I'm still not well enough to tackle the reader request posts, but I thought it might be interesting for me to explain why I've not been well enough for a few weeks to keep up a regular posting schedule, and ... Continue reading →
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 508th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the five most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (18-24 February, 2018), together with a hand-picked seven you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down: 1. Lib Dems gain two from Tories, lose ...
On Thursday, Shropshire Council rejected plans to invest in upgraded LED streetlights. There is a danger that many streetlights will go out as old sodium lamps fail. The rejection by Conservative councillors also means that street lighting will cost taxpayers more in the long run. The Conservatives also rejected proposals to work with parish councils on environmental improvements. Last Thursday, Shropshire Council agreed its financial strategy for the next five years. It also agreed the budget for 2018/2019 and a near 6% jump in council tax. These are tough times. There is a lot of uncertainty about the council's future ...
There is a silly little item in the current Private Eye. It begins: Hard times at the BBC, where it appears even the treasured Antiques Roadshow must make cutbacks. The roster for the forthcoming series has been announced and settings will include the spectacular Crathes Castles (sic) in Aberdeenshire, Buckfast Abbey in Devon, Eltham Palace in Greenwich and, er, Media City in Salford.It's years since I made a point of watching the show, but what made Antiques Roadshow interesting was precisely that ordinary people could turn up with extraordinary and valuable objects. And in its early days at least, the ...
In the Quadratestadt of Mannheim, Germany, the streets aren't named: instead, the blocks are. It's an exception to a rule that most people don't even think about — especially not mapping companies.
It is right that we learn lessons from Iraq. But it is not right that the good which Tony Blair's government achieved, be soured by this failing.
Second paragraph of third chapter: The young man shook his head impatiently. "Not 'Doctor,' please. Around here that means either an M.D. or a psychiatrist. I'm neither; just a research psychologist." Ed Benedict picked up the ball and examined it closely. Young, thin, obviously intent, he gave McEvoy none of the impression of eager, inexperienced blundering he so often felt with the young mathematicians and physicists coming into his laboratory from their training. So often they thought they had the world by the tail, knew all there was to know and had only to convince everyone else of that simple ...
Some of our Change Makers attempting a traditional Moroccan Dance last week. I cut quite a dashing figure doing the waltz!! Last week an incredible event took place in Morocco. It was the first ever meeting of Presidents and officers ... Continue reading →
From BBC News the other day: Church spires could be used to boost mobile and broadband coverage in rural areas under an agreement between the UK government and the Church of England. The government has committed to achieving good-quality mobile connectivity across the UK by 2022. While the agreement encourages churches to sign up, they will still have to negotiate the usual planning process. Digital analysts welcomed the development but said "the devil would be in the detail".I have heard of churches being used to boost signals in this way before and I like the idea. They are and should ...
There's a really good interview with Jo Swinson in online publication The Debrief. She talks about her book, Equal Power, and about how to combat the polarising culture we find ourselves in. Making time for learning is something she has found useful. Perhaps men who feel threatened by feminism might wish to approach the subject the way she approached the issue of racism by reading up and empathising with those who experience it. That, by the way, is something we should all think about in the wake of the Alderdice Review. In our Twitter age...in this very polarised time where ...
This is the title track from an album to be released in April. It sounds very Nineties to me, but then that is when Eels started out.
The lamp post in Upper Bloomfield Road has now been repaired
Sat, 12:07: RT @SJAMcBride: The emerging DUP-Sinn Féin deal collapsed as DUP members' phones were "red hot" with calls from unprepared supporters, some... Sat, 12:56: BBC Books confirm Target novels' return https://t.co/FkvZOustCm Hooray! Sat, 15:23: Outrageous Tales from the Old Testament https://t.co/2zAJakddKq Sat, 16:01: RT @alexwilcock: @nwbrux I remember the bears you quote from 2nd Year Scripture. I read ahead, found it, then read it aloud with impious gl... Sat, 16:05: I Worked For Oxfam For Eight Years. Its Aid Is Vital But The Sector Must Change https://t.co/hutihab5nh My former colleague @MayaMailer. Sat, 18:10: Ben Bradley apologises unreservedly for Corbyn ...
We know from the Observer that Jeremy Corbyn is now coming under public pressure from 80 senior figures to back participation on the single market to save public services. Our Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said: Jeremy Corbyn has been weak on Brexit, and his continuing failure to back Britain's place in the single market and customs union is economic self-immolation. I am pleased to see that there are progressives in the Labour party willing to call him out on this. Liberal Democrats believe Britain is stronger in the European Union, and avoiding Brexit and the damage it will do to ...
Beat The Street is a concept to get people choosing to walk much more – often powered by child pester power. The idea is to make walking locally – whether to school or some other destination such as a libraries, cinemas, etc – into a game. Effectively a much more compelling logging of walking that simple Step counting. Because of the set up costs for a new area, rolling out Beat the Street across small populations apparently isn't viable. Typically, the average cost of Beat the Street works out at around £1 per head of population, but this formula only ...
Finally after four years of saying no Southwark Labour have joined Southwark Lib Dems and even Southwark Conservatives to support the Greater London National Park City campaign. The campaign aims to create a joined-up network of parks, water and open spaces across the capital for East Dulwich, Southwark and London residents to enjoy. "A city where people and nature are better connected. A city that is rich with wildlife and every child benefits from exploring, playing and learning outdoors. A city where we all enjoy high-quality green spaces, the air is clean to breathe, it's a pleasure to swim in ...
I was in near-hysterics a week or so ago, watching the UKIP Welsh Assembly leader, Neil Hamilton (who is perhaps better known for other matters) claim that the Assembly UKIP group was the most united and effective group in the Welsh Assembly. I suppose it depends on how you define group. Certainly the latest development in the many splits that have plagued this loose alliance of Assembly Members indicates that all is not well in the corridors of Ty Hywel, so much so that one UKIP AM has had to have her office moved to another building to get away ...
Southwark has many traffic lights. Across London 6,452 traffic signals and TfL is responsible for all of them. 1,390 of these crossings have ZERO pedestrian facilities. Legislation was passed 1995 that they all had to be safer for all residents especially those with disabilities. This has been interpreted as just the 5,049 with traffic lights. But after 22 years we still have some of those traffic signals not compliant with that legislation. Fortunately none in Southwark.
A passionately pro European MP faces deselection by an anti-European local party. What happens then? You could imagine this scenario unfolding for a fair few MPs today, but one person actually had this happen to him and he survived. In 1972, Dick Taverne's local Labour Party in Lincoln deselected him or voting for us to join the then Common Market. It wasn't the end of the world for him. He resigned as an MP and fought the subsequent by-election as an Independent and won. He writes about his experience in this week's New European to give moral support to any ...
Here's my latest photo of the SUD pond between School Lane and the new houses on the presently being built Poppy Fields estate:- We will see more of these SUD's appearing as Maghull's eastern urban extension starts to be built on what is presently agricultural land on the other side of School Lane, where 1,600+ houses and an industrial park are due to constructed:-
The Southport Visiter has the story on its web site – see link above First over £30m for Bootle Strand shopping center a few months back now this purchase, I wonder where the money is coming from? Now don't get me wrong this seems, at face value, to potentially be a positive story which should enable elderly care provision to be continued on this site but bearing in mind how short of money Sefton Council is where does it get the money from to buy a property like this? We know it borrowed a huge amount of money to ...
Blyth Town Council has the following meetings in its calendar for March Thursday 1st March Policy Working Group ( As a working group this meeting isn't ordinarily open to the public, but is included for completeness) Tuesday 6th March Finance Committee Thursday 15th March Planning and Development Committee Thursday 22nd March Full Council Tuesday 27th March Events Committee All meetings start at 6:30 pm at Arms Evertyne House
