After leaving Bournemouth yesterday, I headed to London where I stayed overnight. This morning I struggled through the rush hour crowds (I am so pleased I gave up the rat race 8 years ago) to get to Kings Cross and caught a train back to the North East. I couldn't return home immediately. On leaving Newcastle Central Station, I got a taxi to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to visit my friend Richard
Here's the new film from the Liberal Democrats, featuring Vince Cable's hat and in a style for fans of W1A.
Leicester is not the only East Midland city with the site of a major railway station lying derelict. This slideshow illustrates the remains of Derby Friargate, the old Great Northern station, which closed to passengers in 1964. There is now hope that the Grade 2 Listed warehouse will be restored.
Even when he stays at home in Rutland, Lord Bonkers is hard at work. Saturday The morning's post brings a letter from a young reader asking how he can break into radio comedy. In reply I say there are two sure ways of getting your own series on BBC Radio Four. The first is to go to Cambridge and take part in the Footlights show. The second is to join the Socialist Workers Party. A lady asks which drink she should serve her guests before they go into dinner. I recommend a chilled Don Foster sherry. Finally, a Liberal Democrat ...
Welcome to my list of podcasts dedicated to, or primarily about, the Liberal Democrats. Do let me know of any additions or corrections; thank you! The Limehouse Podcast The longest-running and best-named Liberal Democrat podcast, The Limehouse Podcast is named in honour of the Limehouse Declaration that founded the SDP. Its blurb: Interviews from the world of politics, along with weekly discussions on London issues and national analysis of all things Brexit, NHS and environmental. International quarrels will be rounded up and smoothed out and a general sense of well-being will be organised. The Limehouse Podcast is available on iTunes ...
A week later, Fleming was beginning to think that he'd made a major mistake in giving the papers to Driberg. No-one - literally nobody - had heard from Driberg since that moment. He was no longer answering his phone, his ... Continue reading →
We have a new Party Political Broadcast to coincide with our Conference. It's set in a creative agency in a meeting where they are trying to decide how to brand the Lib Dems. It's got its quirky bits and is clearly set to appeal to the young, professional types. The production quality is absolutely excellent. This could end up being the new Gold Blend series... You can catch it on the actual telly at 18:25 on ITV and 18:55 on BBC1. What Britain needs is a party that is innovative, inclusive and forward looking. Join us today > https://t.co/uhtmkgT1D2 pic.twitter.com/BvKEeOuCxs ...
Second paragraph of third chapter:My mother's parents - my 'Nanny' and 'Grampy' - were not individuals but a relationship. Their Christian names were irrelevant. They were 'Mother' and 'Father' to each other, and even my mother had to think twice before she could confirm that her dad was known, very occasionally, by his second name of 'George'. Utterly familiar, they were also remote figures. I was one of a tribe of grandchildren who came and went in their house, played outside in their backyard, or fidgeted indoors while the grown-ups talked and laughed. Our illnesses mattered, and making sure that ...
Daisy's speech at conference: http://ytcropper.com/cropped/2T59c234b844dee Vince Cable endorses the campaign:
I received a telephone call during Conference, whilst walking on the beach, from an unfamiliar telephone number. Admittedly, I don't tend to get an awful lot of telephone calls from people, so my contact list is a bit bereft. On this occasion, it was Paul Clark, my Region's Candidates Chair, with news of a mission. He needs a Returning Officer, and I'm apparently the person for the job. As I suddenly have some time on my hands, at least, over the medium to long term, I said that I would do it. And so, it's time to reread the Selection ...
Following the fortunes of Britain's Liberal Democrats is a niche interest these days. So much so that this Lib Dem blog spends most of time commenting on other things. But the party conference in Bournemouth has just ended, and I was there. Something needs to be said. The party's fall from mainstream politics has been ... Continue reading Have the Lib Dems reached a Battle of the Marne moment? →
Tue, 17:56: Facts and Figures: The 2017 German Federal Elections https://t.co/cBPGt8TQZj Great stuff from @APCOWorldwide colleagues. Tue, 18:12: The Double Deckers, by Glyn Jones https://t.co/QHUthDPrZu Tue, 18:40: RT @SJAMcBride: Lord Maginnis has used a House of Lords question to ask the Government how many times the Secretary of State has met him. h... Tue, 20:48: BASIC INSTINCT: The Case for More NATO in The Western Balkans https://t.co/dIrwWsgrAJ @Jelennah169 lays it out. Tue, 21:19: RT @JolyonMaugham: Liam Fox's department just deleted last night's tweet about all the wonderful stuff the EU was getting for us and we'd l... Wed, 09:34: RT ...
LGBT+ Lib Dems History This is a beautiful thing, a timeline of important events in LGBT+LDs history. Details how many ways we have been at the forefront of campaigning for LGBT+ rights, for a very long time. miss_s_b | Well, I survived. I posted Well, I survived. to my dreamwidth blog [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Having covered Not the Leader's Speech, it is only fair to give you the chance to see the actual Leader's Speech again. It was very different in style from the bouncy style of Tim Farron, but no less compelling to listen to. You can watch it in full below and the text follows. There are four quick observations I'd like to make, first, though. Firstly, note that PR has been displaced as our number 1 ask on political reform by votes at 16. By doing so, Vince emphasises his commitment to ending intergenerational unfairness. He talked about how young people ...
John Potter is a councillor on Lancashire County Council and Preston City Council. So what does that entail when he's not at work or in the County/Town Hall?
The Guardian reports that the chairs of two powerful parliamentary committees have urged the government to set up an independent public inquiry into the £200bn of debt amassed by households. The paper says that the £200bn of debt amassed on credit cards, personal loans and car deals is now at the same level it reached before the 2008 financial crisis and there are fears that rises in interest rates could put more households under pressure. Mark Carney, the governor of the Bank of England, warned on Monday that interest rates were likely to rise in response to rising inflation and ...
In the Guardian on Monday, I set out five different ways we might kick start politics from a broad radical centre in the UK - by which I mean almost anything except the conventional, conservative Left and Right. I made what might have been the mistake of starting with Vince Cable's assertion that he might be prime [...] The post The secret formula for reviving the political centre ground appeared first on Radix.
Lots of green things to do this weekend - all free! Fri 22 September The Conservation of British Owls - illustrated talk by local expert Ian McGuire 7.30 pm at Yate Library (Wapley Bushes Conservation Group, sponsored by South Gloucestershire Council) Sat 23 September Kennedy Way Pond work morning The Southwold Group of the Avon Wildlife Trust will be working at local wildlife haven Kennedy Way Pond, on the corner with Link Road, Yate, carrying out vegetation clearance and general management. Meet at the pond (near the cinema end of the Riverside car park) at 10am. (Southwold Group of Avon ...
In a tradition dating from the Coalition years, certain members of the Awkward Squad gather in a local hostelry as the Liberal Democrat Leader gives his keynote speech to Conference, watch the event on Twitter and determine the point at which they would have walked out had they been in the hall. These days, the potential for walkout has significantly reduced, but no self-respecting Awkward Squad would ever say that it had ebbed away entirely. Leaders must be kept on their toes at all times, after all. And so, yesterday, they gathered in the best real ale pub in the ...
When we meet in the Council Chamber every Councillor must be absolutely sure that they are obeying the law about financial declarations The Liverpool Echo ran a story about 3 months ago that 8 councillors - 7 Labour and one ... Continue reading →
Many Lib Dems really love The Leader's Speech. It's the traditional end to conference, and sitting in a hall full of likeminded people while the leader's platitudes wash over you is some people's idea of fun. Equally, many of us dislike it intensely. The social pressure to clap in the right places* is intense, and as a liberal who decries conformity it makes my skin crawl. Also, if the leader says something you don't like and you then walk out, it creates negative publicity. So there are several sets of lib dems who avoid going to The Leader's Speech. Many ...
Lifelong Learning Dundee is an independent, not-for-profit organisation developed by former students and tutors of the long-running continuing education classes at the University of Dundee. For many years the University of Dundee offered classes for the general public, most recently in its 'Courses for Adults' programme. Earlier this year the University replaced these with credit-bearing assessed courses. As a result, Lifelong Learning Dundee was formed to continue the highly valued general interest classes on the campus. Having been involved in contacting the University Principal when the university changed provision to credit-bearing courses to ensure that general interest classes continued, I ...
Click on the chart to enlarge it Evan I, as an atheist, was surprised by these stats. Our world is changing very fast indeed but of course it also begs the question as to what religion and its more acceptable values are being replaced with. You see whilst being an atheist I do appreciate that many religious folk do a lot of good particularly in terms charitable works. Our society needs values to aspire to yet I fear it is becoming more selfish and insular whilst losing its religion. This is both a challenge and an opportunity.
Bury Council has pledged to support the Royal British Legion 'Count Them In' campaign to include ex-miltary personal questions in the 2021 census, thanks to a move by Liberal Democrat councillors. Bury's Liberal Democrat Council Group brought a motion to Bury's Full Council to highlight the issue, which went on the receive support from both other parties and is now the Council's policy. Prestwich Lib Dem Councillor Steve Write, whose younger brother served as a Navy diver for over 25 years, said: "After the 2011 census we knew more about the star wars Jedi population of the UK than about ...
Do you have the skills and experience to become a trustee for an award winning local mental health charity? Since 1997 the Creative Living Centre has supported adults experiencing mental health problems through an integrated set of activities, therapies and courses, providing a service which our members have described as life changing and, at times, life-saving. They are looking to appoint a number of new Trustees to provide leadership and direction, and to ensure that the centre is seen as an exemplar of positive mental health support. They are particularly seeking skills in one or more of these areas Safeguarding, ...
Bury Council and Six Town Housing are encouraging anyone in the borough who may be struggling to pay bills to check if they are eligible to receive £140 off the cost of their winter heating from the Government's Warm Home Discount Scheme. The Warm Home Discount is a government-led scheme that provides rebates on electricity bills to eligible consumers, taking the form of a one off discount. People may be eligible if their electricity supplier is part of the scheme, their name (or partners name) is on the bill and they receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit (even ...
A wide range of products and attractions awaits visitors to the third Prestwich Artisan Market which takes place on Sunday 24 September. The event will feature more than 40 specialist artisan traders – stalls will be located inside the Longfield Suite and around the Prestwich Fountain and will feature specialists in food, drink, vegan skincare, jewellery, horticulture and art and illustration. This will be complemented by local cultural attractions Prestwich Community Cinema, Take Me To Church and Bury Art Collective.
The Liberal Democrats have called for major upgrades to workers rights to reflect the modern workplace. The party has proposed new measures to protect workers whilst maintaining the flexibility valued by businesses and employees alike. These address serious issues that have been raised around insecurity, low pay and uncertain employment rights. The changes to party policy mean that the Lib Dems are the first of the major parties to take on board the recommendations of the Taylor review and call for proper protections for the 21st century workforce. The party has called for higher a minimum-wage for workers on zero-hours ...
A review of Transrealities, a rather good superhero comic
