We're living in interesting times again, aren't we? The US developments, where the Republican party seem determined to literally kill millions in order to provide tax breaks for billionaires, and to do so quickly so that a fascist tyrant who ... Continue reading →
Taken in May 2012.
It was dark, and cold... and far too early. But there was a delegation meeting at 8 a.m., and attendance was compulsory, so I dragged myself out of bed, and was in the right place, somewhere in the vast complex that is the RAI Congress Centre on the south side of Amsterdam. There was much to discuss. Firstly, there was a delegation to organise, and jobs to assign. For someone has to be responsible for ensuring that our view on each of the resolutions was heard, that our decision on how to vote on every amendment was recorded for transmission ...
This local politics malarkey is all too easy, isn't it? A full house of Lib Dem wins in the 4 by-elections across the South of England has us all cheerful as we head into the festive season, and provides us with a some inspiration for what we can achieve in 2018! Last night leaves us with a vote share of 25.3% (+12.0%) across November, with a total of 9 seats (2 holds, 7 gains, 0 losses). Tandridge DC, Westway - Lib Dem hold LD Helen Rujbally 483 [53.5%; +17.5%] Con 239 [26.5%; -2.5%] Lab 118 [13.1%; -2.8%] UKIP 62 [6.9%; ...
Eric Clapton will play a concert in Hyde Park on 8 July 2018, supported by Steve Winwood and Santana. It reminds me of the Hyde Park free concerts of 1968-70, but only up to a point: tickets start at £65. That won't be the only difference from the Sixties. As I wrote in that post: It really was different in the sixites. The Rolling Stones concert was one 12 free events that took place in Hyde Park over three summers from 1968 to 1970. Accounts of who turned up to play vary widely - if you remember it... - but ...
Embed from Getty Images The Guardian wins our Headline of the Day Award.
Nick Clegg delivered a speech yesterday about artifical intelligence (AI) and Universal Basic Income (UBI). It was good in parts but he left me fuming at one point.
Second paragraph of third chapter of The Knight of the Swords: Corum frowned and went to the cool water of the river to wash his face and hands. He paused, listening again. A thump. A rattle. A clank. He thought he heard a voice shouting further down the valley and he peered in that direction and thought he saw something moving. Second paragraph of third chapter of The Queen of the Swords: Just recently a small, trim schooner had beached on the sand and out of it had emerged a bright company, leading horses down makeshift gangplanks. Silks and steel ...
The British Liberal Democrat's have always played a prominent role in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), but last year's EU Referendum result inevitably threw a spanner in the works. One of the main focuses of the ALDE Congress currently taking place in Amsterdam is the preparation for the European Elections in [...]
Commenting on reports that RBS plans to close one in four of its branches, Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said: "We understand that RBS needs to sort out its business so it can be sold at a profit for taxpayers rather than the loss that ministers currently seem to be pushing for . "However, there is also a 'last bank in town' policy that all banks should be following to make sure communities are not left without banking facilities, including orderly transfer of services to local Post Offices and free-to-use cash machines. "We need assurances from RBS that there are ...
When my hair was long and worth cutting with style I would turn my face to the wind so I could feel how it blew as soon as I opened my eyes. Now I count the breaths and stand in shelter, feeling for grip as December blows in from the north. Facing the blast, I [...]
In July 2015, Angela Merkel was speaking a town hall style event on the "Good life in Germany" at a secondary school in the coastal town of Rostock, when: Reem, a Palestinian, told Merkel in fluent German that she and her family, who arrived in Rostock from a Lebanese refugee camp four years ago, face [...]
This last Tuesday, November 28, a new session of talks between the opposition and the Syrian government opened in Geneva, under the auspices of the UN. The aim is to find a political solution that puts an end to a six-year civil war. There are so many obstacles on the road to peace that it [...] The post The Middle East rediscovers the nation state appeared first on Radix.
There has recently been yet more coverage of people being detained horribly, under inhumane conditions, on entering the US. It is possible to be detained by US immigration indefinitely, without access to lawyers or contact with the outside world. Foreign ... Continue reading →
It's fair to say that the format used for most Liberal Democrat meetings, such as fringe meetings at conferences, is pretty uniform and unimaginative.
Fri 1st
11:55
In the Dorset town of Beaminster Cllr Gil Streets enacted Liberal Democracy: let us not forget that.
News reaches us that former Cllr Gil Streets of Dorset has passed away. Now let's make myself clear – I wasn't close to him, but we met several times, I heard his advice and I learnt from him. But thinking back I realised that Gil for me illustrated a political philosophy that was why I joined the Liberal Democrats and I felt that his death for me should not be allowed to slip past without comment. Gil was not a household name for Liberal Democrats but he was significant – he was part of a generation of campaigners who emerged ...
As Meghan Markle Chooses To Become A British Citizen I Just Wait For My Wife To Be Able To Come Home This is heartbreaking weekly_food_challenge | Challenge #22: chocolate For those of you with DW accounts who might want to consider joining WFC, I have properly planned things out until July next year, so hopefully the comm will not fall prey to my rubbish executive function again. "It's a Dead Issue": Fantastic Beasts Director Defends Johnny Depp Oh dear. Belief in our moral superiority is the most irrational self-enhancing bias of all - Research Digest I'd love to see the ...
Thu, 12:56: Fifty years ago, Jocelyn Bell discovered pulsars and changed our view of the universe https://t.co/0OpC9jrha9 Yep. Thu, 16:05: "An Unexpected Honor," by Ursula Vernon https://t.co/BQvyTm5Lat Her Hugo acceptance speech. Thu, 18:24: November Books https://t.co/vWl3C0PLWE Thu, 19:53: RT @AlbertoNardelli: (UK) Foreign Office officials told Ireland's government to ignore Boris Johnson (the UK's top diplomat) https://t.co/t... Fri, 06:52: RT @LibrariesEU: The #Christmas countdown begins with #MEPLibraryLover @brandobenifei's book recommendation: Ferrante's global bestseller "... Fri, 10:34: RT @bbcdoctorwho: The TARDIS has gotten in the Christmas spirit in our new hashtag emoji! #DoctorWho #DWXmas https://t.co/8zpsvH8y4S Fri, 10:45: Europe's Political Tribes (PDF) https://t.co/hFW8HLJDHl ...
Embed from Getty Images Theos is an organisation which, in its own words: "stimulates the debate about the place of religion in society, challenging and changing ideas through research, commentary and events." This week, Tim Farron gave the Theos Annual 2017 Lecture. It is an extremely thoughtful, nuanced and quite complex speech. You can read it in full here on the Theos website. I did consider cutting and pasting various clips from the speech. Indeed, various websites have snipped away at it. But it really is best to sit down with a cuppa for twenty minutes and read the whole ...
I light of Labour supporters continuing to blame everyone else for Labour-run Sefton Council voting to build on Green Belt and high grade agricultural land across the Borough, here's my recent letter to the Champion newspaper:- Dear Sir, Interesting how Labour supporters and councillors still try to defend their Sefton Councillors voting to build on Green Belt and high grade agricultural land around Maghull & Lydiate and indeed in other places across Sefton Borough. Their line of defence seems to be 'the government made us vote for it' or words to that effect. Well when I was a Sefton Councillor ...
Do you use GWR train services? If so, please respond to the Department of Transport's Great Western rail franchise consultation. There's a few items regarding MetroWest/Greater Bristol Metro and the potential splitting of the local services around Bristol and intercity services to/from Paddington into two different operators. If you're a regular rail user this could affect you. The consultation is open until 21 February 2018.
Donald Trump has just shot the special relationship in the foot. It will recover. The special relationship between the US and Britain does not rely on one president, one prime minister or even one monarch. They are all relatively ephemeral influences in a relationship based on centuries old links involving a common legal foundation, a common language (almost), cultural and family ties, and common philosophical roots. But the hole in the foot hurts. It means that the relationship will now limp along at a time when frighteningly unstable events on both sides of the Atlantic and elsewhere in the world ...
Gladstone would have known the feeling, he had successive governments wrecked by the supposedly intractable Irish question, and now Theresa May faces the same fate. As the Independent reports, the Democratic Unionist Party have threatened to withdraw their support from the Government if Ministers compromise over the Irish border during the Brexit talks. On the other hand the Irish Government are threatening to veto any deal if a compromise is not reached. It is a dilemma that would take the wisdom of Solomon to resolve. If only he were available. And as if to make it worse the Northern Irish ...
The West Port Christmas Lights are switched on tonight - at 5.30pm - all welcome - don't miss it! Lights Switch On includes a piper, singers and a string quartet. Roast chestnuts, apple spiced Christmas drinks and hot chocolate for the children. Meet at the Christmas Tree in front of The Globe!
Enter Lydiate from Great Altcar where Altcar Lane makes the sharp turn into Bells Lane and you will be greeted with this sign:- Well let's be polite, it's seen better days! Indeed, near the top on the left hand side it is all but rusted through so it will soon become a real danger to road users and the public:- I have asked Lydiate Parish Council to work with Sefton Council to have it replaced because of the danger. Also, at some point down the line it could provide a nice place for a Lydiate in Flower boundary planter like ...
December is always a quiet month for BTC meetings , and this month is no exception There are, as far as I know, only three meetings at BTC this month Tuesday 5th Environmental Services Thursday 7th Planning and Development Thursday 14th Full Town Council Meeting Meetings start at 6:30 at Arms Ever Tyne House
Four council by-elections this cold week, all in southern England. They come with the neat simplicity of one defence each for Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Ukip. A neat simplicity of results too: all won by the Liberal Democrats in the party's best council by-election night for a long time. Westway (Tandridge) result: LDEM: 53.5% (+17.5) CON: 26.5% (-2.5) LAB: 13.1% (-2.8) UKIP: 6.9% (-12.2) Liberal Democrat HOLD. — Britain Elects (@britainelects) November 30, 2017
Fri 1st
06:17
Charade of a review will close Ludlow Maternity Unit for live births - this makes a mockery of publi...
"After this people will have no trust in public consultation." That's the view of Councillor Tracey Huffer after the Clinical Commissioning Groups decided to downgrade Shropshire's rural maternity units. The plan, still subject to confirmation, is that only prenatal and postnatal services will be offered at Ludlow, Bridgnorth and Oswestry maternity units. Babies will have to be born somewhere else. As we have seen in Ludlow, that will sometimes be at home without medical support. This downgrading of rural services has been described by one medical professional as "a real and exciting opportunity". Councillor Tracey Huffer, who is also a ...
Yesterday's four local council by-elections all brought astounding wins for the Liberal Democrats. There was one very strong hold and three spectacular gains from the Conservatives, Labour and UKIP, in a couple of cases in seats where the party had not fielded a candidate last time. In every case, the LibDems scored more than 50% [...]
