So, another 'big vote' and, again, the Labour front bench vote with the Government. Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised, given Jeremy Corbyn's ambivalence, at best, over the concept of Britain as being part of a European Union. Europe is, after all, a useful thing to have to blame for things not being as you'd like. From a socialist perspective, you're never going to get a socialist Europe, especially given the poor performance of Labour's sister parties in such places as France, Germany and the Netherlands. Mainstream socialism appears to be being usurped by more 'authentic' left wing movements, such as ...
Over the past few days, Liberal Democrats have been challenging Jeremy Corbyn's Labour party to back our amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill which would keep us in the single market which is so important for jobs and prosperity. We are at this singularly unlucky point in time where we have a reckless and incompetent government leading us towards a potentially terrible Brexit. It doesn't know what it wants as ministers say different things. You have both Gove and Davis undermining the deal before the ink is dry. It does nothing for the reputation of our country. You would think ...
The Pin Prick looks at the influence of Big Sugar on Brexit: "During the 2016 referendum Tate and Lyle Sugars was one of the few big companies to support Leave and this year sponsored the Brexit heavy Conservative Party Conference, a move branded 'disgraceful' by British farmers." Policy wonks want to nudge people to do the right thing, but Tim Harford warns that the same techniques can be used to encourage people to do the wrong thing. "What Jim Henson's fantastic creations capture perfectly is Dickens's interest in the ludicrous and absurd details of seemingly everyday appearances." Emma Curry argues ...
That's the headline the Sheffield Star has put on its interview with newly selected Liberal Democrat in Sheffield Hallam, Laura Gordon. The newspaper reports: There's no polling day ahead – or at least, not yet. But a political vacuum does exist in Hallam, one the Lib Dems are positioning themselves to fill. The district's Labour MP Jared O'Mara is still lying low, denied the party whip after offensive comments he posted online emerged to derail his career just months after he was elected. While his fate is undecided, the Lib Dems have sensed the prospect of a byelection and the ...
Important stuff from the 22 January 2002 in the House of Lords: House of Lords Christmas Cards Lord St John of Fawsley asked the Chairman of Committees: Whether the arrangements made with regard to the latest House of Lords Christmas cards were satisfactory. The Chairman of Committees (Lord Tordoff): My Lords, as far as I am aware, the arrangements were quite satisfactory. I have had no complaints about the Christmas cards that I sent out, although, I regret to say, I did not send one to the noble Lord. If the noble Lord can indicate what the particular problem is, ...
I have been enjoying Alexei Sayle's Imaginary Sandwich Bar on Radio 4. One of the best stories he has told this time is about he and his wife's cat Wilf Mbanga. When it went missing Sayle used his celebrity status to get at article in the local paper. This led to the revelation that the original Wilf Mbanga, a Zimbabwean opposition politician, was living in exile nearby. A tweet by Zorro P Freely led me to a Camden New Journal article that proves the story was true. Written after Wilf Mbanga had been returned to the Sayles, the article says: ...
Lovely to see some good news on Twitter today: So, @duncanhames and I have some exciting news... pic.twitter.com/JOCdW6VoPd — Jo Swinson (@joswinson) December 12, 2017 The new baby will be their second child. Their son Andrew was born in December 2013 and made history 7 months later when he became the first baby to go through the Commons voting lobby in the arms of his father. Many congratulations to Jo, Duncan and Andrew. Jo, of course, has a keen interest in protecting women from bad employment practice during and after pregnancy. Until she was re-elected in June, she was chair ...
Second paragraph of third chapter: Phil Sandifer: Yeah, we literally organized Shabcast 6 about thirty seconds ago. This is a book of essays and other pieces by Philip Sandifer, all I think from 2015, the first four of which (comprising the first third of the book) address the Puppies controversy, and the rest being writings on various sf subjects, some of which I know about, some of which I don't. It's not very long since the Puppy problems, and yet it seems like a very long time ago. Sandifer's first, very long essay makes a lot of interesting points about ...
I was first elected in 1984. I don't think I have found myself as angry about anything at any time since then as I did yesterday. I was chipping the ice of my car window screen yesterday morning. We had sub zero temperatures over night again. I was grateful when the phone rang and I could get back into the warm. The lady on the phone had a tale to tell. She had gone to pick up her daughter from a night club in the early hours of the morning. Her daughter was most distressed when they met because she ...
Star Wars and the pleasure of serials As I strategise how to see the Last Jedi on the day it's released, as well as going to Bible Study and...ya know...work, now seems a good time to ponder the appeal of serials. They are so ubiqitous that it is easy to forget that they not only [...]
The Leicester Mercury wins our Headline of the Day Award. It reminds me of the time that Tory-run Harborough District Council was described by Conservative Home as being "plunged into a scandal about health and safety absurdity" because a Christmas appearance by a dozen reindeer was cancelled because it was too icy.
My last heritage blog was about my favourite castles. The surviving monastic buildings of medieval Britain and Ireland were largely built by the same people. The king or his magnates built the castles to physically control and overawe the population. They also founded monasteries and endowed chantries to shape the thought of the medieval world [...]
New garden, new plants... and new projects... Old decking... ...repaired and painted & plenty of plans for 2018!
As if it were not bad enough that the Tories are screwing up Brexit, not being able to even deliver a basic agreement, never mind the goodies that were misleadingly promised during the referendum, it is becoming more and more apparent that Labour don't appear to be willing to get off the fence and offer any form of opposition to this omnishambles. As the Guardian reports, Jeremy Corbyn is determined to resist pressure to spell out in more detail what Brexit settlement Labour would support, despite a series of comments in recent days suggesting the party is edging closer to ...
As the year wends its way towards its denouement, I find myself in a position of feeling really hopeful and confident for the future, moreso than I can remember for a long time. This might have felt odd, considering that for much of the year I was in a bit of funk; professionally and politically, if not personally. But as we reach the end of 2017, things really do seem to be looking up - and I feel much more able to grab the opportunities that present themselves. Indeed, I feel like I'm generally - and literally - walking taller ...
This post blew in from www.radix.org.uk ... Yet another miserable journey home with Southern Rail (power supply problems again, or so they say), I found myself thinking about Britain's brand new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth. On the face of it, there are not many parallels - I've no doubt that the traditions of the navy will make it an effective, efficient and (if needs be) a heroic ship. Whereas Southern is a third-rate operation, and has studiously avoided being effective or efficient. Though managers and staff have occasionally had to be heroic. But they do have one important element ...
Tue 12th
12:03
Stand up for Sandgate against DOUBLING of Sandgate Residents Permit Costs and banning visitors from ...
[IMG: Controlled Parking (CPZ) Sign in Sandgate - 2 hours free parking] Hi Rory and Jan, I'm sure I'm not the first to do so, but I'm flagging up the paper on parking going to Cabinet this week. I'm asking you both to do what you can urgently to remove those sections with the largest impact on Sandgate: the proposal to make Wilberforce Road Car Park "permit only" and the proposal to double the cost of Residents CPZ permits over the next three years from £30 to £60. Wilberforce Road offers most of the rapidly vanishing number of places ...
With inflation now standing at a 6 year high of 3.1%, Vince Cable has called on the chancellor to write to the governor of the Bank of England with an explanation. This would be a reversal of the usual mechanism where the Bank of England has a duty to explain to the government why its Monetary Policy Committee has not prevented high inflation with appropriate movement of the base rate. The increase in inflation was diplomatically described on Radio 4 this morning as being an after effect of last year's drop in the value of the pound. (Anybody remember how ...
Mon, 13:17: RT @leicesterliz: RIP Dr Brendan Bradshaw. He opened my eyes and mind, and taught me to always think for myself. A very special man. My tho... Mon, 16:45: The Lies of Fair Ladies, by Jonathan Gash https://t.co/LEpjIo3KKd Mon, 22:26: RT @impishfae: Child: Mum, can computers do emails? Me: Er. Um. What? Child: Can they send emails? Me (penny dropping): Like a phone can... Tue, 10:45: "Cat Person" https://t.co/TGiDnZdsGO Brilliant short story.
miss_s_b | Year in Fandom meme via lizbeeIn which I tell you all what I have enjoyed this year. weekly_food_challenge | Reduced Cabinet Bingo Part 3: Mac'n'CheeseIn which I make mac and cheese with 90% reduced spring onions Huntington's breakthrough may stop diseaseThis is great news.Net neutrality repeal based on false description of Internet, inventors sayOh what a surprise.FCC explains how they hope net neutrality will be protected without net neutrality rulesLooks like a clinging to false hope to me, but I'm only an observer.Bitcoin: Does it really use more electricity than Ireland? If you like what you see here ...
Last week the Joseph Rowntree Foundation released a report which showed that over 1 in 5 people are now living in poverty, following the first sustained rises in child and pensioner poverty for two decades. Last weekend the entire board of the Government's social mobility commission quit at the lack of progress towards a "fairer Britain". This isn't just an issue for the inner cities. As Claire Young discussed on BBC's Sunday Politics West, isolation and lack of services are an extra challenge for those living in rural areas. If you or anyone you know is struggling with financial difficulties, ...
Dovers Brook, Maghull in full flood looking north from Sefton Lane on Boxing Day 2015. A subject I have covered many times before but then in a low-lying coastal Borough like Sefton flooding is always going to be a threat. And that is of course why it needs to be closely managed with no building agreed to in areas where to do so would increase the risk of it. And the reason I return to this subject now, when no serious flooding events have taken place recently in the Town? Well it's to keep track of ongoing issues in Maghull ...
West End Community Council holds its last meeting of 2017 tonight at 7pm at Logie and St John's (Cross) Church Hall in Shaftesbury Terrace. Here is tonight's agenda : WEST END COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETINGTUESDAY 12TH DECEMBER 2017 AT 7.00PMLOGIE AND ST JOHN`S ( CROSS ) PARISH CHURCH HALL(ENTER FROM SHAFTESBURY TERRACE - OFF BLACKNESS AVENUE) 1. WELCOME, INTRODUCTIONS AND APOLOGIES2. MINUTE OF MEETING 14TH NOVEMBER 2017 AND MATTERS ARISING3. CORRESPONDENCE4. POLICE SCOTLAND UPDATE5. PERTH ROAD UPDATE6. WECC HIT LIST7. PLANNING UPDATE8. OTHER MEETINGS ATTENDED ON BEHALF OF WECC9. AOCB - MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INPUT10. DATE OF NEXT MEETING Light ...
Yet another miserable journey home with Southern Rail (power supply problems again, or so they say), I found myself thinking about Britain's brand new aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth. On the face of it, there are not many parallels - I've no doubt that the traditions of the navy will make it an effective, efficient [...] The post Why is Southern Rail like an aircraft carrier? appeared first on Radix.
Here is Vince Cable's message for Hannukkah. As we usher in the long, dark nights of winter, so begins the Jewish festival of lights. Hanukkah is a celebration of one of the greatest miracles in the Jewish history and for more than two millennia, Jews everywhere have celebrated the wonder of the lamp that miraculously burned for 8 days. The story of Hanukkah is a story of faith and hope even in the most difficult of circumstances. It is also a reminder of the strength and resilience of the Jewish community; a strength we continue to see, even today, in ...
Tue 12th
05:34
Snow and ice update for Ludlow - roads, schools, buses and more. Tuesday (updated 11.00am)
The weather is expected to improve. I'll provide updates tomorrow but we are expecting just about everything to be operating normally. But beware early morning ice from the half melted snow. Morning. It's been a bitterly cold night with temperatures expected to plummet to as low as -12C by 8am. All schools in the area remain closed. Roads and pavements are often hazardous. Buses will try to serve as many areas as they can but both the 701 and 722 are having difficulties accessing some streets. Side streets are gradually being cleared by gritters and tractors. Shropshire Council teams will ...
