A few weeks ago, I was out drinking (which I don't do very often these days) on a Wednesday night and Michael Fallin resigned. Tonight I was out drinking on a Wednesday night and Damien Green resigned. Robert Peston, who predicted he'd be absolutely fine, must be crying into his beer now. All I can say is that it's a sacrifice I would be prepared to make on a regular basis, especially for the Hanging Bat's excellent honeyed ale with a schooner of rather excellent Porter on the side, all in the company of a very bad influence indeed. It ...
She gave it at Pembroke College, Oxford, in April of this year. Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising is currently being discussed on Twitter - you can find details of how to take part on the blog of Julia Bird. Does anyone else remember watching the first book in that series, Over Sea, Under Stone, as a Jackanory dramatisation in 1969?
Damian Green, until this evening Theresa May's effective deputy, First Secretary of State and Minister for the Cabinet Office, is now none of them: Damian Green, one of Theresa May's closest allies, has resigned from the cabinet after an investigation found he breached the ministerial code. He quit after he was found to have made "inaccurate and misleading" statements about what he knew about claims pornography had been found on a computer in his Commons office in 2008. In his resignation letter, Mr Green apologised for his conduct. [BBC] The inquiry found he had misled the public and MPs over ...
In his Christmas message this year, Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable is asking people to support a charity that works with the homeless near to them.
So writes Neli Demireva over on the London School of Economics website: Unlike the political discourse which has stuck into "immigration is probably good, but" mode, the academic evidence remains almost unequivocally positive. The general public worries that there are many aspects of migration that could go awry and researchers have tried to address them in a similarly detailed fashion. Take, for example, the concern over unskilled migration waves, and the danger to the welfare system that migrants with little transferable human capital can present. Several recent academic papers have demonstrated that these fears are overstated (see here, here and ...
An interim report into building safety regulations commissioned in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire has warned that the current system is "not fit for purpose," due in part to weak enforcement of the rules and lack of clarity over who is responsible. Wera Hobhouse MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Communities and Local Government, commented: "This report exposes serious failings by the Government. "Safety rules have not been properly enforced and the organisations that provide housing have not been held to account. "Thousands of families across the country continue to live in unsafe accommodation. "We need swift action to ...
A report by MPs on the Public Accounts Committee has accused the government of being "unacceptably complacent" over rising levels of homelessness. It says the limited action taken has lacked the urgency that is so badly needed and that the "light touch" approach to working with local authorities tackling homelessness has clearly failed. Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran, who sits on the committee, commented: "This damning report exposes the Government's failure to protect the most vulnerable in society. "Soaring levels of homelessness have meant even many people in work are now finding themselves on the streets or in temporary accommodation. ...
Over in the United States of America, I read, there is eager work going on to come up with a more gender-inclusive term for first year university students than "freshmen". Now don't get me wrong, those weird genderified words are throwbacks and moving on from them is all well and good. As the saying goes, "men and women: for when people is too short and too inclusive". But the conclusion is that the shiny new term should be "first year students". It makes me wonder two things: First: how the frack is that not already in use? Second: what's wrong ...
The Leader of the Liberal Democrats peers, Dick Newby, has warned that the Prime Minister may try to pre-empt an agreement to restrict the ever-increasing size of the Lords by packing in new Tory appointments in the New Year. The forecast that Theresa May would follow the plea of St Augustine - "Lord, make me pure, but not yet". In the debate in December he set out the Party's position on short term plans to present: The proposals from the noble Lord, Lord Burns, offer an alternative way forward. From these Benches, as I say, we support their principal features: ...
Last week, Vince Cable welcomed Kishan Devani, former Tory Deputy Chairman of the London Conservative Party, to the Liberal Democrats. Mr Devani stood as a parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives in 2015 and in the London Assembly elections in 2016. Thrilled to have joined the @LibDems yesterday. Look forward to working with @vincecable & @LibDems @LibDemPress. Leaving the @Conservatives was not a decision taken lightly – as have created some life long friends. But it is clear only @LibDems are taking the fight to #Brexit. pic.twitter.com/E1yHMXrWpn — Kishan Devani FRSA (@Kishan_Devani) December 17, 2017 Brexit was a key motivator for ...
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Barretts and David Wilson Homes plan to start building in the spring right behind existing houses. So this is now REAL. They got outline consent two years ago. We all opposed that as residents and councillors. Butnow this is about trying to make sure the new housing does as little damage as possible to our community. We've already given the developers a list of problems we could spot. Now we needyour help in looking at the plans carefully and pointing out the problems YOU can see, to help us try to get the developers/planners to change the plans. Key features ...
The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that's fine, we're grateful for people taking the time to read the site. You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are four simple ways: 1. Let us have your tips for stories. Perhaps there's something outrageous going on in your local council? Or you're an expert in a particular area and have spotted a story other people have missed? Or ...
Tue, 12:45: RT @stephenkb: I saw my estranged father on the train and all I got was this lousy column: https://t.co/91l7L8lpeO Tue, 19:05: RT @JenniferMerode: Michel Barnier interview extras - a few extras, a few thoughts - thread. Tue, 19:25: RT @apcoworldwide: Our @nwbrux shares three European elections to watch in 2018: https://t.co/zo3MadYVZN #ThreeThings #elections Tue, 19:26: RT @JenniferMerode: Former head of EU council's legal service thinks A-50 can be revoked unilaterally by the UK. https://t.co/H05F6QWSeZ Wed, 10:36: RT @ZNConsulting: #WednesdayWisdom Our #EUinfluencer wizards share their top #socialmedia tips so you can become a digital influencer too.... Wed, 10:45: The ...
Why did female nominees miss out again at 2017 Spoty awards?I voted Shrubsole. Until women's sport gets the same coverage as men's and is treated by sports journalists as if it is as important as men's it will continue to be seen as less important by the public. Grenfell Tower fire report finds UK building regulations 'not fit for purpose'Move over right v left: John Curtice says the new political divide is social liberal versus social conservativePolitical Establishment (in the person of John Curtice) catches up to what Lib Dems of a psephological bent have been saying for at least ...
The Electoral Commission are currently engaged in an investigation into spending during the 2016 referendum campaign They believe that there are 'reasonable grounds to suspect an offence may have been committed' in the run up to that plebiscite. No doubt we will see the outcome of that investigation in due course. However, one investigation that does not appear to be on the cards is into the source of a £425,000 donation to the Democratic Unionist Party, that was spent on wrap-around pro-Brexit advertising in the non-Northern Ireland-based Metro newspaper during the EU referendum. That is because the UK Government has ...
When I first walked in to the offices of Eastbourne and Willingdon Lib Dems in April of this year, I had little idea just how swept up in it all I would get. Like many new (and more established!) members, I had got to the point with politics in this country where I felt "something must be done"! On the first action day of the GE, I was warmly welcomed and soon sent out with the first of many walks to deliver. The bonhomie, and feeling that we were all working towards a greater good has stayed with me ever ...
This article contains spoilers. Only two main pieces of plot information are given over below, but if you really don't want to know anything at all about the film, turn away now. "The Last Jedi" has received a mixed reaction so far. Critics, by and large, love it; hardcore Star Wars fanboys, for the most part, seem to deeply loathe it. Having seen it last night, I think there are two main reasons that the Star Wars obsessives dislike the film so strongly. One, it kills off Luke Skywalker. It doesn't even do it with him getting run through with ...
The sounds of hoofs is growing, the noise of the emerging antitrust movement is not exactly deafening, but it is at least audible. I cite in my support of this assertion two phenomena, both from the USA – the growing opposition to AT&T's merger with Time Warner and an article hailing what the authors call [...] The post Coming soon in a legislative assembly near you – the return of antitrust appeared first on Radix.
Collections will not take place on Monday 25, Tuesday 26 December or Monday 1 January. This means the collection crews will be working on Saturday 30 December, 6 and 13 January to catch up. Changes to collection days for Christmas and New Year are below. If your collection is normally: It will take place on: Monday 25 December Wednesday 27 December Tuesday 26 December Thursday 28 December Wednesday 27 December Friday 29 December Thursday 28 December Saturday 30 December Friday 29 December Tuesday 02 January Monday 01 January Wednesday 03 January Tuesday 02 January Thursday 04 January Wednesday 03 January ...
The EU Withdrawal Bill finishes its Committee stage in the House of Commons today and for Liberal Democrats the emphasis will be on our amendment calling for a referendum on the final deal. Most of us baulk at the idea of another referendum, especially those of us who have been through two horrible and divisive referenda in the last three years as it is. Referenda are not an efficient tool to resolve complex issues and, as we have seen, can be manipulated by populists with an agenda. However, the only chance we have of getting out of this mess is ...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42414018 The BBC has the story on its web site – see link above It's probably a major indication of how the modern Conservative Party has lost its way as it turned the screw on Police funding in recent times. Long gone is the 'party of law and order' tag which it once so prized. But as crime has continued to rise and the police have become more and more stretched it was only a matter of time before the Government's arm was going to be twisted to find more money for policing. Seeing the Police being cut back so ...
Over Christmas and New Year, most Council offices will be closed to the public from 5pm on Friday 22 December until Wednesday 3 January, unless stated otherwise in the information provided here) Throughout the Christmas and New Year period you can continue to report problems and make payments online. Please be aware that the Council may not process reports or payments until Wednesday 3 January 2018. Report a problem Make a payment Customer Contact Team Closed from from 5pm Friday 22 December 2017 Open 10am to 4pm Wednesday 27, Thursday 28 and Friday 29 December 2017 (for rubbish, recycling and ...
Six Town Housing are delivering Winter Warmer packs – containing food, warm socks and more – across the borough to some of the most vulnerable tenants living in the homes they manage on behalf of Bury Council. 400 packs are being distributed this week to elderly, disabled and other vulnerable tenants across the borough by STH, their contractors, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), Greater Manchester Fire Brigade and tenant volunteers. The packs contain warm socks, non-perishable food and Christmas treats – including pasta and sauce, baked beans, porridge, soup, biscuits, tea bags and hot chocolate – donated by STH's partners ...
Just to let residents know about recent planning applications in your area on Nursery Road, Bury Old Road, Nutt Lane, Simister Lane, Cuckoo Lane and Heys Road. Please just let me know if you have any queries. Two storey side extension; single storey rear extension; dormer loft conversion with juliet balco... 19 Nursery Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 3DU Ref. No: 62224 | Received: Mon 04 Dec 2017 | Validated: Mon 04 Dec 2017 | Status: Registered Single storey and two storey extensions to side and rear with canopy to side elevation 78 Simister Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2RZ Ref. No: ...
Just to wish all residents the very best for the Christmas period and for a happy and healthy 2018. Mary D'Albert, Tim Pickstone and Steve Wright – Holyrood Ward Councillors. Emails from us will take a break until the new year!
