This was the song that played as Tim Farron left the hall today. An inspired choice. The performer is referenced in his speech here: Patriots love their country, nationalists hate their neighbours. I am a patriot. The fact that in 1990 I kissed the TV when David Platt scored against Belgium in the last minute of injury time doesn't mean I hate Guy Verhofstadt...or Tin Tin...or Plastic Bertrand, or any of the other large number of very, very famous Belgians. Of course, looking at this list of Top Ten Famous Belgians, it would have been equally appropriate to have something ...
The mighty Muff Winwood was crowned as an icon at last year's A&R Awards. This is a video of his acceptance speech. "'Wankers.' That's what we called them: 'Wankers.' And then I became one."
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 473rd weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the five most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (12 – 18 March 2017), together with a hand-picked seven you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down: 1. Four things to note about ...
Richard Kemp calls for a real debate on drugs. "This is the man who, as shadow chancellor, signed up for Gordon Brown's spending plans, then, on moving into the Treasury, declared that he would save us all from the dire consequences of those same plans, before ending up delivering fiscal policies little different in aggregate from those that had been pursued by his predecessor, Brown's chancellor Alistair Darling." Dan Atkinson untangles the puzzling legacy of George Osborne. "Offa's Dyke is inexplicable to many, unknowable to the majority. In places it is too denuded to be appreciated, elsewhere it is completely ...
Ribble Valley Borough Council is advising that the following road closures will be in operation on Tuesday 21st March as part of the security operation surrounding the visit of the Prince of Wales. They say the following: Business owners and residents of Clitheroe Town Centre are advised that on the morning of Tuesday, 21 March entry to the following roads will be closed from 7am that morning to facilitate the security operation: Castle Street, King Street, King Lane, New Market Street to the Market car park. Railway View Avenue will be access only from Railway View Road. At approximately 9.45am ...
Donald Trump probably thinks that this is a number of shamrock plants. It is in fact cannabis! We need to reconsider as a society how we deal with this and other drugs At the Lib Dem Spring Conference we held ... Continue reading →
The following planning application has been withdrawn. There were 8 public objections. It would not surprise me if the application was modified and re-submitted at some point. Detached games room/gym with external platform – 23 Hathaway Road, Bury, BL9 8EG Ref. No: 61116 | Received date: Thu 09 Feb 2017 | Status: Withdrawn | Case [...]
Sun 19th
13:20
In Full: Tim Farron's speech: I love my country and I want it back from the nationalists
I am just quickly putting up Tim's speech before I rush off for a quick pint before catching my train home. More analysis and some thoughts about the weekend will appear later. In the meantime, enjoy the barnstormer that was Tim's fourth leader's speech to Conference. He explicitly said he wanted to replace Labour as opposition and the Tories in Government. In a powerful section he told moderate Tory MPs who don't like hard brexit to defect, resign or "we will do to you what we did to Zac Goldsmith." The Tories and Labour had gone to the extremes, he ...
Where will liberal pro-Europeans, a group that includes people, even MPs, from across Labour, Conservative, Green, Lib Dem and no party, end up at the next general election? Will they be split ineffectually across many parties, will they coalesce around a new party or will the Liberal Democrats be the magnet which draws them together? It's a question notably on the minds of, for example, many formerly generous political donors to different parties who are now looking for whether there is a plausible vehicle for liberal pro-Europeanism before they open their chequebooks. For them, and for many others who would ...
Rachel Aroesti writes in the Guardian:A few years ago, Laura Marling got lost. Living in Los Angeles - where she'd moved as an independence-seeking 21-year-old - she took a hiatus from the music-making that had earned her three Top 10 albums and stacks of songwriter-of-her-generation style plaudits, and reinvented herself as a yoga instructor. Not being particularly well known in the US, this career change left her wholly incognito. "I had no identity. It was really, really, really difficult," she says. "I was socially bankrupt." Not only was she stripped of her status, but a bout of depression had left ...
The Trident debate. I sat at the back of the hall and had a good view when the vote was taken. It was clear to me without a count that the unilateralist amendment was defeated. Tim Farron meets President Obama For some reason Lib Dems like cuddly animals. I love the gravestone. Very appropriate for Labour. Tim Farron Q&A. A much better performance than Jeremy Corbyn at PMQs.
Donald Trump's Twitter account has been a masterclass in how a politician can build a huge direct audience which not only cuts out the media from a politician talking to voters but also repeatedly sets the agenda for that debilitated media too. But direct audiences don't just have to come with a twee bird logo. Enter stage left, George Osborne and the Evening Standard. There's much else to be said about the appointment, such as why so many of those who were so strident that a Royal Chater would be unwarranted interference by politicians in newspaper freedom as so muted ...
The end of our week at Bonkers Hall. I can confirm that the Rutland banana does exist, but they are buggers to peel. Sunday One hears a lot of nonsense about the European Union demanding that bananas should be straight. Have the people who promulgate this untruth never heard of the Rutland banana? It can be found growing wild by the road in the humid south of Rutland, but the best specimens are those nurtured by Meadowcroft in his glass houses here at the Hall. This fruit is twisted like a corkscrew can indeed be used for removing a stubborn ...
I thought I had retired from doing formal photo ops at Lib Dem conferences but, it was not to be. I was asked to do the photos at a session late yesterday afternoon, with Tim Farron, lots of members, some EU flags and some union jacks. This meant lots of shouting by me at people to get them all into the shot. Herding cats and herding Lib Dems comes to mind.
Those moderate Labour politicians who have decided that if they sit it out long enough then Jeremy Corbyn will self-destruct, enabling them to take back control of their party, may be quite alarmed at this article in today's Observer. The paper says that plans are afoot for Len McCluskey, once he secures re-election as general secretary of Unite in an internal election next month, to link his super-union directly to Momentum by formally affiliating to it. This would amount to a massive shift of power and financial resources to the pro-Corbyn left. The plans have been described by Labour's deputy ...
The South Glos Over 50s Forum is for all residents who are over 50 years old. They are now holding meetings around the area in a bid to reach out to more people. The upcoming meetings locally are: Tuesday 28th March, 10am to 12 noon - Thornbury Methodist Church, High Street, Thornbury Thursday 30th March, 2pm to 4pm - The Ridgeway Community Centre, Station Road, Yate For more information, email southglosover50s@gmail.com
Sun 19th
08:55Cole-Hamilton: Greens have no mandate to call for second Scottish independence referendum
This week, the Scottish Parliament will vote on whether to seek a Section 30 order, the device in the UK Parliament's power that would give it the right to hold a second referendum on Scottish independence. The SNP Government is expected to win with the support of the Greens. However, Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton has made it clear that the Greens do not have a mandate to call for a referendum given that the three conditions in their manifesto have not been met. He has challenged Greens leader Patrick Harvie – who could easily merit being called "Pushover Patrick" ...
I asked Scotland Gas Networks (SGN) about progress with their work in the Perth Road/Glamis Road area - particularly as residents have queried how long the temporary traffic lights on Perth Road at Farington Terrace will continue. SGN's Team Manager has advised : "We are currently completing the final phase in Perth Road. In order to maintain gas supplies we have to carry out the work in stages which unfortunately sometimes means returning to areas we worked in earlier in the project which obviously doesn't look good to members of the public. The programme now is to complete all work ...
'So when is work on upgrading the M58 junction by Ashworth Hospital going to start' is a question I have been asked a few times recently. My information is that works on site are likely to start around March of 2018. Those who know the area well will realise that it is one of those odd motorway junctions that you can only presently access from one side so to speak. The works are meant to change it into a full junction being able to access/leave the M58 in both directions. The works will lead to the public right of way ...
The emergency motion up for discussion first thing this morning will have been decided by ballot of Conference goers. It's likely that most people will be pretty bleary-eyed by this stage – especially those who have been at the Glee Club until stupid o'clock. The main potential flashpoint of today is the debate on faith schools. This is another of those issues where liberal principles can lead you to either strongly held viewpoint. Conference will be offered three options on the way forward. You can read the arguments on both sides here and here. The highlight of course is Tim ...
If you are feeling down, anxious, stressed, confused, or simply need someone to talk to, you can access safe, anonymous support online 24/7 from Big White Wall. On Big White Wall, you can share experiences with people who feel the same as you and express yourself in words and images. There is also a library of articles and courses to help you understand how you are feeling. Trained counsellors (called Wall Guides) are online at all times to keep members safe and provide extra support. Big White Wall is completely anonymous, and no one will know you are using the ...
Sun 19th
07:54
Planning officers seek construction access to Friars Walk development through St Laurence's School
Last week, I said the two houses proposed on Friars Walk will be almost impossible to build without considerable disruption to the community. South Planning Committee documents released on Thurday show that Shropshire Council is considering delivering materials to the site and removing waste through St Laurence's CoE School. If this astonishing idea is adopted, deliveries of materials and removal of waste will need to take place out of school hours, creating considerable disruption to residents of Jockey Field. I am not against this development in principle but I am growing more and more doubtful that it can be constructed ...
[Warning: Contains spoilers] Recently, I found myself rewatching the 1979 BBC adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. It's my televisual comfort food – everything from the late Seventies atmosphere to the terrific performance by Alec Guinness in the lead ... Continue reading →
