What are the Lib Dem targets? In past elections, it's usually been pretty obvious which seats the Lib Dems can hope to win – find which ones we came second in last time and where we're within c.10% of whichever is the governing party. On that basis, there are 16 seats the Lib Dems would hope to win: 9 from the Tories and 3 each from Labour and the SNP. That would take the party's tally to 25 MPs (if we hold our gain in Richmond Park). A decent haul, though not quite the breakthrough some more excitable commentators (and ...
Tim Farron has done what I'd been hoping and ruled out the Liberal Democrats going into coalition with either Tories or Labour. This means that the Tory argument that Corbyn, Sturgeon and Farron will get together and do a deal with the Loch Ness Monster to crash the stock exchange (ok, maybe the last bit of that was an exaggeration) is shown to be nonsense. People can vote Liberal Democrat with confidence knowing that we will do everything we can to oppose the Tories and Labour on Brexit. It also has the advantage of putting to bed at the earliest ...
Questions of the form 'who would you make a deal with?' have bedevilled every general election campaign in the history of the Liberal Democrats.
Embed from Getty Images The Observer reports: The Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron has ruled out any form of coalition with the Tories or Labour after the general election as he sets out a bold ambition to attract enough Remain voters to form the main opposition party in parliament. In a dramatic shift of strategy for a party that entered coalition with the Conservatives in 2010 in the "national interest", Farron said in an interview with the Observer that there will be "no deal, no deal with anybody" under any circumstances. He insisted that both the Tories and Labour were ...
There's an election on. I tweet about politics. I have over 3000 followers, and several of them RT me on occasion. This all means that I quite regularly attract... People who wish to engage in debate. Some of them in a less than friendly manner. Now, sometimes, these people are just asking a question. And sometimes, when I answer their question they say "oo, I didn't know that! Thanks!" and we both carry on our merry way after a positive interaction. Sometimes they are just outright hostile or insulting, and those people I mute straight away. Sometimes though... Sometimes they ...
Campaigns, of course, are already up and running across the country for the May 4th local elections, but Theresa May's announcement has given even greater impetus to Lib Dem activists across the country. Here's a round-up of some of today's action via Twitter – please let us know about any other team action photos in ... Continue reading General election campaigns get off to a flying start across the country
Campaigns, of course, are already up and running across the country for the May 4th local elections, but Theresa May's announcement has given even greater impetus to Lib Dem activists across the country. Here's a round-up of some of today's action via Twitter – please let us know about any other team action photos in the comments field below!: Caroline Pidgeon was up in Cambridge lending her support to Julian Huppert in his campaign to regain the city's parliamentary seat and also to Rod Cantrill in his bid to be the first Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough: Fantastic day supporting ...
The Liberal Democrats have been ready for a snap general election since summer last year. There was an interesting degree of brutal efficiency in the appointment of candidates, ensuring we had candidates in place in the overwhelming majority of seats. In terms of candidates, I'm rather surprised however that the other parties did little to prepare for a snap general election, especially the
Friday saw yet another visit to the Lib Dem office in Consett. Yet more printing followed. This time, we were printing the Dunston Hill Focus which has been prepared by Kevin McClurey, one of our key campaigners in the ward. Also coming off the printer were 1000 petition forms. Gateshead Council has now received the planning application for housing on land to the south of Whickham Highway. We
OMG you guys, Doctor Who was good TWO WEEKS RUNNING! ( Spoilers under the cut ) [IMG: Carlton does a happy dance] [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
What's this about then? At a recent meeting of Full Council, Labour Councillor, Ansar Ali, put forward a motion that requested Peterborough City Council call upon the support of our city's two members of Parliament, to urge our government to increase its efforts to: Quell the increasing public climate of hate and fear; Condemn Islamophobia and all [...]
Embed from Getty Images General Election 2017: Bath is one of the best chances of success for a Lib Dem MP says the headline on a Bath Chronicle story. And who's this quoted below it? The small swing puts Bath at number 12 on Election Polling's list of top target seats for the Lib Dems. But Lib Dem blogger Jonathan Calder thinks Bath should be higher on the list. "I'd say with Bath's history it's probably better than number 12," said Mr Calder, who is behind the Liberal England blog. "I think Bath is in the top 10 and, with ...
I was really disappointed to learn of Theresa May's call for a general election earlier this week. Certainly not because I agree with her party's policies, in particular on the NHS and education. The cynical decision to run a Polling Day in June for a general election just a month after voters go to the polls around the country for local council elections on May 4th shows a total lack of respect for taxpayers' money. The BBC estimates that the cost of running a nationwide election is over £113 million. As we have recently seen parents being fined and taken ...
On Thursday 4 May, voters across Scotland will use the single transferrable vote (STV) voting system to cast their vote in the Scottish council elections.
We will be hosting a series of webinars for party members in the run up to the 2017 General Election. These sessions will arm you with essential skills needed during the campaign, including media training, fundraising and campaign skills. Full details below: How to get confident & in control with the media Tuesday 25 April 2017|Time 5-6pm| Trainer: Laura Shields - Media Trainer, Director of The Media Coach & chair of Brussels Lib Dems. This session will cover: How to understand a journalist's mindset Tricks of the media How to build effective messages Staying in control Register here Fundraising Wednesday ...
Sat 22nd
16:33
Ukip candidate complains about mothers who work, people who get old and pensioners who take the bus
"I don't want increased child care. Women with small children should stay home," says Ukip election candidate Gisela Allen. They are, however, the lucky ones. "I don't want any LGBT community," she goes on. But, to be fair, she spreads her dislike of others around: "People are becoming far too old". And older people shouldn't get free bus passes. Instead of taking the bus they should "be encouraged to walk". As if the thought of having an 80-year-old with arthritis having to walk up the hill in the rain for 20 minutes in this Ukip-wonderland doesn't appeal enough she's also ...
So, about that whole one post a day thing during the election. I'd like to explain here that it was always an aspiration and never a firm commitment, but global circumstances have since arisen that will make it hard to meet that aspiration within the course of the campaign. Or in other words, I'm going to try and get an election post up here every day, but with lots of other things going on right now, there may well be more days like Thursday where I don't quite get round to it, then Friday when I don't have the time ...
Sat 22nd
15:30
Tim Farron: Trump putting the UK at the 'back of the queue' is a devastating blow to May's hard Brex...
Responding to reports Donald Trump will put the EU ahead of the UK in trade talks, Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron said: This is a devastating blow to Theresa May's hard Brexit plans. Yet another claim by the Brexiteers, that Britain would be at the front of the queue for a trade deal with US, ... Continue reading Tim Farron: Trump putting the UK at the 'back of the queue' is a devastating blow to May's hard Brexit
Important news for Lib Dem campaigners in areas without local elections: the party has put together a new canvassing script in the Connect electoral database system for use in the general election. (Specific Scottish and Welsh versions of the script will come after the local elections there are finished.) The script covers the key questions to ask, all of which match up efficiently with data stored in Connect and saves people the time of having to reinvent their own scripts locally. Using standard questions across the country also brings major benefits, including the ability for the party to better track ...
I was as staggered as anyone else that Theresa May has called a general election in June, especially given her assurances that she would do no such thing, though I can see the logic. On the one hand, it does provide Tim Farron with what he has been asking for - an immediate second referendum on the style of Brexit (and again she said she would do no such thing). On the other hand, the result may be a forgone conclusion - not because a great majority of the nation backs the government, but because of the slow and inexorable ...
Sat 22nd
14:05
Tim Farron: Trump putting the UK at the 'back of the queue' is a devastating blow to May's hard Brex...
Embed from Getty Images Responding to reports Donald Trump will put the EU ahead of the UK in trade talks, Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron said: This is a devastating blow to Theresa May's hard Brexit plans. Yet another claim by the Brexiteers, that Britain would be at the front of the queue for a trade deal with US, now lies in tatters. Theresa May should now make clear she will prioritise a trade deal with the EU over one with Trump. It's not too late to prevent a hard Brexit and keep Britain in the Single Market. This election ...
Sat 22nd
13:56
Some sf books I read that didn't make the Hugo ballot: Bujold, Peter Brown, Vernon, Whitehead
The Hugo nominations took a lot of what would otherwise have been reading and blogging time so far this year, so I am only now beginning to catch up. Here are four Hugo-eligible books which I read as the votes were coming in, which did not however make the final ballot. It's some time since I read each of them, so my notes are fairly cursory. Penric's Mission, by Lois McMaster Bujold Second paragraph of third chapter: "Now what?" he called up, not expecting a reply. This is my favourite of the four I'm looking at here - Penric is ...
Great news about another former Lib Dem MP is re-standing: Bob Russell. (For the others announced so far, see my earlier post.) Elsewhere, one of the party's best prospects for a Liberal Democrat gain in Scotland is Edinburgh West, where Alex Cole-Hamilton won the nearly-identical Scottish Parliament seat in the elections last year. The previous Liberal Democrat MP, Mike Crockart, has previously said he doesn't want to run again. It looks like the frontrunner to be the candidate is Christine Jardine. Whether it is her or someone else standing for the party, they'll be helped by the scandals around the ...
St Stephen's Hall, Houses of Parliament – some rights reserved by UK Parliament Despite understandable security measures, it is still easy to visit the Houses of Parliament and watch the proceedings. I went there this week. You basically present yourself at the Cromwell Green entrance, which is halfway along the building by the big statue ... Continue reading Does Parliament have the plushest waiting room in the world?
Well, er, no. "America after the fall – Painting in the 1930s" is an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts which breathtakingly displays how public funding for the arts during a depression (let alone a recession) can work wonders. As part of President Roosevelt's "New Deal", the Federal Arts Project employed artists to create ... Continue reading Public funding for the arts should be cut during a recession, right?
Sat 22nd
13:26
When Worlds Collide, said George Pal to his Bride, I'm going to give you some terrible thrills
Unless this is the first entry of mine you've read, you'll know that I am active in politics. You will also know that I am active in a lot of geekeries (Doctor Who, obvs, but lots of others too). The thing about both of those things is that they can sometimes cause a teeny tiny slight amount of stress to enter one's life. If I get stressy, one of my main ways of destressing is to look at Cute Doggy Pictures. A clear majority of the Instagram accounts I follow are hounds of various stripes, and a healthy smattering of ...
St Stephen's Hall, Houses of Parliament – some rights reserved by UK Parliament Despite understandable security measures, it is still easy to visit the Houses of Parliament and watch the proceedings. I went there this week. You basically present yourself at the Cromwell Green entrance, which is halfway along the building by the big statue of Oliver Cromwell. At the gate, they tend to ask you why you want to come in – but you just have to say "I want to go to the public gallery of the House of Commons (or Lords)" and they'll let you in (having ...
Presidential candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has been turning to 'holograms' to maximise the number of voters who see him in France's close election race.
Why Theresa May should scare you This is a blogged version of a tweet thread, and it shows in the formatting. HOWEVER, the points made in it are extremely important. It's saddening that gay men will unnecessarily endure suffering because of delays in making PrEP available Srsly, this is one of the biggest stains on Hunt's stewardship of the NHS - and I say this despite knowing about lots and lots of other Hunt cock-ups and cruelties. Gay men detained in Chechnya give accounts of abuse, electrocution CN up the wazoo for this one. There's a video as well as ...
Nick Clegg appeared on Newsnight on Wednesday night at the end of a feature on Tory/Lib Dem marginals in the South West. He said that Theresa May had called the election for cynical and opportunistic reasons, to try and "hoover up a huge majority" before the effects of Brexit hit and capitalising on the weakness of Corbyn. He said that issues like the chronic underfunding of the NHS and schools were also important and were being overshadowed by Brexit. In an interesting glimpse to our election strategy, he said that it was clear that Theresa May would still be PM ...
Membership of the Lib Dems has doubled since 2015.
Call me a mug, but I always believed Theresa May when she said she never wanted an early general election. Even when she announced that Britain would go to the polls on 8 June, I still got the sense she didn't really want it, that her hand had somehow been forced. And I think I know why.Following the success ofThe Alternative, the book I co-edited with two MPs (Lisa Nandy and Caroline Lucas) last year, the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, without whose funding the book would never have happened, asked me to undertake a research project on whether the rules ...
You can join the Liberal Democrats quickly, easily and safely online here.There are lots of reasons to join the Liberal Democrats. Some people joined because they wanted to stand up for our values, of openness, tolerance and unity. Some because they want to help us win elections. Others so they could stand for election and stand up for their community.Becoming a Liberal Democrat will let you do all that - and much more besides. As a member, you'll have the power to change things and all our members, from party leader Tim Farron, right down to our newest member you ...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39675418 The BBC has the story on its web site – see link above Aintree Coal sidings – April 1911 This is an historic moment in time and I say that despite hailing from a Nottinghamshire mining community, where of course mining is no more. I have blogged previously about coal mining and my connection with it. Here's a link to a previous posting on this subject. Bentinck Colliery – Nottinghamshire (Photographer unknown) But as environmental campaigner who thinks that global warming and climate change are the biggest challenges we have just about ever faced I really do welcome ...
It was billed as the Labour leader's first visit to Wales since the General Election was called but ended up mired in confusion as Corbyn's team were forced to abandon their theme for the day. As the Western Mail reported before the visit, it was understood that Corbyn was going to switch the focus of Labour's campaign to education with a speech in Cardiff warning that too many schoolchildren are "crammed into classrooms like sardines". That was before he was told that education in Wales was devolved to a Labour Government that has allowed class sizes to grow over the ...
BT have applied for 48 x 2.9m(8'8") high advertising hoardings dressed partially as phone kiosks across Southwark. Three of these are proposed in East Dulwich. Southwark should charge rent as they do for similar 90 such installations by JCDecaux free standing advertising hoardings and Southwark taxpayers benefit. But only where it is safe to do so. Ironic that we've spent so much time reducing street clutter for BT to propose this. Clearly their phone kiosks aren't being used hence proposal to replace them with advertising hoardings. The idea of free phone calls from phone outdoors next to main roads is ...
There will be an Open Day at the historic Ram Hill Colliery on Monday 29 May from 10.30 am to 4.00 pm. You will be able to visit this 19th century mine site, with the remains of the mine shaft, horse-gin, bunkers and Dramway. You will also be able to take a walk through the Woodland area and enjoy some refreshments . You can find the Colliery across from 1 Railway Cottages, Broad Lane, Coalpit Heath, BS36 2TY The Friends of Ram Hill Colliery offer guided walks, and recommend sensible footware. Dogs and children must be supervised, with respect shown ...
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. It's easy to get lost in believing just the good news about your own side, especially in politics – and all the more so given the natural instinct of people to share (only) the good news about by-elections or new opinion polls. Which is why it's wise to read more widely as otherwise your political judgments and even campaign decisions get made based on a very distorted view of the world. ...
Every so often, the right wing talk shows come up with something a liberal wants to hear. "Sharp, witty, self-deprecating, a pleasure to interview, a polished media performer." Who said this about our Tim? None other than Julia Hartley-Brewer on Talk Radio, chatting to Guido Fawkes' owner Paul Staines about the lack of leaders' debates in the forthcoming General Election. She even started to say that he was likeable but then apparently thought better of it. Staines said that it wasn't Corbyn May was bothered about, it was Tim Farron. Hartley-Brewer then came out with the compliments above. She also ...
I spent my Easter break travelling around Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Hercegovina. What I learned from my tour around the Balkans I think is interesting enough to relate to you all, and I want to do it while the impressions are fresh. For a start Croatia and Montenegro, but particularly Croatia as it is already established as a tourist destination for western Europeans as well as being in the EU as well, are missing a rather lucrative trick. Both nations have economies heavily reliant on tourism; both have weather in the spring that would be considered comfortably summery throughout ...
From the Curator of Museum Services, University of Dundee :Way Back When - A Walk along the Hawkhill Saturday 29 April 2017, 2.30pm Meet in the exhibition, Tower Foyer Gallery, University of Dundee Many of the photographs in Walter Simms' exhibition were taken in the Hawkhill, parts of which were then changing beyond all recognition. In this special guided walk we will explore the changing face of this historic street, with the help of photographs, artworks, poetry and memories, to try to bring its rich and varied past back to life. The event will include a chance to see some ...
35 Years Of American Death Statistics and maps. Grimly fascinating. (tags: Death ushealth Maps ) #Kazakhstan education ministry establishes working group to transfer alphabet to Latin From қазақша to qazaqşa? (tags: Language kazakhstan alphabets ) French Candidates Talk of 'Frexit,' but Le Divorce Would Be Chaotic Great piece by @StephenFidler1. (tags: eu france ) I ATE THREE EGGS EVERY SINGLE MORNING FOR A WEEK - HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED Caps lock merited. (tags: sf )
