For the second week in a row, there's only one by-election contest, and for the second week in a row there's no Liberal Democrat candidate: One council by-election tonight: a SNP defence on East Ayrshire authority. Results page: https://t.co/Q1lXVZh7PI pic.twitter.com/s54CXtzNh6 — Britain Elects (@britainelects) January 26, 2017
On Monday 30th January the final Libraries closure consultation opens for 10 weeks (ending on 10th April 2017). In the last few months, we've seen hundreds of Unsworth and Whitefield residents sign our petitions, however, we need more of you to lend your support. Please tell your friends and neighbours: this will be your last chance to have a say about the closure of Unsworth and Whitefield libraries. No matter which of the two final options the Council ultimately chooses, neither option would see Unsworth or Whitefield libraries remain open. You can read the Bury Council report to Cabinet on ...
Prior to Witney, the Liberal Democrat approach and outcome in Parliamentary by-elections was a continuation of the previous Parliament: put in little effort, get not much of a result. That's why the effort put into Witney signified a major change in the party's campaigning approach, as I expanded on in the latest Liberal Democrat Newswire. It wasn't just the effort that was much higher than before; so too was the resulting Liberal Democrat vote share. However since that change in approach, we've only had by-elections in Conservative-held seats. Stoke is the first test of this new approach in a Labour-held ...
During mid-2016 the owners and developers of Park 66 at Pilsworth engaged with Bury Council and, importantly, the local community through forums and residents association. They brought some outline ideas for exciting retail and warehousing developments on the cleared site that was once home to the bowling alley and cinema. I blogged about this here. About six months has passed since the community and council engagement, however I am now pleased to report that a formal planning application has been lodged with Bury Council. Whilst there are some awful proposals around the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework to build on our ...
Yesterday I showed you Nottingham London Road High Level in 1980 or thereabouts. Here is London Road Low Level, taken on the same day. Today the building is home to the Virgin Active Health Club. Back in 1980 it was a British Rail parcels depot. Read about its history on Disused Stations.
It's not only in America that things are changing... Friday Those of us who lived through Leicestershire annexation of Rutland in 1973 vowed, when we had finally driven out the occupying forces, that it would never happen again. We looked at the possibility of building a wall or a fence, but the consensus that it would Spoil The View left us Rather Stumped. Modesty forbids me to state who it was that hit upon the solution, but next year we shall be digging a ha-ha all around the county: an impenetrable, physical, deep, powerful, beautiful ha-ha. It will keep out ...
In the dedication of his autobiography The Importance of Being Awkward Tam Dalyell wrote: "To the men and women of West Lothian - Labour, SNP, Conservative, Liberal, Communist - who, whatever their political opinions, were kind to me in all sorts of ways over 43 years as their representative in the House of Commons." As one of those Liberals in West Lothian who in the latter years would have been included in that tribute I can know why the people of all political persuasions were kind to him. It was because he was always kind to them. In today's politics ...
Phil Burton-Cartledge looks at the Ukip leader's appeal to voters: "Nuttall's first leaflet goes on about what a great MP he would be. Stoke-on-Trent Central can look forward to 'representation it has never had in Parliament before'. ... Nuttall came 736th out of 756 in terms of attendance at the European Parliament in the 2009-14 session." Richard Rorty's liberal philosophy is enjoying a revival, says Stephen Metcalf. Philosophy teaches children what Google can't, argues Charlotte Blease. David McLean tells the incredible story of Bessie Watson, "the youngest suffragette". "While there may very well be those who are critical of his ...
[IMG: Charles Website Story] Guest post by Hazel Grove Constituency Organiser Charles Gibson. Many Liberal Democrat campaigners will be, rightly, looking ahead to the 2020 General Election and many of you, will be in seats that stand to be changed by the boundary review. In Greater Manchester we face many significant changes to our boundaries. In Hazel Grove Constituency [...]
Thu 26th
17:12
Brightly coloured chameleon named after 80s pop icon Cyndi Lauper found dumped in garden
Get West London wins Headline of the Day.
Contractors moved in today to erect gates across the Tern Inn car park. The landowners, who have applied to build flats there, appear determined to prevent public parking, even for customers of the pub and the Heron Way shops. The businesses will have access for delivery etc, but that's all. Dodington Parish Council contacted the schools to warn the parents, as the traffic on Heron Way is likely to get significantly worse, with consequent danger to children. They have also asked South Glos to investigate the gates as a possible planning enforcement issue. The developers' is possibly a response to ...
What's this to do with? Basically, over the last year, we have seen several new trees installed in the John Clare Rec, which is a good thing! To find out why trees are cool ..... visit the Woodland Trust website! Sadly, I spotted that several of them have now been vandalised. I have of course [...]
Stephen Williams, Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West until 2015, is bidding to be the party's candidate for the newly created directly elected Mayor of West of England post.
You have to laugh or indeed cry as Labour simply don't know what to do about Brexit. They campaigned very meekly (with a few notable exceptions) to Remain but are now backing Brexit and they have held just about every possible position between the two since the EU Referendum. Talk about sitting on a fence and being unable to decide which side to get off! [IMG: 16298605_10154001924491582_9212132723236886979_n] But who are Labour actually pledging to have 'HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT' with? Well themselves obviously as they are desperately split on what to do. But are they really going to have a go at ...
We had a discussion at our January meeting about the Highways England consultation that is presently ongoing. I am pleased to say we came down on the environmental agenda rather than following Highways England on their let's build yet more new roads plan. [IMG: Lydiate] To recap an issue I have covered on this blog site many times, Highways England want to either build a new road right down the middle of Rimrose Valley Country Park and or expand the road capacity of the present A5036 Dunnings Bridge Road. This is to service the new Liverpool 2 river berth that ...
Thu 26th
11:30
Ludlow Town Council to decide on raising its precept by 24% to take on Shropshire Council services
There are a number of interesting matters on Ludlow Town Council's agenda next Monday night. A little way down the agenda, a couple of items after public toilets, is a paper on increasing the parish precept for 2017/18 by nearly a quarter (24%). That's likely to be one of the biggest percentage rises across Shropshire. The council has yet to make a clear case on why such a big rise is needed when it is so reluctant to take on services from Shirehall. Currently, Ludlow Town Council sets a precept of £107.60 for a Band D property.[1] This will rise ...
Susanna Rustin argues in the Guardian that Theresa May being the first national leader to meet Donald Trump is 'a national disgrace'. This depends on the purpose of May's visit. If it were to urge President Trump to reconsider his flurry of illiberal executive orders, from a wall along the Mexican border, revocation of trade deals, approval of torture, reduction in UN funding, etc, then the free world would applaud her brave initiative and wish her every success. Sadly though, the pragmatic priority announced for her visit is to secure a trade deal for the UK with the US, something ...
Thu 26th
10:34
May's visit to America reminds us of the pathetic sycophancy Britain always demonstrates towards the...
Before we go any further, I am not someone who bemoans America's role in world affairs. In fact, one of the things I fear about Trump's presidency is what it will do to the global order in terms of the US retreating from the role it has played since the end of the Second World War. Nor am I someone who thinks that Britain should not prioritise a relationship with America. Having said all that, I don't see why the UK needs to be so, well, needy when it comes to the States, and furthermore is continually happy to place ...
Liberal Democrat Newswire #89 came out last week, including possible answers to the puzzle of why the Lib Dems are doing well in Leave areas, a look at the way campaigning is changing in the Liberal Democrats and new opportunities for members to help make party policy. You can now read it in full below, but if you'd [...]
Is Simon Cowell to blame for the end of western civilisation? Probably not, but this is a convincing argument that he's a contributing factor. (Article expanded from yesterday's Twitter thread, now with references and everything) Man's best friend, bacteria's worst enemy: dog sniffs out superbug in Canadian hospital dogs are the bestest Workers from poorer backgrounds face "class earnings penalty" ...and OfC it's worse for women & BAME people because intersectionality Parents short-changing girls on pocket money, survey shows illustrative stock photo is illustrative One for fellow lib dems Second round of committee elections is up. Who wants to be ...
I like to see the bright side. With the accession of Donald Trump as US President, alongside the Republicans controlling both houses of Congress, that is hard. Mostly, I simply hope that the process of challenge will make liberals stronger and harder. There is too much complacency in liberal thinking. And there is more cosying ... Continue reading The US Republican company tax reform might be a good idea →
The Telegraph reports: The former business secretary Sir Vince Cable is to lead a free online course on politics and economics. The "Massive Open Online Course" (Mooc) will look at the link between the two subjects, examining the work of major political figures and the economic ideas they adopted. Among the topics due to be investigated are the impact of the 2008 financial crisis and understanding the methods of economics. The programme is being run on the social learning platform FutureLearn, in partnership with Nottingham University. Sir Vince, who is an honorary professor of economics at the university, said: "I ...
Last night, I attended the latest Friends of Riverside Nature Park committee meeting, held at the Mitchell Street Centre. There was a useful update from environment officers from the council's Neighbourhood Services about proposed landscape improvements on Riverside Drive and Avenue running from the nature park, eastwards along to the Riverside Pavilion east of the airport. At the east end of this area, there will also be parking improvements I highlighted yesterday. The landscape proposals will be discussed a the council's Neighbourhood Services Committee in the coming weeks to obtain necessary approval.
I will be deleting older, and no longer current, posts over the next couple of days.
The future of EU trade policy (PDF) Eloquent defence from @MalmstromEU. (tags: eu ) Nick Clegg: EU must fight back against axis of aggressive nationalism This was a good speech - I was there. (tags: eu ukpolitics )
It has only been a few days but US President Trump appears to have become increasingly disengaged with reality, and distracted from focusing on key issues by his own insecurities and obsessions, wildly thrashing around at anything that moves which is not a Republican. The question has to be asked at what point does it become unsafe to allow him near the nuclear codes and who is there who could take them off him if that point is reached? The BBC reports on the latest madness. They say that he has issued an executive order for a 2000 mile long ...
