Three council by-elections this week and the Liberal Democrat bag of mixed election results is back once again. The best news: a candidate this time when there was none last time who secured nearly 20% of the vote. Conservative GAIN Westexe (Mid Devon) from UKIP. — Britain Elects (@britainelects) September 14, 2017
Hooray! Another initiative from new Liberal Democrat members: this time a new podcast, called Liberated. Created by Laura Sheeter, it kicks off with an interview with Vince Cable (and hooray to him too for saying yes to being interviewed). It's great to see the plans she mentioned when we chatted a few weeks ago hitting iTunes for real. The blurb for episode one says: Vince Cable talks policy, politics and changing Britain's future... And find out how you can help the Lib Dems win. Listen, subscribe and rate Liberated on iTunes or listen here on Soundcloud: The other Liberal Democrat ...
I have never found the courage to enter it, but the crypt is open to the public on Sundays from 2.30pm to 4.30pm from Easter to the end of September.That's what I wrote a year ago in a post about the slightly unnerving news that some of the bones in the crypt under the church in Rothwell, a small town between Kettering and Market Harborough, date from as recently as 1900. But now you don't have to travel to the church to view its bone crypt. You can just watch this flythrough of a 3D model produced by the University ...
What to do about tuition fees? For the Liberal Democrats, there are two frequent political mistakes made when trying to answer that question. The first is to misunderstand the political problem from the Coalition years. Nearly all of the collapse in the Liberal Democrat poll ratings in 2010-15 came before the decision to back increases in tuition fees. Although subsequently the issue came to symbolise what many people felt about the Coalition, it was just that – the symbol, not the cause. The damage was mostly done before tuition fee decisions were made. The second mistake, which flows from the ...
Embed from Getty Images I have just got back from London and a lecture by Professor Steve Reicher. It was a joint event put on by the British Academy and the British Psychological Society. Professor Reicher's argument that if we are to understand the appeal of Donald Trump (and of other authoritarian populists) we have to get away from the idea that the people who voted for him are merely wicked or stupid. An audio recording of the event should appear on the British Academy site soon. I will post the link when it does. In the mean time, I ...
Sorry for the lack of new posts around here. Since the start of this month I've written about 15,000 words of fiction you'll eventually see (10,000 words to finish The Basilisk Murders and the last 5,000 of a 10,000-word Faction ... Continue reading →
Thu 14th
20:24
WATCH: Christine Jardine on the "mindless, vindictive" online attacks she endured on day of her husb...
One of the most awful points of the General Election was seeing Christine Jardine coming under attack from a whole load of people online. They'd accused her of breaking the campaign pause in Edinburgh West. She had, in fact, been at her husband's funeral. Even when they were told the situation, they kept going and kept throwing even more abuse. It was shameful. This afternoon, in a debate on online abuse in the House of Commons, Christine spoke very powerfully about those experiences. Sure, politicians were going to be subject to disagreement and comment but nobody signs up for intimidation ...
A nice lane to cycle is Outlet Lane which turns off Prescot Road by Carla Lane Animals in Need. Starting off in the Civil Parish of Melling it soon leaves Sefton Borough and goes into West Lancs Borough and the Civil Parish of Simonswood. It's a single track road so you have to watch out for farm vehicles but sadly you can also watch out for the consequences of those in our society who care nothing for the environment – the fly-tippers. And you know much of what I saw dumped in ditches alongside the road could easily be disposed ...
Some green recycling bins still have labels on them which say you can put textiles in them but this is no longer accepted by Lewisham Council. So far no answer has been received as to how the Council aim to remedy this confusing situation.So what to do if you have textiles which you can no [...]
Second paragraph of third chapter: Saeed partly resisted the pull of his phone. He found the antenna too powerful, the magic it summoned too mesmerizing, as though he were eating a banquet of limitless food, stuffing himself, stuffing himself, until he felt dazed and sick, and so he had removed or hidden or restricted all but a few applications. His phone could make calls. His phone could send messages. His phone could take pictures, identify celestial bodies, transform the city into a map while he drove. But that was it. Mostly. Except for the hour each evening that he enabled ...
Thu 14th
14:55Lib Dem Women at Conference: First steps on a long road towards equality in Parliament
There is a television advertisement for a well-known bank that has the strap line 'for the journey'. You may know it. First steps in a political career can be very daunting and extremely difficult. Much of the research shows that for women, particularly with family responsibilities, the passage from Newbie to Old Hand can be more of an impossible dream than a real prospect. Even with a supportive family, it isn't easy. So, is there a way that we, as the Liberal Democrat Party, with our constitution proudly proclaiming that we do not want anyone 'enslaved by gender' can begin ...
Thu 14th
14:48
This is the biggest problem the Lib Dems face in terms of re-building: the Steven Tyler problem
I have just written a book for Biteback entitled "Apocalypse Delated: Why the Left is Still in Trouble". If you're interested in the book, you can check it out here. There is a whole chapter in it on the Lib Dems and why I think they struggle to regain the levels of support seen pre-2010. In it I describe several such reasons, but one I'll focus on here is what I would describe as the "Steven Tyler problem". What I think may well be the biggest problem the Lib Dem have a political party, beyond brand issues or anything else, ...
The new Liberator has arrived, so it is time for a taste of the gossip in Radical Bulletin. There is a piece on tensions in London between new Liberal Democrat candidates, who thought their job was to increase the Lib Dem vote in their own seats, and the party's ruthless targeting strategy. And one on the departure of Tim Gordon: His political experience extended little beyond having unsuccessfully contested an Islington council seat in 2006, and while Gordon won genuine plaudits for his financial management - keeping the party afloat while it might well not have - his touch was ...
Thu 14th
13:30Nick and Miriam talk publicly for the first time about their son's successful Cancer treatment
About a year ago, I became aware that Nick Clegg and Miriam Gonzalez Durantez were going through the worst ordeal any parent can face. Their eldest son Antonio was going through brutal treatment for a life-threatening condition. They were very much in my thoughts as my family also faced months of medical trauma. That sort of thing is scary enough when it happens to an adult, but utterly heartbreaking and terrifying beyond anything you are ever likely to face when it comes to your own child. It was pretty much an open secret, but, thankfully, the media respected the family's ...
There are more road crossings on the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic than on the entire Eastern border of the European Union. Actually, there are 275 Irish border crossings, compared to 137 from Finland to Greece, according to figures obtained by my Alliance colleague Stephen Farry MLA. That emphasises why the Irish border is such an issue for Northern Ireland, for the UK and for Ireland. Yet the Government's "Position Paper" on Northern Ireland and Ireland is woefully inadequate, failing to deal with issues of both trade and justice co-operation. It is clear is that this is ...
miss_s_b | Are you going to Lib Dem Conference in Bournemouth? Do you want to meet up with me? If so, best to make arrangements now while my schedule is still partly flexible Instagram photo Like @ninefeatsof I have new hair Netflix Boldly Goes Where No Man Has Gone Before, Revealing Star Trek Fans' Favorite Episodes Of the top ten most rewatched episodes on Netflix, SIX are Voyager ones. GO JANEWAY! [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Wed, 12:43: RT @FabianZuleeg: Sun's article in German: do they really think that EU27 will appreciate insults of our negotiators in bad German? https:... Wed, 12:56: Kant vs Hobbes: elements of Germany's emerging grand strategy https://t.co/HPLpdmaoAg Very good (inc. on Brexit). Wed, 16:05: The First Doctors https://t.co/t4kcaHiw9g Why it's OK to recast the character played by Hartnell. Wed, 18:17: RT @conorgearty: This is v interesting initiative - thanks @nwbrux for telling me about it: distilling human rights into Five Rights https:... Wed, 18:39: Ali�nor: La L�gende Noire, vols 1 and 2 https://t.co/MeC5AmKABo Wed, 19:29: RT @apcoworldwide: Check out our latest ...
Cheer up Britannia, Brexit is coming. Can John King be writing this? As regular readers of my posts will know, I belong to the 'Stay Angry and Fight Brexit' school. And I still hope and pray that this madness can be averted. All the same, in my more sombre moments, I sometimes wonder if we are clutching at straws. Even if we could turn back now, the Brexiters would cry betrayal for ever more. According to the Guardian's Polly Toynbee, many Remainers in parliament are privately wishing for disaster. Bound and gagged by the three line whip, they reflect grimly ...
It is not unusual for the Welsh Government to face criticism for their plan to build a huge M4 by-pass around Newport to remove congestion on the existing motorway. The Welsh Liberal Democrats are already on record as opposing this development. We are opposed to the route as it infringes on five SSSIs, to the fact that once more the Government is investing in polluting motor vehicles instead of public transport and that the whole development is contrary to the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, which advocates a sustainable future for Wales. I would add that the congestion on this ...
The South Glos Council wards will be changing at the next local elections in 2019, with the total number of councillors being cut from 70 to 61 and the number of voters being represented by each councillor becoming more equal. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has published their draft recommendations for the new boundaries. You can find all the details, including interactive maps, on their website. The consultation runs until 6th November 2017 and is your last chance to have your say before their proposals are finalised. These are the criteria the Commission must follow when drawing up ...
Federal Conference is probably the best fun that you will ever have in your life. You will thoroughly enjoy every exhausting moment. If you're new, it can be a bit overwhelming until you get used to the sensory overload. I had a long break from going to them and when I returned, in 2011, I spent the first day wandering round in a state of wide-eyed amazement, like a child in a toy shop. So, with that in mind, I thought I'd throw together a fairly random list of tips and hints for getting the best out of the annual ...
This is cross-posted from the Radix blog... The year 1992 saw the start of the new-look European Union and the Maastricht treaty which created it. It was also the year of an alternative proposal for the future of Europe, the much-ridiculed Eurotopia. This was the brainchild of the beer billionaire Freddy Heineken. He suggested that Europe would be more prosperous, peaceful and equal if it was made up of 50 small states of no more than ten million people each. Heineken's proposal envisaged breaking the UK down into ten separate nations. Or to be precise, breaking England down into seven. ...
From Sheena Wellington : Wighton Heritage Centre, Central LibraryCappuccino Concert with Bob StewartSaturday 16th September, 11am (doors open 10.30am) Admission £5 (tea/coffee available for small charge) Bob Stewart has been entertaining delighted audiences for over 25 years and plays a variety of Scottish/Celtic and contemporary acoustic music. Bob's performances are a very lively affair with a mixture of traditional and original material, a driving acoustic guitar sound, bodhran, whistle and mandolin (not all at the same time) and humour! Bob has been a full time musician since 1989 and has played in several bands touring Scotland and Europe before going ...
The year 1992 saw the start of the new-look European Union and the Maastricht treaty which created it. It was also the year of an alternative proposal for the future of Europe, the much-ridiculed Eurotopia. This was the brainchild of the beer billionaire Freddy Heineken. He suggested that Europe would be more prosperous, peaceful and [...] The post Breaking the UK into ten separate nations appeared first on Radix.
Thu 14th
08:07
Marple Liberal Club sign, a chap called Winstanley & the Granada TV programme 'This is your Rig...
A recent trip over to the Marple area of Stockport Borough walking the Peak Forest Canal tow path and footpaths around the River Goyt ended up with a meal and drink in the Ring-O-Bells Pub where my eyes lighted upon this:- Well to an old Liberal like me this was fascinating so I asked the landlord about why it was on this pub wall. He told me that after the old Liberal Club had been redeveloped the sign was chucked away but it had been rescued and is now held by Marple Civic Society and displayed for them in his ...
Northumberland County Council is consulting on some minor changes to the boundary between Blyth and Seaton Valley parishes. The need arose because the boundary follows historic lines ( field boundaries ?) and new housing straddles the boundary. Blyth Town Council proposed that the boundary follows a more modern line, namely the road . The proposal / consultation is here:- To simplify things, the map showing the minor amendments is below I have to say that I fully support the proposal. These minor changes could prevent future difficulties if houses are built on the area B - electoral, precept, planning ...
