Very good statement from Lib Dems on Japan-EU trade deal news pic.twitter.com/sQpbuDPFYN — Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) 6 July 2017 The Lib Dems were praised today by Politics.co.uk editor Ian Dunt over shadow Brexit Secretary Tom Brake's comments on the Brexit Bill. Tom said: Last year the Government estimated that an EU-Japan Free Trade Deal could be worth £5 billion annually to the UK economy - roughly £200 per household. Sadly, by the time the agreement with Japan gets fully ratified, it is very likely the UK will be out of the EU. Despite a change in public opinion, the Prime ...
- still being at the office at ten to eleven at night - Smeg appliances, and the repairpeople thereof - suppliers of gravel - Victorian houses with fittings measured in imperial when everything is metric now - HP printers - Virgin routers - Lib Dem Federal conference committee and all the associated paperwork Roxy is still poorly, although the antibiotics seem to be having some effect. I still have waaaaaaaaaay too many responsibilities for someone as irresponsible as me. I have to go to That London tomorrow for federal conference committee, and (having examined the submitted motions for conference) I ...
"The party needs to pick itself up and move on. It must continue to fly the banner for Remain, and tap the growing anger over Brexit - even if the end game is unclear. But the party also badly needs to move on to explain what it is for beyond Brexit. With problems for Britain piling up in all directions, the voters surely need to be offered liberal solutions." Matthew Green says the Liberal Democrats must keep going. Alison Teal, a Green councillor in Sheffield, on why she is ignoring legal threats to protest against the Labour authority's felling of ...
There is something really unpleasant about this Government's relationship with the media. A few weeks ago, we had Andrea Leadsom suggesting that the broadcast media should be more "patriotic." It's almost as if the right wing print press being almost completely on their side isn't enough for this Government. Unfortunately, this mindset seems to be prevalent amongst ministers. Liam Fox took a swipe at the BBC today. In the Commons, responding to a question from Nigel Evans, the Trade Secretary claimed in the House of Commons that the BBC would "rather see Britain fail than Brexit succeed". Alistair Carmichael said: ...
Jamie Stone completed the quartet of Liberal Democrat Commons maiden speeches today. Watch it here: Note the tribute to Charles Kennedy and the illustrious people who contested the seat in centuries gone by. Thank you for calling me to speak, Madam Deputy Speaker, and may I congratulate you on your appointment? It is a great honour to speak in this House. I am the first member of my Stone family ever to be elected as an MP, and standing here I like to think of my mother and father looking down on me with pride. I also owe sincere thanks ...
Liberal Democrat Voice reports the death of James Davidson, who was Liberal MP for Aberdeenshire West between 1966 and 1970. It says his funeral will take place at St Bride's Church, Newtonmore, at 12 noon on Friday 14 July. At the time of his death James Davidson was, so far as this blog could establish last year, the oldest living former Liberal MP. If that post was correct, then the accolade now passes to Elizabeth Shields. She won Ryedale at a by-election in 1986, only to lose it at the following year's general election. She would have fought under the ...
Some people say the Liberal Democrats should run more like a business. But while there are useful parallels, there are crucial differences between business and politics
You'll be charged for parking in car parks on Sundays and bank holidays if Shropshire Council's new charging scheme gets the go-ahead. You'll also have to pay nearly three times the current price to park on Ludlow's streets for three hours. Charges in the Castle Street car park will rise by 167% for four-hour stay. If you have deep enough pockets, you'll be able to park anywhere on-street or in a car park in Ludlow for as long as you want. Residents will be able to park in the car parks 24-hours a day, seven days a week - if ...
The Liberal MP who tried to introduce a bill which would have given referenda to Scotland and Wales on devolution back in the early 70s has died at the age of 90 at his home in Newtonmore. James Davidson represented the constituency of Aberdeenshire West from 1966-70 when he stood down for family health reasons. His funeral will take place at St Bride's Church, Newtonmore at 12 noon on Friday 14 July. From Wikipedia: Davidson was selected to fight Aberdeenshire West for the Liberals. During the 1966 general election campaign one of Davidson's main policy points was the establishment of ...
Second paragraph of third chapter:"Ja? En?" "So what?"Originally Il galeone dei gatti pirati, translated into English as Attack of the Bandit Cats, this is the eighth (or, in Dutch, third) of a series of many books about the gallant mouse hero Geronimo Stilton, who in this case is forced into exile after an embarrassing accident with phone directories and must evade death at the hands of pirate cats who want to invade Mouse Island and eat the inhabitants. Young F was into these quite a long time ago, and it took me until now to try one; I don't think ...
Whickham Library has been closed as a facility directly provided by Gateshead Council. It is to open instead as a volunteer library on Monday. I have joined the volunteers and have become a trustee as well. We had a meeting of the volunteers last week. Today, we met up to look at some of the practicalities of the building. We are all set for the launch on Monday morning (doors open at 10am).
A quick scan through the responses, to Chuka Umunna's attempted amendment to the Queen's Speech, on 'LabourList' – a blog for Labour members – gives a glimpse at the deep divisions that exist within the second largest political party over Brexit. Some call Umunna 'completely ignorant' and question, 'What planet has [he] gone off to now?' Others are much more ... Continue reading Labour's Brexit division.
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Don't a sign up to a Ruritanian costume drama played out to esoteric rules- a look at my Mayoral yea...
I have been surprised by the number of people who have asked me to post the contribution I made at the Mayor Making. So here are my notes: Congratulations to the new Mayor and his wife Wendy I would particularly like to thank my wife and three daughters who have been a great support Council staff- esp Mike Hassett. Kevin and Stephen (my immediate predecessors) I know share my view; Mike is conscientious to a fault, 100% reliable, determined to do his best and takes great pride in his work. Amongst all the chaos of the last year, he was ...
Re-surfacing work on local roads begins at Villa Real on Sunday 9 July, running for four nights. It will be carried out in two phases, the first of which will require the closure of the A690/A691/Leadgate Road roundabout. A diversion route will be in place via Leadgate Road, Front Street, the B6309 and the A692. Phase two will involve a road closure from the A691/Werdohl Way roundabout to the A692/B6308/Delves Lane roundabout. The diversion will be via the B6308 and the A691.
Another Maghull issue on the agenda of Sefton Council's Planning Committee last night was with regard to the provision, or not, of Maghull's first micro-pub on Liverpool Road South at the Woodend Shops. In fact it will be within the present Coffee Shop should it eventually get planning approval. There was a resident's petition raising concerns about the application and Jenny Wignall spoke to it on behalf of the petitioners. Like June Avery before her (regarding the Turnbridge Road site) she spoke really well despite being quite nervous about doing so. Jenny Wignall address Planning Committee in Bootle Town Hall ...
Wed, 12:23: The Field Marshall and the flags. Times have changed! @ Horse Guards https://t.co/LYtxcfArFM Wed, 12:54: RT @UKPoliticalNews: .@apcoworldwide's own @nwbrux quoted here: Why the DUP are unlikely to soften #Brexit https://t.co/61McR6oFFj Wed, 13:55: RT @ecoeurope: Why May's hardline Irish friends aren't likely to soften #Brexit https://t.co/eSBgjvPCUE via @DaraDoy https://t.co/iRXRNbVpOI Wed, 14:56: RT @anneapplebaum: Polish government, isolated in EU, desperate for Trump's approval, spends millions to persuade demonstrators to show up.... Wed, 18:19: Dune, by Frank Herbert https://t.co/vtE13ysCqk Wed, 19:22: RT @EmmanuelMacron: J'ai décidé, en accord avec sa famille, que Simone Veil reposerait avec son époux au Panthéon. Wed, ...
Vince Cable, the presumptive next leader of the Liberal Democrats, has given an interview to the New Statesman. As I have written before, I have held some hope in reserve for the possibilities of Vince's leadership. However, before he has even actually taken up the leadership, he has dropped a clanger, unfortunately. Asked about Theresa May's phrase about "citizens of nowhere", Vince said: "I thought that particular phrase was quite evil. It could've been taken out of Mein Kampf." Right, where to begin with this. First, bringing Hitler into any political conversation is almost always a bad idea (Godwin's law, ...
In for five, out for seven: Slow down! in for five, out for seven: slower in for five, out for seven: deeply, empty in for five, out for seven: empty, reflex in for five, out for seven: as one by one the shutters fall, the diodes dim, conductors cool and gateways haze together; as my [...]
We have to plan for success. We can't sow our crops the day before harvest. In 2010, our demand for PR was dropped because it would appear to the general public to be a quixotic ditch in which to die - simultaneously esoteric and self-serving. So we have to prepare the ground well in advance. To take every opportunity to discredit the stitch-up that passes for an electoral system in this country. Make no mistake about it - it is a deliberate stitch up; that's what we've got to ram home. It is literally a stitch-up designed to entrench establishment ...
As a Liberal Democrat I started the General Election full of optimism. Labour looked down and out; people would surely want another alternative to an uncompromising Tory leadership? Those hopes soon vanished, as the party failed to spark, and ended up with even fewer votes overall than in 2015. Existential questions arise. If two party ... Continue reading Why the Lib Dems must keep going →
By far the least surprising and non-news story ever today is featured in all media outlets, with Sir John Chilcott concluding publicly for the first time that Tony Blair was not "straight with the nation" about the run-up to the Iraq war. The chairman of the public inquiry into the 2003 conflict, and author of a 2 million word report published 13 years later, which found the former Prime Minister had presented the case for war with unjustified certainty, said Mr Blair had been "emotionally truthful" in his account of events leading up to the war. But he caveated that ...
As local people will know, the historic Railway Inn was recently demolished despite local objections. The pub sign now peeks rather sadly above the site hoardings. The developers then submitted an application for outline planning permission, but South Gloucestershire Council has refused to accept this and asked for full layout details before takinga decision on the application. They have been given until July 6th to provide the extra information, or the planning officer will recommend that the application is turned down. Yate Town Council has raised concerns about the parking arrangements, and has urged that the new building should be ...
Late last year, I highlighted that the City Council had identified environmental improvements at Polepark Road as part of a number of welcome works taking place to upgrade areas in the West End. Polepark was particularly welcome as I had previously advised the City Council the need for upgrade of the area to the back of the flats on the east side of Polepark Road. The works were approved at the council's Neighbourhood Services Committee last month and I asked if the tenants' car park immediately north of the flats would be improved at the same time given its poor ...
In which I look at why Attack of the Cybermen is actually good, on the way taking in such subjects as Paul McCartney, Tony Blackburn, Morrissey, sexism, and Jive Bunny.
