And so, I've just spent an evening at Federal International Relations Committee. Not one of the organisation's finest hours, although by no means a painful one. However, it isn't going as I had hoped, nor is it achieving what I think it might. What is its secretariat to do? But what do I think is wrong? First, and I can see the irony here in what I am writing, the Committee is too bogged down in process, leaving too little time for the creative part of our role, advising on policy, considering ideas. The notion that policy might be squeezed ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on A liberal amongst the country gentry...

Click on the still above to watch a film about this, complete with doggerel commentary, on the British Film Institute site. The building has survived to this day and is now used by a pizza business.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Now generally speaking, I'm a very patient man. Easy going, and definitely easy to get on with. However, if you rub me up the wrong way I don't easily forget. Hence a warning to Ms Moya Greene, CEO of Royal Mail. I have been a postman in Fareham for 15 years now and deputy union [...]

Posted by benno79 on swallowofliberty
Thu 13th
20:00

Consett's Art Life

There are lots of artists in Consett, ranging across the spectrum, and it's a delight to welcome a new initiative from some of the town's younger artists in an exhibition called "Conny". You can find all the details their website.

Posted by Owen Temple on Owen Temple & Margaret Nealis

Embed from Getty Images Vince Cable is standing for the Liberal Democrat leadership and, as far as we know, he is the only one of our MPs who is. Jim Waterson from BuzzFeed News reckons there are still four Lib Dem MPs who have not formally ruled themselves out. So he set out to discover their intentions. Stephen Lloyd was clear: He immediately ruled himself out: "I'm for the wisdom and sagacity of Vince Cable."So was Jamie Stone: "Absolutely not. I'm lucky to here at all in the first place and I'm a strong support of Vince's."And so was Christine ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Second paragraph of third chapter: I told him what had happened, and he said, "That was a Ouija board!" Hawjan is a jinn who falls in love with a human girl, Sawsan; and wrestles with his own supernatural family and the forces of magic, at the same time mildly critiquing the structures of society in Saudi Arabia (though not much in so far as the status of women is concerned). The book was a huge best-seller, if controversial, in Saudi Arabia and the wider region, and apparently will be filmed soon. I must say I'm not a huge paranormal romance ...

Thu 13th
15:22

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh

My to do list has too many things on it and they all eat spoons and I have no spoons send spoons. Srsly. Am managing to just about keep up with work stuff, but politics stuff is a bit wibbly wobbly and personal stuff is backed up like someone who's never eaten prunes. Also, Roxy has finished her course of antibiotics, yet is still coughing (we're going back to the vet tomorrow); my ankle still hurts; Hol breaks up for the summer holidays tomorrow; we've got a meat order coming and the freezer is too full already; I've got research ...

The Tories' division on Europe is widening. Nothing demonstrates this more than on one simple issue: EURATOM. In Theresa May's letter invoking Article 50 she confirmed that Brexit would mean more than Brexit as the UK would also withdraw from the European Atomic Community, a separate legal entity from the EU. The UK, a country dependant on nuclear energy, relies heavily on EURATOM; our electricity generation, healthcare provision, scientific development, and nuclear safety are all closely intertwined with EURATOM's regulatory regime. Withdrawal could restrict the movement of nuclear materials, damaging scientific research and innovation (particularly in the development of future ...

Posted by Catherine Bearder MEP on Liberal Democrat Voice

You may have heard Steve Baker, the new minster at the Brexit department, interviewed by Nick Robinson on the Today programme this morning. He used the new government line about listening to people and then proceeded to rubbish every view from other organisations that Nick Robinson put to him. It was a masterly piece of interviewing, proving once again that a sustained line of questioning is far more deadly than bluster and bullying. (Are you listening, Paxman and Humphrys?) But we should not have been surprised at Baker's unwillingness to listen. Here he is in 2007 calling for the European ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

"Emily Thornberry just took down the entire Tory party in 45 seconds" says the caption. Below is a video of Emily Thornberry at the despatch box at yesterday's prime minister's questions performing, it has to be said, very well. It is the sort of thing we all see dozens of times every day, scrolling through our social media feeds whilst we wait for out train, lie in bed or pretend to listen to a friend's anecdote. This particular bit of clickbait came from the Independent – now, of course, an exclusively digital organisation. But it could equally have come from ...

Posted by Nick T on Liberal Democrat Voice
YouGov

I get many press releases come in through the e-mail address associated with this blog and I rarely do much with them. However once in a while I see something which I think would be interesting to use and comment on. One of those things happened this morning when I got a press release about the women's lacrosse world cup. This event got underway yesterday and I like to think that I have my finger on the pulse of sport but I hadn't even come across one single murmur on this event and it is going on right here in ...

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery
Thu 13th
11:00

My tweets

Wed, 12:56: Brexit: what happens to Article 50 in a U-turn on Euratom? https://t.co/JzughbEA7P @DavidAllanGreen explains that it's complicated. Wed, 16:05: Grenfell was a terrible fire and a huge communications challenge https://t.co/poCujfPn8F Reflections from @GlennSebright of @LondonFire. Wed, 17:23: RT @apcoworldwide: Read this week's #APCONewsroom for the latest from @drjwalk, @CastexNicolas, @nwbrux, @aTunkel, @duhsone and more: https... Wed, 17:55: RT @davidallengreen: The Ballad of Digby Jones - on @Digbylj's "in the bag" tweet By me, at @FT https://t.co/2SZr7X1lv6 https://t.co/PdX... Wed, 17:56: RT @davidallengreen: "The Ballad of Digby Jones" Me at @FT, on the lack of realism about trade shown by ...

Vince is in the news. Again. And I mean that in a good way: I had a go at him for the unfortunate Mein Kampf comment a little while back, but since then, he has nary put a foot wrong. There's an article in the Guardian from a couple of days back entitled, "Vince Cable: PM seeking a Tory-Labour coalition to achieve hard Brexit", which is exactly the sort of headline a Lib Dem leader (I know he's not leader yet, but still) should be attracting. His comment about there being "something inherently implausible about a modern party competing for ...

Posted by Nick on nicktyrone.com

More than a year has passed since the shocking result of Britain's referendum on leaving the EU. Pessimism about a very messy break is growing. This is typified by this article by Gideon Rachman in this week's FT, which suggests that whatever happens there will be humiliation for Britain. Are we really in such a ... Continue reading The Brexit fiasco shows how Britian is being let down by its political class →

Posted by Matthew on thinking liberal

Nick Clegg has the following to say in his regular column for Inews: The more you lose your grip, the more you hold on to what you know. It is a sure sign that an institution is in steady decline when it fixates on past glories. A belief in the traditions of the past often masks discomfort about the challenges of the present. And so John Hayes, a jovial mid-ranking Conservative Minister with reliably anti European, traditional views, revealed more than he probably intended when he recently declared in the House of Commons, "I will not be taking interventions by ...

Posted by The Voice on Liberal Democrat Voice

Whilst at the Merseyside Transport Trust Open Day on 9th July I came across and purchased this photo of a horse drawn tram in Birkdale:- Is this shot taken on Cemetery Road, Southport? Can it be dated by anyone? Click on the scanned photo to enlarge it The photo is also amongst my Flickr photos at:- www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/ Here are links to my previous postings about Southport's long-gone trams:- Sadly since my May 2014 posting about Southport's Pier Tram it has also ceased to run and been disposed of. I understand this was said to be the result ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

How much chaos is the UK Government in over Brexit? I only ask because with every new story it appears that their whole approach is a shambles. Ministers have now published their Great Repeal Bill designed to unbundle EU laws and turn them into domestic legislation. However, judging by the initial reaction to it the Bill leaves a lot to be desired. As Keir Starmer says in the Guardian: "We have very serious issues with the government's approach, and unless the government addresses those issues, we will not be supporting the bill," Starmer said. He said Labour would demand concessions ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

From Sheena Wellington : Lunchtime Recital - Feis Rois Ceilidh TrailWighton Heritage Centre, Central LibraryTuesday 18th July Enjoy the traditional music from our stars of the future. This event usually turns into a session so times will be advised later! Admission Free, but donations for the Ceilidh Trail welcomed.

Many people in and adjacent to Ludlow town centre purchase parking permits from Shropshire Council to allow them to park on-street. This currently costs £50 a year. Yesterday, Shropshire Council's cabinet agreed a consultation on new plans for car park and on-street parking charges. If it sticks to its plans after the consultation, the cost of residents parking permits will double to £100 a year. Residents will not be happy with that hike. They will, though, be able to park in town centre car parks, all day and seven days a week for between £4 and £12 a week. This ...

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington