed from Getty Images There was rather worrying news from the regional conferences this weekend in which several parliamentarians, including Chief Whip Tom Brake, implied that the party would not vote against an Act of Parliament triggering Article 50 and/or repealing the European Communities Act 1972. I and many other members are increasingly concerned about this turn of events. Less than two months ago, we passed a policy at Conference that committed the party to remain inside the European Union. Our reputation for many years has been that of a Europhile party, and nearly all of our votes are aware ...
Prestwich Roadworks Update! Bury Old Road – the Highways Agency are undertaking work to make the motorway bridge near Besses Metrolink. Works was due to start 7 November 2016 and will until end of March 2017 (with a break for Christmas). The plan is now to maintain traffic flows through the day, with traffic lights after 18.30 each day. Kenilworth Avenue will be closed to vehicles at its junction with Bury Old Road throughout the works. The latest news from Heywood Road is that the works taking place by United Utilities will take at least another three weeks due to ...
[IMG: Sept Kickstart - our 'Future Campaign Leaders' programme invited 25 campaigners to a specialist training programme] With three weeks left to go, we have released our Kickstart agenda (download here), where the spotlight will be placed on the very latest and most effective political campaign techniques and strategies. We have a really intense three days of training lined up for beginners and experts alike, with in-depth mentoring for local party groups [...]
November isa month where thousands of men across the nation will start growing some splendid facial hair. [IMG: mycouncillor-image-movember] Moustaches are great but itís important we remember what itís all about too. Movember was created to help men live longer healthier lives by drawing attention to some of the most common illnesses that regularly affect menís lives. At this time of year your local Lib Dem team want to bring to your attention some things that might help your health. The Movember foundation does fantastic work to help prevent prostate cancer, testicular cancer and to raise awareness of mental health ...
A group of 'Prestwich Mums' have organised a fundraising fair on Saturday 12 Nov (11.00am -4.00pm) at St Margarets Church Hall, opposite the church, to raise money for children refugees (Syria Relief) and local families (Home-Start Bury). Everyone welcome! [IMG: 14997263_10154830527891019_1750901323_n]
A new planning application has been received in Holyrood Ward as below: Single storey extensions at side and rear 16 Polefield Approach, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2NF Ref. No: 60726 Received: Thu 20 Oct 2016 Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require further information or help with these. The details will be on the Council's website here.
A new planning application has been received in Holyrood Ward as below: Two storey extension to front and single storey extension to rear 9 Sunningdale Drive, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1JX Ref. No: 60698 Received: Fri 14 Oct 2016 Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require further information or help with these. The details will be on the Council's website here.
With the issue of whether Article 50 needs parliamentary approval currently before the courts, there is some discussion of what Parliament ought to do with the process if it gets the chance. While clearly there is no majority for simply blocking article 50, it is quite reasonable for MPs to put constructive amendments to the proposal, respectful of the mandate from June, and to vote against if those amendments are not accepted – as one would with any other bill before Parliament. One amendment should be to give the people a vote on the final deal, so that we can ...
Embed from Getty Images We are just a day away from whole democratic world going to hell in a handcart. Potentially. I mean, of course, the chance (a roughly 1-in-3 chance) of Donald Trump being elected US president. I can't be bothered to write, and I'm sure you can't be bothered to read, yet another post exhausting the infinite reasons he is unqualified in every possible way for this responsibility. So here are four things about this election campaign which have struck me which aren't that: 1. 'Is Hillary a flawed candidate?' is a banale, flawed question. The answer, obviously, ...
No this is not another posting about the 17th relaunch of the Maghull North Station project you will be glad to hear but it is about what the new station will potentially look like. Just a recap first, it will be just north of Maghull's School Lane where that road crosses the railway. The station will be between the yet to be constructed houses on what has become known as the Ashworth South Site (the site of the former Moss Side Hospital) and the present housing on Mersey Avenue. The station site looks like this at present (click on all ...
This post first appeared in Liberal Democrat Voice.There has been a bit of a sea change in British politics in the last couple of weeks.Since June 23rd Remainers have had to put up with their lot, accept the referendum result as if it were a binding expression of democratic will and start preparing for a post Brexit world, or face howls of outrage. I guess that is still the likely outcome, despite today's court ruling.But it has become more possible than it has at any time since the referendum to say publicly that I want to stay in the EU, ...
The real danger is not Trump but the person who cleans up the mess he leaves behind Friendly interaction outside the press pen. "Lugenpresse!" pic.twitter.com/MWUZynJ8jx — Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) October 23, 2016 History turns backwards For decades, the Freedom House think tank has tracked which countries are democracies and which aren't. For a long time it [...]
Embed from Getty Images There has been a bit of a sea change in British politics in the last couple of weeks. Since June 23rd Remainers have had to put up with their lot, accept the referendum result as if it were a binding expression of democratic will and start preparing for a post Brexit world, or face howls of outrage. I guess that is still the likely outcome, despite today's court ruling. But it has become more possible than it has at any time since the referendum to say publicly that I want to stay in the EU, and ...
10.30am on Saturday morning I had the pleasure of meeting folk from the British Legion along with young people from the local cadet corps when I launched this years Poppy Appeal in Southport The sun shone brightly on our gathering despite the cold weather and I had a few words to say before every dispersed around the town to sell poppies. This year sees the 100th Anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. In almost every town and village of the nations families lost loved ones in that battle. We must not forget their sacrifice. We owe a huge debt ...
I was in Whickham yesterday, with volunteers from Planting Up Whickham, to plant the flowerbeds on Church Green. All the beds there were done but the rain put an end to plans to plant up other flowerbeds in Whickham. They will be done later this week. Above: me in my Sunday best, ready to get my hands dirty. Good lunch at the church hall for the volunteers.
The more I see and hear the debates around Brexit (and associated discussions of immigration, and so on), the more I feel like we're not doing well enough in a vital aspect of education (not specifically us, but society in general). It's become clear to me that one if the most important subjects we need to teach to every child is what might be broadly called 'philosophy', but more specifically critical thinking and logic, along with the concepts of research and evidence (and how to apply them in supporting and scrutinising argument). We've all seen what's happened - in a ...
The annual Poppy Planting Ceremony will take place in front of Wallington Old Town Hall on Woodcote Road, Wallington at 9.25am on Saturday 12th November. It will be attended by the Sutton Mayor & Mayoress, Deputy Mayor, Deputy Mayoress & Madam Deputy Mayor. The Civic Act of Remembrance Service will this year take place at Holy Trinity [...]
Today the government's cap on welfare benefits comes is into force. The government's own Department of Work and Pensions estimates that some 88 000 families will have their housing benefits slashed by an average of £2 000 a year (that's £40 a week). Many will be unable to pay their rent and are likely to become homeless. It is estimated that between a quarter and half a million children are likely to be affected. (Figures from this article by Aditya Chakraborty) During the summer I met an artist and poet, Paul Clark, who had been working not with, but among, ...
I've been infuriated by the latest batch of propaganda put out by council officers with regard to the teaching assistant dispute. They include an extremely biased "briefing" sent out to all councillors, and a YouTube video in which the Director of Resources is "interviewed" about the issue. But what really infuriates me is the shortage of councillors willing to put themselves in the line of fire by defending the actions of a Labour Council which seeks to dramatically cut the wages of a group of largely female, largely low-paid, workers. Across the rest of the North East I regularly see ...
Last Thursday the British government suffered a shock defeat in the High Court. It ruled that the government could not invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, launching the process of exit from the EU, without parliamentary approval. Reaction to this has split along partisan lines, depending on whether you think Brexit is a good idea. ... Continue reading The government has made an error by not condemning attacks on the rule of law →
As part of her trip to Delhi, Theresa May has told the press that she will not be making things easier for Indians to get into the UK. "The figures show that we issue more work visas to India than I think US, Australia and China put together. Nine out of 10 visa applications from India are already accepted. We have, I believe, a good system." I picked this news up from several sources, yet in every one I noted a similar tone to the way this is being reported in Britain. For instance, in the Guardian's handling of it, ...
Ludlow Maternity Unit reopens Speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire this morning, Jill Banks, Women and Children's Care Group director for Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, announced the maternity unit was fully reopened from today. She said that the health trust can't continue to use the workhouse because of its poor condition. The new space in... Continue reading Ludlow Maternity Unit reopens today - March planned for December →
All councils in England must urgently debate the Sustainability Transformation Plans which are soon to be published LIVERPOOL LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CALL FOR EMERGENCY MOTION TO BE DISCUSSED AT WEDNESDAY'S FULL MEETING OF LIVERPOOL COUNCIL Liverpool's Liberal Democrat Group have today ... Continue reading →
The extraordinary furore about whether or not wearing a poppy is political, brought to us thanks to Fifa, sort of obscures the main issue for me about poppy-wearing in general - that it has become, this year at least, a rather more intolerant and raucous example of groupthink than usual. It never was raucous before. Poppy-wearing was a rather restrained, English way of expressing collective grief (and more complex aspects of Englishness: see my book How to be English). It is part of my heritage. My grandmother lost a father, three uncles and a brother in two world wars. In ...
Embed from Getty Images In April this year, Donald Trump was proposing to pay off the US national debt of $19 trillion over two presidential terms. He laid out his initial proposals in an interview with Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, suggesting that he could pay off the national debt by renegotiating trade deals. As the Washington Post explained, eliminating a trade deficit does not mean the money ends up in government coffers. The post goes on to explain that before the debt can be reduced the current budget deficit needs to be tackled. So the task is not ...
Today's Guardian reports concerns by the CBI on an issue that I have been warning about for some time, namely that the country is facing a housing crisis based on a failure to supply enough houses in the right sectors to meet demand. The paper says that business leaders have urged the government to tackle the housing shortage by expanding the rental sector and creating incentives for older homeowners to vacate large properties: The CBI set out 10 recommendations to get more people into suitable housing ahead of the publication of a white paper by the Department for Communities and ...
Mon 7th
08:50
It's time to announce my candidature for International Relations Committee and the ALDE Party Counci...
A bureaucrat (right) seeks policy compromise that works for (nearly) everyone... ... the nomination papers are in, and accepted, the manifestos designed and submitted, and all that is left is the campaign. So, why am I running, and why should you vote for me? Let's start with the International Relations Committee... I ran two years ago more in hope than expectation. Yes, I felt that I could contribute, but there are lots of Liberal Democrats who have an interest in international politics, and who are better known than I am, so I didn't set my sights much beyond making a ...
'We are all Thomas More's children' - 500 years of Utopia China Miéville writes. (tags: sf ) House Democrats Are Getting More Diverse. Republicans Aren't. A symptom of the times. (tags: uspolitics ) Circles On friendships. (tags: Life ) Time to Dump Time Zones Nuts, but entertaining. (tags: timekeeping )
