Last week saw a remarkable British by-election where the Liberal Democrats over turned a 23,000 majority and their previous near death experience to win a spectacular victory in Richmond Park. The dominant issue was Brexit and the continuing fall out from Britain's EU Referendum and a summer of political trauma. The Liberal Democrats remain Britain's most consistently pro EU political party and have campaigned passionately in support of the EU both before and after the referendum. They are currently campaigning for parliament to scrutinise the Brexit proposition as it emerges and for there to be a second referendum to ratify ...

Posted by GHmltn on The view from the hills

Destiny does not exist. Things do not happen for a reason. Fate is not real. Things happen in life through two things: Choice and coincidence. If you leave your life up to fate or because you believe it happens for a reason, then you are leaving your future in the hands of coincidence and consequence. Our lives... our legacies are decided by our choices and nothing else. Where responsibility lies The true reason why I hate hearing "things happen for a reason" is that it takes all responsibility away from you. If you are a believer that things happen for ...

Posted by The Mec Journal on The Mec Journal

SNP seat. Cause: death. LD candidate: Beth Morrison. To help, please contact Clive Sneddon on 01334 472606 or email cr.sneddon@gmail.com.

This was one of the many idiosyncratic lines around the country owned by Colonel Stephens. The blurb for this film on Youtube gives its history: The line was built to convey golfers to the Rye Golf Club and ran from Rye station to the golf club. In 1908 the first extension to Camber Sands station was opened and the intermediate station renamed "Golf Links". Camber terminal was moved to a more accessible site and a tea hut was opened at the end of summer 1938, but this only used for a few months as the war intervened the next year. ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Embed from Getty Images It wasn't fashionable even then, but I had time for Michael Gove while he was education secretary. His Kulturkampf against the teaching profession was unnecessarily aggressive and that eventually cost him his job, but he was on to something. Under Blair and Brown the dominant narrative was that teaching was better than ever before, children were working harder than ever before and this was reflected in ever improving exam results. Anyone who questioned this narrative, perhaps hesitantly introducing the concept of grade inflation, was ridiculed. And that was as true of Liberal Democrat circles as any ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

I have just been out to find a copy of Issue 75 of Coastal View as I have started to advertise for electrical work in it again. It is not distributed where I live but is available from a few reasonably local outlets. I could not believe my eyes when I looked through it. 17 of its editorial pages had items about the two Labour MPs and various Labour Councillors and that included FIVE full pages and THREE that were at least half pages full of Labour propaganda. The Lib Dems had ONE item about the possible closure of Laburnum ...

Posted by Chris Abbott on Chris Abbott

The Liberal Democrat Press Office, known for its feisty tweets, was on form today, especially when a Labour member stumbled into its timeline.

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

During the Richmond Park campaign the Labour candidate tweeted: At yesterday's #LonLab16 conference,the biggest applause I got was for saying 'Brexit is bad for Britain'.Can anyone disagree with that?— Wolmar's London (@wolmarforlondon) November 13, 2016But if you look at the poster above (thanks to Daniel Lewis) you will see that their candidates in Sleaford promosies "a Brexit that works for Britain". Confused? You will be. Today Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott refused to say whether the party believed should be given a vote over the triggering of Article 50. So that's Labour. Anti-Brexit, pro-Brexit or neutral on it, depending ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Embed from Getty Images No sooner had Sarah Olney swept to her dramatic victory in Richmond Park, than some panicking Brexiteers began peddling a 'clever' rhetorical question on social media. It went roughly like this: "With a candidate that didn't win the popular vote on only a 53% turnout, shouldn't Tim Farron be calling for a second by-election?!" The 'joke', of course, is an attempt to claim that Lib Dem attitudes towards the referendum are hypocritical, or self-undermining. A moment's thought, however, brings home that any alleged comparison between Richmond Park and the Brexit result is really rather silly. More ...

Posted by Paul Sagar on Liberal Democrat Voice

A few pictures from College Green this afternoon Photographers waiting. A few famous faces in the crowd - there's Floella .and Susan Kramer (and yes, that is the back of Gareth Roberts head) ..and Brian Paddick Former Party leaders start arriving. First Nick.. And then Paddy. A few more of the great and the good from the press turn up - here's Kevin Maguire... And then...they're here! Tim and Sarah What a bank of cameras looks like from the wrong side... Obligatory stickers Four leaders together with the new MP - Sarah, Tim, Nick, Paddy and David Obligatory random protestor ...

Posted by Richard Morris on A VIEW FROM HAM COMMON
YouGov

Here is the footage of Sarah as she is sworn in as a Member of Parliament. She was greeted by a crowd of Lib Dems before she entered the Palace of Westminster. [IMG: sarah-olney-at-westminster] * Mary Reid is the Monday Editor on Lib Dem Voice.

Posted by Mary Reid on Liberal Democrat Voice

[IMG: vvd] In the past week, attentive British citizens could see a clear divide opening up between the two Dutch ALDE member parties, the EU-enthusiasts and Social Liberals (in Beveridge's tradition) D66, and the populist (see the enduring stature of prominent ex-leaders like Hans Wiegel) VVD. On Monday, a short furore erupted in the British tabloid media over conversation notes gleaned from the writing pad of a Tory political assistant coming out of Downing Street 10 (or 9: the Brexit Department). She was the assistant of Tory party vice-chairman (International) Mark Field, and she and Field were accompanying foreign visitors ...

Posted by Bernard Aris on Liberal Democrat Voice

Well done the Terrence Higgins Trust who led the fight to secure PrEP availability on the NHS as part of the fight against HIV/Aids At last some good news from the NHS regarding PrEP. You may recall that twice this ... Continue reading →

Posted by richardkemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?

Meols Ward Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, Nigel Ashton and Jo Barton are holding their next advice centre in Crossens. We will be St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, on Saturday 10th December from 11 am to 12 noon. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in. We also hold a monthly advice centre in Churchtown, at BoxTree Kitchen for Queenscourt café, Manor Road/Cambridge Road, roundabout, fourth Thursday of every month (except December) from 10:30 to: 11.30 am.

Posted by John Dodd on Meols Lib Dems

I pass this on to everyone so that you can be as well informed as your councillor: I am writing to update you further on developments today concerning the teaching assistants dispute and proposed strike action this week by Unison. Following further constructive meetings with Unison, they have today called off the industrial action planned for this week and the 'action short of strike action' planned between 8th and 16th December. As we informed you last week in return to allow this to take place we have agreed to suspend the dismissal and re-engage process and undertake a review of ...

Posted by Owen Temple on Owen Temple & Margaret Nealis

A report with this title was released last week by the Centre for Economics and Business Research for Open Britain. This report was somewhat shyly presented by cautious Remainers as a case against sectoral EU-negotiations. More importantly, however, it makes a compelling case for continued full membership in the European single market. It should be mandatory reading for everyone who still believes that: UK exports to the EU are meaningless and shrinking. Truth: GBP 187 billion, 3.25 million jobs, 10.3% of GDP Many sectors are unaffected by EU-trade. Truth: supply-chain integration is pervasive across almost all business sectors. Just a ...

Posted by Arnold Kiel on Liberal Democrat Voice
Mon 5th
13:32

Hamilton in Chicago

I was in Chicago this weekend for SMOFcon (currently between planes in Copenhagen), and @YesTHATColette managed to get tickets for the matinée performance of Hamilton yesterday. As you may remember, I've been addicted to this show since January, so I was really glad to be able to go even though the cast is of course different to the original Broadway line-up. In general, I loved the stage show, of course. The soundtrack cannot capture any of the visuals, let alone the superb choreography - perhaps the best bit is the rewinding of time between "Helpless" and "Satisfied", but there are ...

Embed from Getty Images More than 2000 years ago, so the story goes, angels sang 'Goodwill towards all mankind.' It's a sentiment that Liberal Democrats can generally support. The point I want to suggest, however, is that the British people feel an increasing goodwill towards us, which seems likely to grow and enhance our electoral chances. The first essential was that we should be seen and heard. Now Sarah Olney's magnificent victory has given us the media coverage that dispels the 18-month myth of our irrelevance. The next essential was that the image projected should be an attractive one. For ...

Posted by Katharine Pindar on Liberal Democrat Voice

From Saturday 24th December until Thursday 29th December London Paddington will be closed to all rail services. This will mean that GWR rail services will start and finish at Ealing Broadway, from where you can take the underground or a bus. However, the station does not have step-free access. So if you are travelling with heavy luggage or find steps difficult for any reason you will need to change at Reading and use services from there to London Waterloo. Unfortunately that will mean a longer journey. You can find out more on the GWR website

Posted by Paul Hulbert on Focus on Sodbury, Yate and Dodington

Our fourth update from the LDV Fantasy Football League. Congratulations to Ashley Day, our Manager of the Month for November. His The Zaha Men scored an impressive 191 points, just edging out Daniel Clein's intriguingly-named Timperley Big Shorts (189) and Jamie Lawson's intriguinger-named Gegen Style (182). Here's the overall league table: [IMG: ldv-dec-16] There are 195 players in total and you can still join the league by clicking here. * Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at The Collected Stephen Tall.

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice
eUKhost

As a follower of Maghull's excellent Wind Orchestra I found myself back at the Sefton Park Palm House where yesterday's Christmas concert was being held. [IMG: img_9333] It's a lovely place to listen to music, in fact it is a lovely place full stop [IMG: img_9331] This community orchestra now has 130 members and around 70 were present and playing in the Palm House on Sunday. What's more it was standing room only as the place was packed out and we were treated to a lovely sunset too:- [IMG: sunset-viewed-from-sefton-park] The Orchestra are next in action on Tuesday evening (tomorrow) ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

Reflecting 25 years of the Amnesty International Media Awards, Alex Crawford, Victoria Derbyshire, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and John Simpson share the human rights stories which left the greatest impression on them in the last quarter-century.

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

"What's up then? Some great work by the Peterborough Telegraph has shown that Stef & Philips, one of two firms behind the eviction of a number of tenants from 74 homes in St Michael's Gate, asked the council to bump up the money it should pay from £966,338 to £983,675 per year. Read the full [...]

Posted by Cllr Darren Fower on Cllr Darren Fower

My (many) Liberal Democrat friends are ecstatic. The party has just won the parliamentary by-election in Richmond Park, overturning a massive majority from the sitting MP, Zac Goldsmith. As the dust slowly settles, what is there to learn about the state of British politics? Richmond Park is quite close to where I live. I have been ... Continue reading What is the meaning of Richmond Park? →

Posted by Matthew on thinking liberal

Response to Stephen Kinnock MP - Checking Reality Anyone whose reaction to racists is to want to understand their legitimate concerns should read this Op-ed: Stop pretending there's a difference between "online" and "real life" | Ars Technica UK RT @latentexistence: Stop pretending there's a difference between "online" and "real life" [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments

It wasn't even remotely close. In yesterday's nationwide Italian referendum, voters there rejected prime minister Renzi's sweeping reforms to the constitution, 59-41. Or I should say, ex-Italian prime minister: Renzi, as expected, has resigned this morning. Also as expected, every public Eurosceptic in Britain is in full victory mode. Roger Helmer's tweet summarises the message from this end pretty neatly: "Let's be clear: Italy has voted against the EU. Soon, there may no longer be an EU from which to Brexit." Let's be clear: no, Italy did not vote against the EU yesterday. They voted against a set of constitutional ...

Posted by Nick on nicktyrone.com

[IMG: caroline-lucas-600] I hope it hasn't been forgotten that the Green Party didn't stand a candidate in Richmond Park, and expressly backed Sarah Olney. Labour did stand a candidate, but it was widely reported that some Labour members didn't think they should have. On the other side of course, neither the Conservatives nor UKIP stood, therefore leaving the centre-right vote clear for Zac Goldsmith. It was an unusual by-election, 95% of the vote went to two people. There may not be another by-election like this in this parliament. The great problem for progressive parties in Britain is that they divide ...

Posted by William Hobhouse on Liberal Democrat Voice

Just a cat looking into your soul. Nothing to see here.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

From the Curator of Museum Services at the University of Dundee : As many of you know, this year we have been creating a new permanent display for the Tayside Medical History Museum in the School of Medicine at Ninewells Hospital. We will be having an open evening to show off the results on Wednesday 7th December from 5pm to 6.30pm. This will include a short talk at 5.30pm by curator Matthew Jarron on Dundee's Medical Pioneers in the Gannochy Trust Lecture Theatre, next door to the museum displays. The Tayside Medical History Museum has one of the finest collections ...

It was the best of marches. It was the best of causes. On Saturday, nearly 1,200 people marched through the streets of our town in support of Ludlow Maternity Unit (LMU). March leaders Sarah Meek and Alison Hiles We could not have sent a clearer message to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. We want... Continue reading More than 1,000 turned out for Save Ludlow Maternity Unit march - thank you all →

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington