The number of EU nationals registering as nurses in England has dropped by 92% since the Brexit referendum in June, and a record number are quitting the NHS... The haemorrhaging of foreign staff is being blamed by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) on the failure of the government to provide EU nationals in the UK with any security about their future... Janet Davies, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said... "The government risks turning off the supply of qualified nurses from around the world at the very moment the health service is in a staffing crisis like ...
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, on behalf of the Lib-Dems in Broxtowe. Many apologies that there wasn't an edition last week, unfortunately work commitments got in the way. 1. More improvements taking place on Toton Fields Nature Reserve next week. The Friends of Toton Fields, in collaboration with Broxtowe Borough Council, has secured a grant to make improvements to the Nature Reserve. Following the thinning of some trees in the woods last week, the next element is to create a Wildflower Meadow on the Open Space at the top of ...
Here is Tim Farron's question and answer session from Spring Conference in York Enjoy!
Pitsford surprised me. Boughton astounded me. But by the time you get to Kingsthorpe the encroachment of Northampton is almost complete. The old village is still there amongst it all. So you get a road with an ironstone farmhouse on one side and Victorian terraces on the other. A village green bordered by mid-20th-century bungalows. Rural enclaves with 21st-century infill at the end of them. And, says Wikipedia, it is something of a nursery for actors. Joan Hickson, Judy Carne and Lesley Joseph all lived here as girls. I wonder if St Mary Mead is now like this?
Sat 18th
20:01
Shocking news that agricultural suicides remain high says farming Councillor Richard Huffer
Data published on Friday by the Office of National Statistics show that male agricultural workers have a suicide rate second only to low-skilled labourers. More than 60 men farming in England take their own lives every year. Richard Huffer farms in South Shropshire and is Shropshire Councillor for the ward of Clee. "To learn that agriculture has one of the highest suicide rates in England will come as no surprise for anyone in the farming community. We have all lost friends and colleagues in shocking circumstances. "Farming is a tough job. Many farmers work in isolation. They are under huge ...
Here s Norman Lamb's speech from this afternoon's health debate: First, we condemn Theresa May for her refusal to guarantee the rights of EU citizens working in our NHS and care services to stay in this country. We value the vital contribution you make. We demand that their right is guaranteed. The Budget completely failed to address the dire financial situation facing the NHS and care. Whatever your politics, it makes no sense to spend a reducing share of our national income on the NHS as demand rises at 4% every year Whatever your politics, it makes no sense that ...
Sat 18th
18:30
Lib Dems to continue quest for multilateral disarmament after amendment to get rid of nuclear weapon...
Another conference, another debate on nuclear weapons. The anti nuclear weapons side has won once, in 1986, so the odds weren't good. What would happen today, though, given that it was the first ever vote under OMOV. Well, the party was clearly bringing out its big hitter so both sides. Conference darling Alistair Carmichael for the party working group position and Conference darling Julian Huppert for the anemdnemnt. The working group was set up in Bournemouth in 2015 to look at the issues around nuclear weapons and drew up a paper which recommended keeping a nuclear deterrent and working for ...
Richard Billington, the chairman of Ukip in Harborough, who told potential candidates they could "make money by doing nothing" if they got elected to Leicestershire County Council" has been dropped as a candidate himself. He will not now be fighting the Foxton and West Harborough ward. The announcement was made, says the Leicester Mercury, in a statement from David Sprason, who is Ukip's Leicestershire chairman and the party's national welfare and social policy spokesman. The Mercury also quotes Billington's email (which was also sent to some people outside the party). It begins: "If you want to help yourself, your family ...
Wonderful old 16mm footage posted on YouTube by Adam Spry and filmed by his grandfather Frank Wroe. The 'Daily Mirror 8' were a group of female gymnasts who toured the country. On this occasion they perform at Summerleaze Downs, Bude. There is an excellent photo of the occasion here on Bude Past and Present (which ... Continue reading The 'Daily Mirror 8' at Bude 1937
There is space for two emergency motions in the Conference agenda. Five have been submitted. As ever, conference reps have the chance to vote for their favourites. A ballot paper is on the back of the Conference Daily. Complete and return it to the ballot box in the main auditorium before 12:40. Your badge will be punched so you can't vote more than once.
The news that the British Election Study (BES) has added a set of constituency spending figures to its hugely useful dataset of constituency results from the 2015 general election may seem a somewhat unremarkable incremental improvement that will make the lives of researchers a little easier. Yes, but. There is a huge magnetic pull from the data included in any data set which often trumps its actual validity or usefulness. Quite simply, put data in a file and people are strongly drawn towards using it without first questioning closely its validity or relevance. The problem with constituency spending data is ...
The first policy debate of the Conference has taken place with Conference overwhelmingly backing a policy paper which decriminalises sex work and provides workers with support which will improve their health and make them safer. An amendment which would have undermined the motion by calling for kerb-crawling convictions to be maintained was defeated. Joe Otten was right in his summation to talk about sexual harassment but as Charlotte Cane reminded conference in her summation, the evidence was that criminalising clients made sex workers less safe. First vote of #ldconf #spring17 in York is out of the way. We've voted overwhelmingly ...
Sat 18th
10:30Tim Farron's speech to the Conference rally: I am the only UK party leader opposing Brexit
Here, in full, is Tim Farron's speech to last night's Conference rally. It went down very well in the hall with several bouts of spontaneous applause. So, never let it be said that I don't play fair. My daughter Gracie went on Spanish exchange to Madrid last month to stay with her friend Alba, and her Parents took them to Real Madrid's Bernabeu stadium. This week it's our turn to host Alba, and where have we taken her in return? That's right, we've brought her here to Liberal Democrat party conference. We're telling her its Wembley. We told her the ...
Liberal International reports: Dutch Liberals VVD and D66 (LI full members) delivered a huge blow to the march of populism across Europe as the VVD, the party of prime minister Mark Rutte, topped the polls this week for a 3rd consecutive election, while D66 finished joint-third with 19 seats. The election, which saw the highest turnout of Dutch voters in 30 years amid earlier concerns that the far-right party of Geert Wilders would emerge with the most seats, is seen as a bellwether for the French elections later this year. LI President Dr Juli Minoves tweeted that VVD and D66 ...
The photos of German Chancellor Angela Merkel with Donald Trump at the White House are priceless, her quizzical frown communicating more than any words, "What a chump!" And what a contrast with Theresa May, who rushed off to Washington in unseemly haste, ending up in an embarrassing hand-holding with the President. Not that that has [...]
When it comes to leaving the EU there has been no greater Damascene conversion than that of the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May. After all the now-Prime Minister had backed Remain in the 2016 referendum, declaring in a speech that it was "clearly in our national interest to remain a member of the European Union". A more unkind critic than me, might question whether Theresa May's commitment to the European cause was that well entrenched or was she just going through the motions? Either way she has shed her previous convictions with all the vigour and fanaticism of a convert. ...
When Paul Nuttall's website reappeared (to general rejoicing) last week, I wrote of the claims about his past that are no longer to be found on it: The claim that Nuttall has been a university lecturer has been deleted.This always seemed unlikely to me, but it was repeated without comment by many journalists when Nuttall was elected leader of Ukip.Yet if you go to the Press Releases section of the site, you will still found it made several times, On 21 February 2010 the world was told: "I am not for one minute criticising students, who by and large work ...
The Conference rally is always an opportunity to enthuse the Liberal Democrat conference goers and to set the tone for the whole weekend. .@hinamalik85 tells #ldconf rally of how @nick_clegg convinced her to join @LibDems pic.twitter.com/hX396V7dvj — Caron Lindsay (@caronmlindsay) March 17, 2017 Last night's was a gritty show of defiance of a Government that refuses to listen to any sort of reason over Brexit, contempt for an opposition that helps them on their way and a strong statement that only the Liberal Democrats will stand up for the rights of the British people. There were five speakers in total. ...
I have done some research and this story checks out. There is no mention of the scheme in the official histories! Saturday Defence cuts have hit hard in recent years, but I remember the Sixties (the Nineteen Sixties let me hastily add!) when, if the balloon had gone up, repelling the invader will have been left in the hands of a comedian and his small companions. Dodd's Army, they called it - even at the time I wondered if it would be enough. Of course, if you look in the official histories you will find no mention of this scheme. ...
There are just 3 weeks to go until the Abbotswood Clean-Up Day on Saturday, 8th April at 11 am. As well as the usual litter picking, Abbotswood Action Group and friends are hoping to trim shrubs, paint benches, plant plants and generally make the area more attractive. The more people that come along, the more can be achieved so please spread the word. Next Saturday - 25 March from 11 am - they will be preparing for wild flower planting near the underpass by lifting the turf. Your help would be very much appreciated!
From Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks - regarding the high voltage cable replacement project - area from Lochee Road to Logie Avenue : "As you'll be aware the Dundee City Transmission Cable Replacement project commenced on 6 March 2017 and is progressing according to programme. Below is an update in relation to the works and roads affected by these as at w/c 20 March : Lochee Road, Joint Bay 1/2 - Road remains open to traffic who are able to pass with careLochee Road, Joint Bay 2/3 - Traffic management system sees the sequencing of traffic lights staggered to accommodate ...
Sat 18th
08:21
The Dutch elections do not mean we're out of the wilderness yet. France could be very different
In the wake of Geert Wilders relatively disappointing election showing this week, many pundits are quick to declare the populist wave over in Europe. They have extrapolated from the Dutch result that France will not become the domain of Marine Le Pen after the first week in May. I would advise a lot more caution on this front than we're hearing. For a start, the Netherlands and France are very different countries, in very different places, politically speaking, at present. The fact that Wilders' virtual one-man band PVV (he is, in fact, the only member) managed to get as far ...
Sat 18th
08:18
Merseyrail – So how many Customer Service staff will replace the Train Guards under Merseytrav...
Readers of this blog site will know that I have been trying to get behind the media stories regarding the the loss of train guards on Merseyrail when new driver only operated trains are delivered in around 3 years time. I think that one reason for the move to guardless trains is to cut costs and a second is to address issues associated with accidents involving passengers. You takes your pick but I think the majority of us will probably think that the major influencing factor is likely to be money. The other day, before the guards strike of Monday ...
The Saturday of Spring Conference is very busy, with a packed training programme and fringe as well as debates in the hall. Don't forget to grab your daily bulletin and make sure that you vote for the emergency motion you want to see debated by lunchtime. The party will be talking about Brexit but because the situation was so fluid, the motion will only be published when we get to Conference as to do so before could have rendered it out of date. The most controversial debate of the day will be on nuclear weapons. The policy paper produced by ...
Operation London Bridge: the secret plan for the days after the Queen's death A great read. (tags: england ) How Russia's attack on Freeland got traction in Canada Disgraceful. Wake up! (tags: russia canada ) Are British elections being stolen? Quite possibly! (tags: elections ukpolitics ) US makes formal apology to Britain after White House accuses GCHQ of wiretapping Trump Tower !!! (tags: Uspolitics ukpolitics espionage ) Alabama town agrees in settlement to stop operating debtors' prison This is so disgusting. (tags: uspolitics )
Secession is a conditional right not an absolute one An assumption that I've seen come up a number of times in the debate around Scottish Independence is that Scotland or any other potential nation has a right to cecede. While I agree that as a practical matter, Scotland probably can decide to quit the UK [...]
