Labour seat. Cause: resignation. LD candidate: Ciaran Morrissey. To help, please contact Greg Stone on 07747 862582 or email greg@gregstone.org.uk.
Conservative seat. Cause: resignation. LD candidate: Roger Howarth. To help, please contact Dean Sabri (Eastbourne Campaigns Manager) on 01323 733030 or e-mail deansabri1992@gmail.com.
Labour seat. Cause: resignation. LD candidate: David Wood.
Labour seat. Cause: death.
Labour seat. Cause: resignation. LD candidate: James Wood.
Conservative seat. Cause: Resignation. LD candidate: Julia Gadd.
LD seat. Cause: resignation. LD candidate: Dorinda Cooper. To help, please contact Alun Jones, 07598335334, alun.a.jones@gmail.com or David Lee, 07702850698, david.lee@eastsurreylibdems.org.uk
Conservative seat. Cause: death. LD candidate Jo Slimin. To help, please contact NW Hants Liberal Democrats at info@nwhantslibdems.org.uk.
Conservative seats (x2). Cause: Resignations. Lib Dem candidates: David Gurr and Elaine Morgan. To help, please email: davidgu@yahoo.com
Back on the Parish Council after a few years in self-imposed exile, I have to some extent picked up where I left off, representing the Council to an unsuspecting outside world. And, in that capacity, I was called upon to attend the Annual General Meeting of the Suffolk Association of Local Councils (SALC) last week. Our new Chair, Machala, had also decided to come along to find out how valuable (or otherwise) SALC is. And so, on a cold, drab evening, we made our way to Elmswell. The Community Centre there was our venue, and it was nice to see ...
[IMG: Belvoir Castle] Nice Belvoir! Is Leicestershire England's least known county? The blurb for this film, produced for the local branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England in 1970, claims it is. Most underrated county might be more accurate. The commentary veers from the snobbish to the apocalyptic in places, but there is plenty of interesting footage. Click on the still of Belvoir Castle above to view the film on the BFI website.
Second paragraph of third chapter (on the earliest remaining scrap of written Latin):The text is in many respects extremely frustrating. It is incomplete, the top third of the pillar not surviving. It is close to incomprehensible. The Latin is difficult enough anyway, but the missing section makes it almost impossible to grasp the meaning fully. Even though we can be certain that it does not mark the tomb of Romulus - or of anyone else - most interpretations amount to little more than brave attempts to string together into some vague sense the few individual words that are recognisable on ...
Embed from Getty Images George Osborne got a lot of stick back in June, when he warned that a Brexit vote would leave a "£30 billion black hole in (the) public finances". Indeed, his warning resulted in his entire career being shunted into a siding. Crestfallen, he went off to Vietnam to let off steam with an M60 machine gun. Well, now it turns out that even his warning wasn't high enough. Figures from the Office of Budget Responsibility put the Brexit impact at £58.7 billion. * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist. As part of the Liberal Democrat ...
Peter Phillips, the former Liberal Democrat councillor for Bishop's Castle, has received a lifetime achievement award from the West Midlands region of the party. Its secretary, Kathryn Ball, spells out his achievements: Peter Phillips first stood for election in 1973 and joined the parish council in 1979. He fought the Bishops Castle (Shropshire) seat 3 times before finally being elected. He toppled the Tories who have never taken it back since 1993. Chirbury and Worthen Unitary Division was part of his Shropshire County Council Division and has also remained Lib Dem since his stewardship. He served on Shropshire County Council ...
One thing that I've learned from my years in local politics is that Tories love to leak things when they are having a go at another Tory! For example, I remember when Marco Cereste was looking to become Leader of the City Council a few years ago, and one Tory provocateur (under a pseudonym of course) [...]
Nothing could be clearer to me. Today I met a Teaching Assistant who is the course leader and only teacher of a GCSE equivalent course in a County Durham Secondary School, a course which they themselves set up within the school. That's teaching in anyone's book. If anyone in the media wants to check this out – just get in touch with me. The situation gives the lie to the Durham County Council claim that unqualified teachers (who are paid on a full-time basis) require "different skills and training" from Teaching Assistants. It also gives the lie to the sometimes ...
Thu 24th
16:54
EU-US Agreement on Law Enforcement Data Sharing Approved - something else we are set to lose
It's important for police and other law enforcement agencies to keep information. They could not function without it. In the modern age it is advantageous for information to be shared across national borders, if we are to beat criminals who cross borders physically or electronically. In my time working in the criminal justice system, I have seen that happen successfully many times. Sometimes it is as simple as a police officer here emailing police in another country, explaining what they are investigating and would they be able to look into something for them. I have seen witness statements for cases ...
[IMG: cxdk05mwqaaqf_l] This weekend the brilliant campaign team in Richmond Park are planning the biggest campaign weekend ever – and they need you to take part. Make no mistake this is one of the most important by-elections in a generation. Forget Zac Goldsmith this is about the direction our country moves in. You can't afford not to [...]
[IMG: LGA Liberal Democrat Group] As part of their response to this week's Autumn Statement the LGA have produced a series of quotes from key Liberal Democrat campaigners that you can take inspiration from for your campaigns. At the bottom of the email you can also find the full briefing from the LGA. Autumn Statement Cllr Gerald Vernon Jackson, [...]
Thu 24th
15:33Baroness Claire Tyler writes...Commitment secured on mental health assessments for looked after chil...
In the last few months I have been fighting to secure an important amendment to the Government's Children and Social Work Bill. I want to ensure there is a commitment for the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of children in the care system to be promoted; and to ensure children have an assessment of their mental wellbeing as soon as possible after they enter the care system. I am delighted that following discussions with ministers and officials at the Department for Education, this important change will go ahead. It is simply unacceptable that, currently, standard health tests which are undertaken ...
An unexpected autumn statement windfall for research, innovation and industrial strategy has given scientists their first bit of cheer for a while The research community hasn't had much to smile about in recent months. Faced with the grinding uncertainties of Brexit, concerns over university finances, and a root-and-branch reorganisation of the funding system, 2016 has been morphing into the sector's own annus horribilis. So when news broke over the weekend about a big boost for R&D funding, the first reaction of many was to raise a sceptical eyebrow. Experience says it's wise to treat big, headline numbers with caution until ...
[IMG: IMG] Click on the photo to enlarge it Some time ago I posted about how grand Aintree Station (previously know as Aintree Sefton Arms) on the Merseyrail Network had once been as opposed to its clinical uninspiring modern face now. I have since purchased a further old photo that shows off the former station canopy very well. I don't know the date of the photo though which is displayed above – click on it to enlarge. My previous posting is accessible via the link below:- The photo above is amongst my Flickr shots at:- www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/
[IMG: The Weld Blundell in happier times] The Weld Blundell in happier times I have it on good authority that this closed pub will indeed be reopening. In oft used journalistic speak I will say that 'sources close to the pub' have today confirmed this to me. This follows close on the heels of the planning application being submitted to Sefton Council for a single storey extension. What I don't know at present is the timescale for reopening.
Embed from Getty Images Books and films about the last second of President John F Kennedy's life have been plentiful. "Jack Kennedy – Elusive hero" by Chris Matthews is a very engaging book which focusses on the great politician's life before that last second. Chris Matthews is a very well-known US TV broadcaster. He prefaces this book in a personal context – explaining his great admiration for JFK. The book does an excellent job in answering the key question which John F Kennedy himself described as the pivotal one for biographies: "What was he like?" I really enjoyed the tale ...
Yesterday the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, gave his Autumn Statement. It was his first big set-piece in that role, and the time the government has attempted to set out its financial plans since the country voted to leave the European Union. Amid the noise and kerfuffle that such events generate, it is easy ... Continue reading Britain's economic outlook is dismal. We need a new direction. →
The response of John McDonnell, and in fact the response of Labour as a whole, to Hammond Autumn Statement yesterday did not work as I can only assume was intended. That isn't newsworthy in and of itself – this is the new way of things. Labour are ineffective, hey ho. But what is sad is that there was a ready made response to the Statement that Labour didn't take. Let's examine first what we did get from Labour and McDonnell. The "chaotic" Brexit line again, which isn't terrible but isn't great, mostly because no one is convinced that Labour would ...
This is a report of the Federal Policy Committee meeting of 23rd November. This was a fairly sparsely attended meeting. The elections are in full swing and, for that reason, it is not particularly surprising that this was the case. Brexit Update Sarah Ludford took the committee through the latest position on Brexit. The Supreme Court case is listed for the early part of December. One of the key issues is whether Article 50 can be revoked. The parties agreed on that question in the High Court and it may be that the Supreme Court has to re-visit that question. ...
UK to censor online videos of 'non-conventional' sex acts | Technology | The Guardian RT @guardiantech: UK to censor online videos of 'non-conventional' sex acts Twitter RT @VictoriaPeckham: Why I respectfully declined the "Woman's Voice" award at this morning's #eiCA16. Twitter RT @charltonbrooker: LET'S FIND THE OWNER OF THIS PHONE SO ONE VAGUELY NICE THING HAS HAPPENED IN 2016 Twitter RT @CarolineLucas: Details behind so-called 'good news'. Working families still losing out & minimum wage projections DOWN not up... Twitter RT @TorstenBell: Here's the family impacts - single parents still lose up to £2800 from work allowance cuts while some ...
[IMG: ross-pepper] Wow. That's the only response that I have found so far that fully expresses our delight, surprise, joy and gratitude at the level of activity and campaign that has been launched so quickly and so effectively for the Sleaford and North Hykeham by-election. Our objective in this by-election is simple – we want to build and light as many beacons of liberal democracy across the towns and villages here in the middle of Lincolnshire. We are determined to end the way that the Tories have taken Lincolnshire for granted for years. I am hugely honoured to have been ...
From Gill Poulter, Heritage and Exhibitions Director at Dundee Heritage Trust : I need your help to try and raise funds for a really important conservation project that's taking place on our lovely ship. Dundee Heritage Trust is undertaking an essential project focused on Discovery's masts and rigging which will involve the ship being partially de-masted. The work will take place off-site at the yard of master shipbuilder Tommi Neilson of Gloucester who specialises in the conservation of historic ships. The project commenced on 1 November 2016 and it is hoped the masts and rigging can be reinstated by June ...
Embed from Getty Images This is worth a listen. It's a recently re-broadcast programme made for Jimmy Young's 90th birthday where he chats with Ken Bruce about his life and careers. It really is a hugely entertaining and fascinating programme. There goes a hugely engaging and natural broadcaster (Sir Jimmy). Share
Why every office should scrap its clean desk policy Excellent. (tags: work psychology ) The truth about trade agreements - and why we need them A useful corrective. (tags: economics uspolitics ) Watch out for Hammond, the potential PM no one saw coming I agree. (tags: ukpolitics ) Jo Cox killing - the reality Calling the press to account. (tags: democracy brexit race ukpolitics ) Schulz wechselt nach Berlin Bye bye Martin. (tags: eu germany )
Any pretence that we will have an extra £350 million a week to spend on the health service surely went out of the window today when the Chancellor stood up in the House of Commons and outlined the financial consequences of the Brexit vote. As the Daily Mirror reports, the Independent Office for Budget Responsibility's figures estimate the national debt will spiral above 90% of GDP. While estimates for growth in 2016 are marginally higher, up from 2 to 2.1%, the paper reports that they drop staggeringly from 2.2% to 1.4% in 2017. The OBR said hugely increased borrowing will ...
