It's late, and I need to sleep so I should probably skip this update, but I'm probably not going to be able to do a post tomorrow either, as I'm going to an event at the LSE in the evening. And that's why I want to write something now, because the event I'm going to is called "Illiberal Democracy in unstable times". It's focusing on Central and Eastern Europe, but it'll be interesting to hear if any of the countries talked about have a policy proposal like this: Firms will be asked to pay more to hire migrant workers and ...
Despite the dismal rain outside, the atmosphere in the Oval Space in Bethnal Green was electric this evening for the Liberal Democrats' manifesto launch — reminiscent of the very best LibDem autumn conference events, packed with activists and complete with a well-stocked bar. After a warm-up act (and fundraising pitch) by St. Albans candidate Daisy [...]
Another 1958 glimpse of Heath Park Halt, which was the southern terminus for passengeers of the Harpenden to Hemel Hempstead line. This time we see a train arriving at the halt from the north. It crosses the viaduct that carried the line across Marlowes, which was just then taking shape as the main shopping street of Hemel Hempstead new town. Now watch Boxmoor gas works to Heath Park Halt,
There's been a slew of "whither the Lib Dems" articles in the past few days, with polls showing the party settling at 8-10% in the polls, little better than our 2015 nadir. Given the Conservatives have hoovered up the Ukip vote and Theresa May's ratings, buoyed by the fan-girling media, are stratospheric, it's not impossible the Lib Dems could be utterly wiped out on June 8th. Which perhaps isn't the optimistic opening some of you would have liked to read. First, a caveat: let's remember the Lib Dems are often slow starters in election campaigns. At every election in my ...
A vote for the Liberal Democrats on June 8 is a vote to put the future of Britain in your hands.
The Daily Telegraph wins Headline of the Day.
Wed 17th
21:25
Lib Dems launch manifesto plan to fund more nurses, teachers and police in Ribble Valley
The Liberal Democrats have launched their manifesto plans today for a brighter future, with pledges to reverse Conservative cuts and increase funding for the NHS, schools and police. The Party's landmark policy would give the people the final say on the Brexit deal which would include the option to remain in the EU. The Liberal Democrats would put a penny on income tax for health and care would raise £30m for the NHS in East Lancashire, enough to fund 179 more nurses. An additional £63m of funding for schools in Lancashire, paid for in part by reversing Conservative cuts to ...
Embed from Getty Images Today is IDAHoBiT – the international day against homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. Liberal Democrats have a proud tradition of fighting for LGBT+ rights. The 2017 manifesto, published today, aims to go further than any other party is furthering LGBT+ rights. However, because we Lib Dems believe that LGBT+ rights are human rights, a lot of the LGBT+ content in the manifesto is spread out in the various policy topic areas the manifesto covers. While I like this, because it means that LGBT+ rights are integral to our policies, not tacked on as an afterthought, it can ...
Tonight, at an event in London's East End, Tim Farron formally launched the Party's manifesto for the General Election. This is what he had to say... A couple of weeks ago, in Kidlington near Oxford, I met a guy called Malcolm. I say met...he came up to me in the street and started shouting at me. You might have seen it on the news. Or the Internet. In the end we actually got along. But he was angry with me for not getting behind Theresa May and backing Brexit. I think I calmed him down a bit when we spoke, ...
Following my preview of the Lib Dem manifesto and the publication of the manifesto itself, here are my first thoughts on its contents... Key manifesto points A referendum to let the British people, not politicians, decide on whether to accept the terms Theresa May negotiates for Brexit Higher income taxes across the board to fund NHS and social care improvements Big investment in education, with more local authority control and no new grammar schools An unusual general election manifesto The Liberal Democrat manifesto's front page demands in all capital letters that we "Change Britain's Future", with an unwritten subheading of ...
Second paragraph of third section:"Hello, I'm Chuck," I say, formally introducing myself.I am quoted (well, paraphrased) in the crucial second section, in which author Chuck Tingle, miserable after the defeat of Space Raptor Butt Invasion in the 2016 Hugo Awards, receives notification from the 2017 Hugo Awards adminstrator that he has been nominated this year. Let's just say for the record that the demands subsequently and consequently made of him as part of the Hugo process are not those actually required of Hugo finalists in real life.
In a fillip for the Liberal Democrats on the day of the party's general election manifesto launch, Conservative Edmund Pery, the 7th Earl of Limerick, has joined the party. A lawyer and former Foreign Office staffer, who once wrote an election manifesto in poetry form, his switch has been motivated by Brexit: BREXIT: Tory Peer 'crosses the floor' to Lib Dems with Churchillian letter that could save Britain from the brink of this populist plague pic.twitter.com/ImwVN69lUz — Ros Chappell ❄ (@RosChappell) May 17, 2017 Note: he is a hereditary peer but has not been elected to be a continuing member ...
What's this to do with? At a meeting of the Council's Children and Education Scrutiny Committee, on which I sit on as the Lib Dem rep, we were told that, the new secondary schools at Hampton Gardens and Paston Reserve "...would provide a buffer to the additional capacity required in the City." The report also [...]
7,181 3-4 year-olds in Birmingham would benefit from Liberal Democrat plans to triple funding for the early years pupil premium, with gives extra cash to nurseries, preschools and school receptions when they take on children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The cash would triple the funding to £1,000 per pupil per year - up from £302 in 2015-16. This will increase the allocation for Birmingham
We believe a way can be found to bring innovation into our parks and cut costs BUT local residents and park users must be a huge part of the process At its meeting on Friday the Cabinet of Liverpool City ... Continue reading →
I have received letters from various correspondents for my views on Israel and Palestine. Here is the Liberal Democrat view from our 2017 manifesto. "[We] Remain committed to a negotiated peace settlement to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which includes a two-state solution. We condemn disproportionate force used by all sides. We condemn Hamas' rocket attacks and other targeting of Israeli civilians. We condemn Israel's continued illegal policy of settlement expansion, which undermines the possibility of a two-state solution. We support recognition of the independent State of Palestine as and when it will help the prospect of a two-state solution." http://www.libdems.org.uk/world My ...
As you all probably know (and I'm sorry for banging on about it — I try to mention it as little as possible), I have a Patreon account which is one of my principal sources of income. Currently it says ... Continue reading →
So I just received an email pointing me to some PDFs containing visions of how the world could be, discussions of positive social justice, and some material on obscure voting systems. But enough of the Hugo Packet (I'm sorry, I'm ... Continue reading →
The Lib Dem manifesto, launched earlier today, includes several ideas to make Britain a more racially-equal society. Black and minority ethnic (BAME) people will be voting on all the main issues, like Europe, the economy, education and health. But polls show that BAME communities are more concerned about 'security' issues like unemployment, and about equality. Our new manifesto offers some serious proposals to address some fundamental causes of racial unfairness in society. This shows that Lib Dems are keen to walk the walk on equality. That we don't just believe that everyone is equal, but we understand the challenges faced ...
Oh tuition fees. The millstone around the neck of the Lib Dems. We all know what happened. The Lib Dems pledged not to vote for an increase in tuition fees. They then joined in a coalition and part of the deal was tuition fees would go up. Everyone got mad and hated Nick Clegg and his party and then they voted en masse to evict the party from parliament in 2015. Everyone rejoiced. The Lib Dems were cast in the wilderness and it allowed the Tories to seek a hard line right-wing agenda. You see there are many universal truths ...
(to read this post in a more usual colour scheme, click here) Because we Lib Dems believe that LGBT+ rights are human rights, a lot of the LGBT+ content in the manifesto (.pdf link) is spread out in the policy topic areas the manifesto covers. I like this, it means that LGBT+ rights are integral to our policies, not tacked on as an afterthought. However, it can make things easy to miss. In lieu of an index, therefore, I am going to draw it all together in one handy blog post, starting at the beginning*:Our young people are bright, creative ...
Our manifesto for the 2017 General Election is full of ideas for change which will lead to a fairer, more caring, more supportive nation Having been involved with the production of our manifesto as a member of the Federal Policy ... Continue reading →
Click on the photo to enlarge it I nearly came a cropper at this junction earlier today; about 6.45am to be precise. But this junction has in fact long troubled me. Going back a few years, when I was a Maghull councillor, I asked the traffic engineers at Sefton Council to try to address the difficulties which pedestrians faced when they tried to cross the end of Dodds Lane particularly when walking towards High Pastures GP Surgery. A pedestrian refuge was placed in the middle of the wide throated junction which clearly helps but pedestrians still can't see what's coming ...
Here's what Tim Farron has to say about the Liberal Democrat general election manifesto: I'm very proud to announce that we have just launched our manifesto. This is a manifesto for a brighter future. We are the only party offering a real plan for a fairer Britain where people are decent to each other, with good schools and hospitals, a clean environment and an innovative economy. This is our blueprint for how we can change Britain's future. But we only change Britain's future with more Liberal Democrat MPs on 8 June The more Liberal Democrat MPs, the better the deal ...
Tim Farron has just written to Lib Dem members, sending them a link to the Lib Dem manifesto. You can read the manifesto here. Tim writes: I'm very proud to announce that we have just launched our manifesto. This is a manifesto for a brighter future. We are the only party offering a real plan for a fairer Britain where people are decent to each other, with good schools and hospitals, a clean environment and an innovative economy. This is our blueprint for how we can change Britain's future. But we only change Britain's future with more Liberal Democrat MPs ...
YouGov | Live Survey ResultsRT @miss_s_b: Interesting data on this "Do you consider someone earning 80k to be rich?" survey from YouGov Emotional Labor - The MetaFilter Thread Condensed.pdfVia Andrew Ducker. Sit down with a cup of tea for this one, it's worth reading in full, especially if you are in a relationship, or want to be in a relationship if you're not actually in one. If you react to it with "oh this is just a load of whining!" you are part of the problem and need to read it again. Yes, I know it's long, that's part of ...
Wed 17th
10:30
Lib Dem manifesto to be launched later today - spurning Brexit, no pledge to scrap tuition fees and ...
Embed from Getty Images The Liberal Democrat manifesto will be launched this evening. But there are plenty of clues as to what is, and isn't, going to featured within its text. The Guardian offers this summary: It's the turn of the Lib Dems to take a twirl in the glare of the headline writers, as they launch their manifesto. We know their main pitch, of course - Brexit means let's have another think about Brexit - but the fresh push today will be to hook younger voters. There's a "rent-to-buy" scheme for first-time homeowners, along with votes at 16, the ...
Prestwich Clough Da, the FREE Annual Event held from 12pm - 5pm in St Mary's Flower Park and outside The Church Inn, Church Lane. This year's event takes place this Sunday 21 May 2017, with activities, concessions. countryside Groups. displays. entertainment and local groups. More information: http://www.prestwichclough.co.uk
Below is the list latest list of short courses available for unemployed adults aged 19+ (claiming benefits such as JSA, UC). As we are nearing the end of the academic year, they asking people to book places as soon as possible as these courses are filling up. It may not be possible to arrange further dates for a while. t (0161) 280 8637 | w www.burycollege.ac.uk
Wed 17th
09:04
Why the 2017 general election campaign is a bit like the EU referendum - and not in the way that you...
One of the reasons that I remain convinced that the general election will result in a landslide victory for the Tories – one greater than most pundits are currently predicting – is that on top of everything else going the Tories way, they are also the ones running what appears to be a very effective social media campaign, all while Labour runs a very poor one. Given every other advantage the Tories hold over Labour in this election, the fact that they have got the definitive edge here should worry anyone connected to the Labour campaign or even anyone who ...
Bury Sport & Physical Activity Service need your help with a funding bid they have in at Tesco's 'Bags of Help' fund (the money raised form the 5p levy on plastic bags). They are putting together a programme of 'Summer Boredom Busters' which are free activities for families in the parks in Bury this summer including Archery, Wheels for All Bikes and Orienteering Explorer. They are also hoping to make Summer Camps at Castle Leisure Centre even more accessible for those young people most at need in our communities. Tesco bags of help are helping to fund this project and ...
After all the problems on Yate Common lately, here's some good news - an event for all the family. Come and join the Friends of the Common and the Yate Town Mayor. On Rogation Sunday each May, an ancient custom, Beating the Bounds is practised on The Common in Yate. The Reverend, Town Mayor, Friends of the Common and local residents will walk the boundaries of The Common this coming Sunday, 21st May 2017. Traditionally, children are turned upside down at the corners to teach them the boundaries of their Common, which they must protect. Beating the Bounds of Yate ...
There's a super article in the Independent by Rahul Mansigani. In 2010, he led a protest against the Lib Dems and Nick Clegg over tuition fees. However, he is now a Lib Dem Newbie – because of Brexit: as Eurosceptic Corbyn obstinately stayed put while his MPs deserted him, and as Theresa May declared that "if you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere" and the Conservatives demanded that companies publish the numbers of "foreigners" they employed, I saw that the only party that would fight for our values and battle against a ...
The newly elected Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burmham, has announced a 're-write' of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework (GMSF). The new Mayor said: "I will listen to communities and oversee a radical rewrite of the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework. I will keep those high ambitions for the homes and jobs we need but there will be a substantial reduction in the loss of greenbelt. Our plan will build the right kind of homes in the right places. "I'm also issuing a call to developers to work with me to revitalise and reshape our town centres. I want our towns ...
Labour's manifesto gets full marks for its sheer audacity. The document plays to the whims of every one of its core voters both in terms of the investment that it envisages and in the taking back into public ownership of key services such as water, the railways, Royal Mail and National Grid, Money it seems is not a problem, it is growing on every tree and Jeremy Corbyn and his shadow chancellor plan to harvest it to the full. However, a number of reputable authorities have pointed out that even if you ignore the fact that it does not explain ...
As part of the University of Dundee's 50th Anniversary celebrations, Dundee's historic University Challenge champions from the 1980s will return to campus to take on the students set to represent the University in next years' television series. The 1983 side became the second only Scottish team to win the competition, a record that hasn't been added to since. They will once again flex their mental muscles when they return to campus for the University's 50th Anniversary celebrations this Saturday, 20th May. Three of the 1983 team, James A. Smith (Economics and Politics), Graeme Davidson (Law) and Peter Burt (Zoology) will ...
Emmanuel Macron: A New Hope for Europe? My colleague @MathildeBouvier on the new landscape. (tags: france ) Some Recent Irish History John Bruton has not forgotten 1997. (tags: ireland ) New consensus in Germany - Brexit should be clean, and Britain should pay for it @JeremyCliffe reports. (tags: germany eu brexit ) Chasing Cures for Deadly Scourges, and Getting in Our Own Way How we fail to eliminate diseases. (tags: polio health ) Suicides of benefit claimants reveal DWP flaws How the UK gov't kills the poor and disabled. (tags: ukpolitics disability )
Liberal Democrats have announced they would boost investment in police forces by £300m a year. This is in stark contrast to the Conservatives who have overseen devastating cuts to community policing. Theresa May as Home Secretary and now Prime Minister has cut policing budgets by over £2bn, eroding the very fabric of community policing. Under the Liberal Democrats the West Midlands would
May is Patreon Request Month, where I'm trying to write posts based on topics chosen by my Patreon backers. Coming up next week we have posts on The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula Le Guin, and Charles Dickens' Martian Notes ... Continue reading →
The Liberal Democrat manifesto will be launched much later today. Ahead of that event, Tim Farron has a message for young people: Imagine a brighter future. You don't have to accept Theresa May and Nigel Farage's extreme version of Brexit that will wreck the future for you, your family, your schools and hospitals. In the biggest fight for the future of our country in a generation, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour has let you down by voting with Theresa May on Brexit - not against her. The Liberal Democrats want you to have a choice over your future. You should have your ...
