.. on his superb debut at the Royal Opera House as a particularly evil baddie – Count di Luna in Il Trovatore. I hope that he will return to Covent Garden many many times and I will get to listen to his marvellous voice again. While I am on Il Trovatore, how amazing was Anita [...]
We might have hoped that someone sensible would have managed to talk Donald Trump out of actually banning Muslims from the US. After all, even one of the more hawkish Republicans, George HW Bush's Defence Secretary and W's Vice President Dick Cheney had condemned it previously. Even Trump's Vice President was against it before he was for it. He doesn't seem to listen to reason, though, so today's news, however disappointing, is not surprising. What we should expect, though, is for our own Government to condemn something so blatantly discriminatory, e especially when it affects British citizens. One example on ...
Today I visited the Leicestershire town of Market Harborough. It was looking rather attractive in the winter sun.
A tweet from Nadhim Zahawi, the Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon, this evening: @timothy_stanley Had confirmation that the order does apply to myself and my wife as we were both born in Iraq. Even if we are not dual Nat.— Nadhim Zahawi (@nadhimzahawi) January 28, 2017Will Theresa May remain silent even in the face of this?
Embed from Getty Images That's the headline on a story that has gone up on the Guardian website this evening. Toby Helm writes: Jeremy Corbyn is facing a serious revolt by grassroots Labour supporters who backed him to be leader as the party's crisis over Brexit escalates rapidly. With more members of Corbyn's frontbench considering resigning - shadow Welsh secretary Jo Stevens became the first to quit the shadow cabinet on Friday - the rebellion is now spreading among local party members, who are furious at his support for Theresa May's plans for triggering the article 50 process. On Saturday ...
Empire Games by Charles Stross My rating: 3 of 5 stars Apologies to the few people who follow my blog via its Goodreads syndication, as you will see this review twice...(This will contain spoilers, not for this book, but for ... Continue reading →
With Rutland's most celebrated peer having made it safely into 2017, it is time to say goodbye to Bonkers Hall. Until next time. New Year's Day Here we bring new water from the well so clear, For to worship God with, this happy New Year. Sing levy-dew, sing levy-dew, the water and the wine, The seven bright gold wires and the bugles that do shine.No, I don't understand a word of it either, but it is a traditional New Year carol and I have it sung by the village children here at the Hall every 1 January wolves not withstanding. ...
The Liberal Democrat campaign for Zulfiqar Ali in the Stoke-on-Trent Parliamentary by-election is focusing heavily on Hard Brexit.
[IMG: school_wb] A recent National Audit Office Report has highlighted that by the end of the financial year 2019/20 funding for schools will have been reduced nationally by £3 billion, a cut that will effect 98% of schools. This is in stark contrast with the Conservative's 2015 manifesto pledge that "there will be a real-terms increase in the schools budget in the next Parliament." Here in Clitheroe it will affect all the school's in our town. In total they will lose £1.147 million – the equivalent of losing 27 teachers. Broken down it means cuts in real terms by 2020 ...
The Liberal Democrats have set up a branch in France. Until now, members in France had been part of the Brussels and Europe branch, but, as an article in the English language French newspaper Connexions shows, new member Paul Fisher has created a French branch which has its inaugural meeting this week. He told the paper: "We want to ensure that the voice of British citizens living in France is heard back home," Mr Fisher said. The branch includes among its aims campaigning to support and enhance the rights of Britons in France and "supporting and campaigning for UK Liberal ...
Welcome to the latest in my series of tips and advice for Liberal Democrat members, which appear first in the email bulletin run by London Region for party members. The best guide to what's involved in becoming an MP – not just the campaign logistics, but the politics, the impact on your wider life and the fun of it all – is a chapter in one of Paddy Ashdown's books. It's a story that starts in 1976, but which is just as applicable in the internet age because the basic principles of how you enthuse colleagues and change the minds ...
Second paragraph of third chapter:To describe the Captain would be to spoil the surprise. It's probably safest to describe his chair, which was very large and dominated the Bridge of the Citadel. From here, the Captain could look out through the vast domed windows, down the mountain, across the city of Zxoxaxax and over the plains of Malchios. The cities were easier to see than they were to spell.I was in London at the start of the month, and who should I find in Forbidden Planet but James Goss, autographing copies of the very newest Doctor Who book! As my ...
Lib Dem Leader in the Lords Dick Newby has been writing about the EU referendum and Brexit for the Reimagining Europe website. He is clear that Brexit will not resolve the problems which motivated people to vote to leave: The overarching message which I take from the result, is that very many people feel alienated from the way the country is run and are worried about their economic futures. They don't see the benefits of recent social and economic change. And they see large scale immigration as a threat, not as a benefit. Brexit alone would not assuage these fears, ...
What is it? #VisitMyMosque day is a national initiative facilitated by the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) and its affiliates, where mosques across the UK organise open days, inviting in their neighbours for tea, biscuits, cakes and an insight into the day-to-day goings on of a busy Muslim centre of worship. Aims of the initiative [...]
It's a Sarah Olney kind of day today! Here is our newest MP's message for Chinese New Year.
Fresh from her meeting in Washington with a man who has extolled the effectiveness of torture, admitted sexually assaulting women and who thinks building walls between nations is a good idea, our Prime Minister heads today to meet the leader of a so-called democracy where human rights mean nothing and journalists are imprisoned. Sarah Olney has written a blistering article in the Guardian, attacking the PM for betraying our liberal values instead of safeguarding our trading relationship with the democracies on our doorstep. This tawdry tour shames Britain. This is a defining period on the international stage and we must ...
[IMG: Carl Cashman] Cllr. Carl Cashman Jen and I went to a campaign meeting for Lib Dem Mersey Metro Mayor candidate Carl Cashman last night in Liverpool's Central Library. [IMG: This was the view from from Central Library of St. Georges Hall.] This was the view from from Central Library of St. Georges Hall. What a venue, this modern recreation of the library is wonderful; what a great place to meet. It was a good meeting with a great cross-section of Lib Dem supporters, particularly good to see young people there too. Really nice to meet up with Fred Weavers, ...
UKIP kept David Cameron up at night, or so we were often told back in those heady days. It was the threat of the purple people eaters taking Tory seats on account of the EU issue that convinced Cameron to make the mistake that eventually brought down his premiership, namely his speech in January 2013 promising to hold an In/Out EU referendum should the Tories get a parliamentary majority after 2015. That 2013 speech neither destroyed UKIP nor resolved the EU issue for the Conservatives, at least not yet, as Cameron's successor looks doomed to spend all of her first ...
Now, I don't want to launch into a political rant but it often appears that politicians are only concerned with winning the popular support of the electorate. They avoid confronting the difficult issues and students of BBC sitcoms know that the words most likely to strike fear into the heart of Jim Hacker MP, were: " ... a very brave decision minister." In some ways, this is not necessarily a bad thing. It broadly supports continuity and stability, avoiding the potential calamity of politicians who pursue their own passing whims with little regard to the hopes and aspirations of the ...
Here's the answer to that question come up with at the second conference of liberal Mayors, held in Warsaw last month: During the Liberal Mayors Summit twenty mayors from fourteen different European countries discussed and agreed a document setting out the Principles which make cities and local communities liberal, and the actions that a Liberal Mayor should take. They also shared best practices on social mobility. Social mobility is focused on how reforms can increase upwards mobility both in terms of job status and in terms of income. European countries have much in common but also significant differences in their ...
So, Theresa has visited the Donald, and reaffirmed the Special Relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom. She'll doubtless be pleased that she has been seen with the new President before any other major leader, and timing does matter. He's said the right things from her perspective too, as The Times puts it on its front page this morning; Trump blesses Britain It does come at a cost though. She has been blessed by a man whose popularity in this country is rather less than that of Jeremy Corbyn, and whose views on a range of key policy ...
As reported in the press earlier this week, I have welcomed progress towards the provision of free public wi-fi for the Waterfront and City Centre, something that has been a long time coming. The City Council's Head of Customer Services & IT has now confirmed to me that a working group involving the council's IT and City Development Departments along with representation from the Scottish Futures Trust has now been established to drive the initiative forward. The Head of Customer Services & IT advised : "A Public Wireless project is still being investigated by Dundee city council for the waterfront ...
No longer welcome: the EU academics in Britain told to 'make arrangements to leave' #TakingBackControl (tags: ukpolitics brexit eu ) 5 Reasons to Vote for the Hugo Awards Thanks, @DanKoboldt! (tags: sf hugos ) John Hurt, versatile star of The Elephant Man, Alien and Harry Potter, dies aged 77 Sad news. (tags: doctorwho death ) Five Roger Zelazny Books that Changed My Life by Being Awesome By @StevenBrust. (tags: sf ) Fanzines, Cover Art, and the Best Vorkosigan Planet: An Interview with Lois McMaster Bujold Yay! (tags: sf )
The Telegraph reports that Jeremy Corbyn is facing fresh chaos after a second senior member of his team quit over his decision that Labour should back Theresa May and trigger Article 50. They say that Jo Stevens, the shadow Welsh secretary, is the first member of the shadow cabinet to resign as two whips also indicated they would not back the Labour leader. She must have been Corbyn's fourth Welsh Secretary in 16 months. I have really lost count. Three of the party's frontbenchers said they will vote against Britain leaving the European Union including Jeff Smith and Thangam Debbonaire, ...
