George Cottrell, who was running Nigel Farage's private office, has been convicted of fraud: [He] faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to masterminding a scam to extort money from drug dealers... Cottrell was originally charged with 21 counts of fraud, money laundering and extortion. After he plead not guilty to all of them, prosecutors agreed to drop all but one, wire fraud, in exchange for a guilty plea. He will be sentenced in March and could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. [The Independent] This fraud is completely separate from the ...
I had a conversation the other day about knowing and understanding people. I claimed that you could only truly understand someone if you knew that their deepest desire was, their deepest fear was and what their deepest love was. This goes for truly understanding yourself, which is key to being a fully independent, functioning person in our society. At least that is what I believe. Therefore I have decided to answer these three questions and I will start with what is my deepest fear? I have known what my deepest fear is since I was eleven years old. I was ...
The smart Lib Dem strategy in Copeland is to be willing to put off voters, argues Mark Pack. He's right. Raymond Snoddy says "A new journalistic (and psychiatric) specialism is being created before our eyes: analysing the tweets of Donald J. Trump." "The United States did invent teenagers. That is a historic fact, just as Americans invented the telegraph, telephone, PC, and atomic bomb. While much progress has been made over time with many inventions, less so with teenagers." James W. Cortada puts this invention down to more schooling and parenting. Jeff Maysh on the extraordinary story of the Czech ...
The proportion of Liberal Democrat local council candidates candidates who are female continued to flat-line in 2016 as it has now for nearly thirty years.
Embed from Getty Images The news today has been full of the troubles of All Leisure Holidays. The Market Harborough firm has stopped trading and called in administrators, leaving hundreds of holidaymakers stranded abroad. It sounds as though they will be helped and that customers who have paid for future holidays will largely have their money refunded. The position over jobs in Harborough is set out by BBC News: Administrators Grant Thornton will manage the affairs of All Leisure Holidays, along with three other travel companies based at a site in Market Harborough. A total of 250 people worked there, ...
So it's that time of year again, where I have to decide on my top 20 favourite albums of the previous 12 months. As usual, I have a list that's probably a bit approximate, probably in an order that will change tomorrow, and will probably be missing some absolutely essential stuff that I've completely forgotten about. I make no guarantees of accuracy. Here it is anyway, though: 20. Avatar - Feathers & Flesh 19. Testament - Brotherhood of the Snake 18. September Code - III 17. Erra - Drift 16. Ivar Bjørnson & Einar Selvik's Skuggsjá - Skuggsjá 15. Hacktivist ...
The Resolution Foundation today published research into the gender pay gap which shows that it has fallen to just 5% for women in their 20s but that there is still a huge lifetime deficit for women. They said: Looking at women's early careers, the analysis finds that baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1965) experienced a pay gap of 16 per cent during their 20s. That gap fell to 9 per cent for women in generation X (born between 1966 and 1980) and then to 5 per cent for millennials (born between 1981 and 2000). However, despite this progress ...
Second paragraph of third chapter (A Deepness in the Sky: the Tragical History of Pham Nuwen):In A Fire Upon the Deep we learn early on that our immediate cosmic neighborhood is divided into Zones, working outwards from the Galactic core. In each Zone, cognition and technology work better. So in the core it isn't possible to be intelligent at all, in the Slow Zone it's possible to be as intelligent as a human but no better and you can't go faster than light, in the Beyond you can have FTL and anti-gravity and enhanced intelligences, and in the Transcend you ...
For many people Christmas begins when they listen to the broadcast of service of Nine Lessons and Carols and the lone boy chorister sings the first verse of Once in Royal David's City. Nothing beats a live performance and I was pleased to be at Holy Trinity in Southport for their carol service which blended the traditional, including a choirboy singing the famous solo, with the new and unfamiliar all performed to a very high standard. There was more excellent music in Ince Blundell at the Amadeus Chamber Choir's carol concert. One group of people we must not forget are ...
If you have been reading my past blog posts, you may already be familiar with the kind of ideas I have included here. What has prompted me to bring them together like this now is really that the Boundary Review process that has been going on has made it very much easier to start putting some good illustrative figures in place, working around the idea that constituencies will become more or less equal in size. Having said that, the current review is flawed in a number of ways, with out of date and inaccurate electoral register information, hard and fast ...
Last month, Liberal Democrat peer Kate Parminter allowed us to publish her Burntwood Lecture to the Institution of Environmental Sciences in which she talked about the challenges Brexit poses to the environment. Now the Institution has kindly said that we can publish some of their photographs of the event. Credit: Institution of Environmental Sciences Credit: Institution of Environmental Sciences During her lecture, Kate talked about incorporating legislation into UK law, establishing systems for compliance and enforcement, joining EU frameworks and improving on EU policy. She concluded: It should be clear that achieving this aim - this vision of a government ...
Nakedness, the province of the buff and lithe, and those who intend to defy convention. Not necessarily for me then, you might think and, for the most part, you'd be right. After all, I like the human species, and too much exposure to this rather out of shape (albeit less so currently) bureaucrat is unlikely to add much to the sum of human art. However, I do like my spas, and have over the years taken advantage of them for emergency, and not so emergency, pampering opportunities. The catch is that they're all different. Today, I turn my mind to ...
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across England & Wales] SMALLER COUNCIL MAINTAINED SCHOOLS SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM APPRENTICESHIP LEVY Smaller council-maintained schools should receive the same treatment as small academies and faith schools, and be exempt from the Apprenticeship Levy, councils say today. The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents 370 councils in England and Wales, says all schools with a wage bill of [...]
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across England & Wales] The Hertfordshire Lib Dems have helpfully put together the below press release example for the social care campaign. TORY STICKING PLASTER WILL NOT CLOSE GAPING WOUND Local Lib Dems have revealed that the Government's plan to allow Hertfordshire County Council to raise council tax by 1% will only raise a small proportion of [...]
The Scottish Government consults on all sorts of important things. At the moment, it's consulting on expanding early learning and childcare in Scotland and on the best way to empower teachers. What could possibly be more important than that? How predictable. I don't expect the SNP to give up on their quest for independence, but do they really have to give it the top billing? The SNP take comfort from a poll which shows support for independence still pretty much where it was at the referendum – but ignore that more than 50% of those asked really don't want to ...
The Guardian has the story on its web site A subject often covered on this blog site, as a consequence of Roy Connell's spadework, but a very different angle this time. Goes to show that when you are given a simple solution to a complicated issue.....
I lived in Maghull (1968 – 2011) long enough to have heard this talked about before, indeed having Bruce Hubbard as a friend I have often listened to him talk about the Town's war memorials and war dead. Readers may recall that I blogged in 2015 about the video Bruce made with St Andrew's Primary School children about those from Maghull who lost their lives in the 1st World War. Here's a link to that posting and the YouTube video:- Now John Sayers, a local councillor for Maghull, is proposing that he and his fellow Maghullians campaign to get ...
In an article for the Telegraph (which the sub-editors did not headline in a particularly helpful way), Liberal Democrat MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael called on Labour moderates to work with others who share the aim of securing the UK's place in the single market and who want to see a successful economy which gives more money to invest in public services. First of all, he states that the party really is over for Labour: First, as this summer's leadership election made clear, they do not even have a Neil Kinnock, let alone a Tony Blair. The Corbyn ...
[IMG: trishteam3] With only 120 days until polling day in the Scottish Council elections, it's time to ramp up campaigning and get your team to hone its campaign skills for the push to get across the winning line in May. ASLDC's Kickstart is an election planning and campaigning event that's tailored to meet the needs of Scottish [...]
You can't move for commentary on Ivan Rogers resignation currently, but it's worth reading his resignation letter in full, as it reveals a number of startling facts about the state of our Brexit negotiations. Among other things, he highlights how woefully outmatched the UK is when it comes to negotiating experience in comparison to Brussels, and takes a not so subtle dig at the team at Number 10, interpreted by many as a broadside at Theresa May's closest adviser rather than the Prime Minister herself. Most startling, and concerning, is the following sentence of his resignation: “We do not yet ...
Anyone who watched politics, the Premier League or Strictly in 2016 will know that making predictions can seem like a fool's game. As much as you might think you've got the future mapped out, sometimes bizarre things happen and those who thought they were in the know end up with egg on their faces. This is part of life and part of politics. However, the unpredictable nature of 2016 should not mean that we refrain from thinking ahead to what might happen in 2017. If a chess player decided that he or she had no idea what the next ten ...
[IMG: blog-post-image] 2017 marks our 50th anniversary and we'll be celebrating throughout the year by sharing memories and achievements from our illustrious history. Our history The Association of Liberal Councillors (ALC) was set up in the late 1960s and the Association of Social Democrat Councillors (ASDC) formed in the early 1980s. In 1988, the ALC and the [...]
A few days after Christmas, I climbed with my family up to the old motte and bailey castle that crowns Truleigh Hill on the South Downs. On the one side you can see the English Channel; to the north, there is Sussex laid out before you. But what was that black scar in the sky going from south to north, I asked myself? Then I realised. It was the M23, the motorway route from Brighton to London. A great, oily streak across the clear air. I had a slightly sanctimonious email just before Christmas, asking me why I have spent ...
[IMG: day-11-christmas] On the eleventh day of Christmas, ALDC gave to me... a spreadsheet of the Chester Formula (no, seriously). Have you ever heard of the Chester Formula? It's a predictive formula that helps ALDC members find out if they're likely to win in an election. Open the spreadsheet and take a look! Remember any spreadsheet is [...]
Yesterday, Sir Ivan Rogers' resignation as the UK's representative to the EU caused New Year shock waves. Last night, his resignation email to his colleagues was published. His assessment of the Government's performance so far is not one which inspires confidence in ministers. He told his colleagues: I hope you will continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power. And this paragraph can only be described as "take that, Liam Foa." As I have argued consistently at every level since June, many opportunities for the ...
[IMG: 2017] This template is designed for you to feedback in early February on the work you did last year. It will enable you to highlight how hard you've worked as a campaigner/councillor. You need: Bright and simple layouts with strong photos Clear messages about how hard you've worked and what you've achieved for local residents Repeat [...]
As the consultation on the Draft Referendum Bill enters its final week, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP today called on the SNP to join the Lib Dem efforts in getting a Brexit Deal Referendum to keep the UK in the EU. Commenting Mr Rennie said: "With all the problems the SNP Government faces it ... Continue reading Rennie Tells SNP: 'Back Us On Brexit Referendum'
Crossens Saturday, 14th January, St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, Crossens, from 11am to 12noon. Churchtown Thursday, 26th January, BoxTree Kitchen for Queenscourt café, Manor Road/Cambridge Road, roundabout, from 10:30am to 11:30am.
[IMG: Kickstart 2015 - Future Leaders with Mentors (500x375)] Kickstart is the highly regarded annual residential training weekend organised by ALDC. The weekend brings together some of the party's most experienced and successful campaigners with campaign teams from across the country. The Kickstart weekend provides training, mentoring, advice, networking and an opportunity to build and improve your campaign plans and knowledge to win elections. [...]
The Fabian Society has released a report entitled "How Labour is too weak to win, and too strong to die" which outlines in gruesome detail the situation the Labour Party currently finds itself in (it is well worth reading the whole report, which can be found here). The title summarises the paper perfectly – that Labour can't possibly win the next general election from its current position, yet it is too big to allow another party to take over its place in the two-party system. It says that given Labour's position in the polls, the party could slip to below ...
I quite like the current signage for Hope House but it is the wrong design for a historic thoroughfare. It is simply too bright and busy for King Street. Now the children's hospice charity has produced a subdued design for the shopfront and has applied for listed building consent (16/05781/LBC). This is much more suited for the location than the existing sign and I will be supporting the application. Hope House existing signage Hope House proposed signage
It might seem a little early to be talking about spring, but it's not too soon to sign up for the annual Spring Clean. You can help clean up your neighbourhood this spring by organising a litter pick. The Spring Clean will run from 18 February to 14 May 2017. South Glos is teaming up with Keep Britain Today's new Great British Spring Clean, which will focus on encouraging events over the weekend of 3rd-5th March. However you can organise an event at any time during the three-month campaign and the council is more likely to be able to lend ...
A short video released by the party over the holiday period summing up the last two years. Enjoy and share. The Guardian has been speaking to Lib Dems across the South West and report on this strong fightback in action, quoting Western Counties chair Gavin Grant: Even in places where leave was strongest, such as Yeovil and rural south Somerset, Grant says the party believes there are enough angry remain voters to take back parliamentary seats. "Our research shows around half of the remain vote see this issue as the single most important issue," he said. He believes the party ...
I am not the suit wearing type - traditionally, I do not look good in suits due to the minor detail that I'm carrying far too much weight to look anything other than vaguely uncomfortable. However, as the weight has come off, I've revisited that a bit. Who is this glamorous stranger? Simultaneously, I've found myself doing a few more formal black tie events - Needham Market's Barrandov Opera, for example. And when the opportunity came to attend a gala dinner at our hotel on New Year's Eve, I grabbed the chance to give the old dinner jacket an airing. ...
Last year, I highlighted the poor condition of the east footway of Ashbank Road and had been promised reconstruction of the pavement would take place. I am therefore pleased to see the necessary work started before Christmas :I also asked for improvements to the north pavement of nearby Logie Avenue at the lock-ups and outside the lock-ups themselves and this work was also undertaken just before the festive season :
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP today called for the prison system to be family friendly after it was revealed children have visited prisons on 21,000 occasions in the last three years. The new figures were provided to the Scottish Liberal Democrats by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) following a freedom of information ... Continue reading McArthur Calls For 'Family Friendly' Prisons
Problemen Desiro tonen federaal wanbeleid NMBS Long piece from August 2015 about rail policy, still relevant. (tags: belgium rail )
If we weren't screwed before, then we really are now. With just three months to go before the UK Government presses the button on Article 50 and engages in complex and crucial negotiations on which the future prosperity of this country depends, two of our key negotiators have left the stage. As the Guardian reports, the sudden resignation on Tuesday of Britain's ambassador to the European Union has prompted angry accusations from Remain supporters that officials who express cautions over the Brexit process risk being pressured out of their job. His second in command has also left, to go and ...
The singer Rebecca Ferguson has been reported as having accepted the offer to play at Trump's inauguration, under one condition: I've been asked and this is my answer. If you allow me to sing "strange fruit" a song that has ... Continue reading →
