How do we get across to all those young people who voted Labour thinking that they were against Breixit on to our side? Jeremy Corbyn's speech today brings Labour about a millimetre further away from the Tories than they were yesterday. Corbyn has been dragged kicking and screaming to support membership of "a" customs union but not the single market. That's not a million miles from Theresa May's bespoke arrangement where we will apparently be able to do what the hell we want without sticking to any of the EU's rules. Our digital people have put out a nifty little ...
Waseem Yaqoob explains why university staff are striking: "The success of the strike will depend to a large extent on how students respond. Jeremiads about the future of the universities depict the students as consumerist monads. But a survey carried out earlier this week reveals that, though students are split on the strike, most of them blame the government, their university or their vice chancellor. Only one in twenty blames the union." "Many of the students I see complain that the moment they have a free hour, their parent rushes in to fill it." William Stixrud and Ned Johnson make ...
I've been noticing the state of this Merseytravel local map/information board on Westway for a while now and nothing seemed to being done to sort it out. Time to stop wondering and do something about it. I've now e-mailed the photo above to Merseytravel, via Cllr. John Dodd who sits on the Merseytravel Committee. Let's see what they have got to say about the state of it and what's to be done about it.
As I mentioned in my last post, I recently wrote to Pauline Latham, MP for Mid-Derbyshire, to ask about the impact of leaving Euratom and the EMA on lymphoma patients (*). My first question was: I understand that your government intends to withdraw from Euratom as part of our exit from the European Union. Could you advise me what the ... The post Pauline Latham MP on the impact of leaving Euratom and the EMA appeared first on ten pence piece.
Current Planesrunner by Ian McDonald The Rift, by Nina Allan Last books finished Toast, by Charles Stross Grand Canyon, by Vita Sackville-West From Wildthyme with Love, by Paul Magrs Dreams Before the Start of Time, by Anne Charnock Seventeen Equations that Changed the World, by Ian Stewart Next books "Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones", by Samuel R. Delany Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift So, Anyway..., by John Cleese
Headstart, is offering a friendly personal service and advice for those going through hair loss due to cancer treatment. Look good, feel better and more confident Headstart takes place Mondays 10.30 – 1.30 at Bury Cancer Support Centre – 406 Bolton Road, Bury, BL8 2AD (0161 764 6609)
EU citizens in the UK are able to vote in local elections though not general elections. That means this May's round of local elections is, by-elections aside, their first chance to cast a verdict on Theresa May's Hard Brexit plans in the Conservative general election manifesto. It's a group of people the Liberal Democrats are putting particular effort into reaching, including with HQ running an online advertising campaign aimed at them which local Lib Dem campaigners can buy into for their area. But will it work, both at persuading EU citizens to vote and to vote Liberal Democrat? As with ...
In an effort to reach relevant groups British Red Cross are asking local groups if they are willing to arrange first aid sessions for people who may come into contact with our targeted risk groups. Everyday first aid sessions are being offered, by the British Red Cross, strategically to people most likely to use their newly learned skills in an emergency. These sessions are fully funded. An everyday first aid session is approximately two hours long and helps people become more confident to help someone by teaching first aid skills that are easy to do, easy to learn and ...
Today I met with some wonderful people at Redford Court, Michael Boardman Service user and Family Liaison officer, Lisa Jones Service manager, Dr Ivan Pitman clinical Neuro-Psychologist and Sally Rowlands Link worker Sometimes the position of being an LGA spokesperson ... Continue reading →
There is a high probability of severe cold weather, icy conditions and heavy snow in parts of England until Saturday 3 March. Exposure to the cold can have a devastating impact, and especially to people who are vulnerable to ill health and many older people. This advice is from the NHS How to keep your home warm Follow these tips to keep you and your family warm and well at home: if you're not very mobile, are 65 or over, or have a health condition, such as heart or lung disease, heat your home to at least 18C (65F) keep ...
Mon 26th
15:52
LibLink : Floella Benjamin : Ministers should seize the baton and get serious on child obesity
As noted this morning, Floella Benjamin had an Oral Question in the House of Lords today on the subject of childhood obesity. On a day when Simon Jenkins is suggesting that obesity is a greater threat for millennials than cannabis (add your own comment there, I suggest), the question of the health of our children is a live one. In a piece for The House Magazine, Floella, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for a Fit and Healthy Childhood, notes; From day one, we've said that if we are to defeat the obesity epidemic - which has the UK ...
Liberal Democrat leader, Vince Cable, has called for a fresh investigation into the audit services market to smash the domination of the so-called 'big four'. In a letter to the Competition Markets Authority, Cable raises concern that there continued to be a lack of competition to the 'big four' auditing firms. In the wake of the collapse of Carillion, where criticism has been made that the external auditor did not highlight potential problems at the company, there is a need to look again how the market is operating and review the 'remedies' introduced in 2014 which Cable describes as being ...
In examining Corbyn's Coventry speech, one main question needs to be asked: does a Labour government feel more likely after it, or less likely? I have to say that it not only feels more likely, but much more likely. The Tories need to grasp what a threat the speech and what it sets out poses to them. So far, the signs on that aren't great: we've had the Daily Mail saying that staying in a customs union with the EU means accepting freedom of movement of people (it doesn't) and other right of centre outlets trying to hammer home the ...
Last week I was almost fooled into thinking Spring was here. Mild temperatures, sunshine and all the birds in bright plumage meant working in the garden was a delight. Bumblebees buzzed me and bramblings, goldfinch and chaffinch cheerily encouraged me to keep filling the feeders. Luckily I refrained from planting out anything too tender as we are now in the grips of the much reported 'Beast from the East' a spell of Siberian winter. As I type, soft snowflakes are flurrying past the window, few and far between. The air is too dry at the moment for heavy snow but ...
Teachers and professors are amongst the most trusted and respected professions in the UK, so says IPSOS Mori's 2017 Veracity Index. Changes to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), the pension scheme serving over 190,000 university staff in 92 higher education institutions, have shown no respect for lecturers and professors, alienating a huge number of academic staff and lowering morale on campus by asking them to do the same amount of work for less money. Young Liberals, the youth and student wing of the Liberal Democrats, voted in their Winter Conference to support an emergency motion calling for Universities UK (UUK), ...
This blog's track record on Brexit remains solid. A while ago I predicted that the UK would opt to stay in the (or a) customs union with the EU. That hasn't happened yet, but the tectonic plates are slowly but surely moving that way. Meanwhile opponents of the idea are trying to undermine it by ... Continue reading Don't let the BBC and Brexiteers confuse you: Norway and Turkey aren't the same
The ancient Romans referred to Yemen as Arabia Felix, but there is little that is happy about the country now. Often divided in modern history, it is now in danger of total disintegration. With only very limited oil resources, it is by far the poorest country in the Middle East, and unlike the other states [...]
Sun, 12:56: The Much Better Movie Hiding In 'Titanic' https://t.co/EyTpWhOMDo I have not actually seen the film but this almost makes me want to. Sun, 13:53: Black Panther! (at @Kinepolis in Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant) https://t.co/eaqPEWzdma Sun, 15:56: The Universe Between, by Alan E. Nourse https://t.co/j1ADih83V9 Sun, 16:05: RT� Archives | Decimalisation Day https://t.co/L5YVKzPWK7 News story from 1971 which finishes by interviewing my grandfather, Se�n Murray! Sun, 16:13: Note to subtitlers: "Ancestral Plane" does not translate to "Avion Ancestral" OR to "Voorvaderlijke Vliegtuig"! #BlackPanther Sun, 17:32: RT @RobotArchie: A friend was watching a baseball game on TV while in Germany where the ...
Weird Gender Reveal Cakes - Neatorama To quote Conuly, who I nicked this link from: "The whole concept of a sex reveal party is creepy and weird. These cakes just are more obvious about it than some others. Why are people so interested in infant genitalia anyway? And so invested in fitting those genitalia to cultural norms? Seriously, it's a bit dystopian." The costs of camouflaging autism | Autism Research News This is a long read, and has some thing in it that made me uncomfortable, but it's worth reading, I think. I certainly recognised a lot of it. The ...
Mon 26th
10:43From our Lords Correspondent: 20-23 February - you might want to think about this... and this... and...
Yes, the Lords was back after its usual February recess (think half-term but without the need for childminders), and ready to do battle with the EU Withdrawal Bill. Bearing in mind the agreement on all sides of the House that the intention was not to reject the Bill but to improve it, the Committee Stage has become a marker of the likely problems that will get a thorough airing over the coming weeks. With three hundred and seventy-one amendments already tabled at the beginning of the week, it was clear that the Government's position was going to be thoroughly tested, ...
So, at long last, Labour have come up with a Brexit policy that is not simply a repetition of the Tories' plans. Time to celebrate that there has been a small step away from the fence on which Labour have been sitting since June 2016. As I write this, Corbyn is yet to make his speech so we will have to await the actual details. Given his anti-EU history, expect any customs union outlined by him
Mon 26th
09:30
Historic England puts its boot in to plans for a garage on the Linney below the Castle
Developments at the top of the Linney are in the shadow of Ludlow Castle, St Lawrence's church and the town walls. This historic context means that any application, no matter how small, needs great scrutiny. The planning application to build a garage for Drawbridge House has come under scrutiny from national heritage watchdog, Historic England. It has objected to the planning application saying does not conform to national planning rules and legislation. This application for the double garage is modest (17/06155/FUL). But it is the context that is important. This stretch of the Linney which goes from the bend at ...
Sport is often all about rivalries. Whether it is between two teams, two nations or just two individuals. We have the likes of Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal, the New York Yankees v the Boston Red Sox, Liverpool v Manchester United, Brady v Manning, England v Australia, Fischer v Spassky, India v Pakistan, Senna v Prost. I could just go on and on naming some of the most intense rivalries in the world of sport over the years but there was one that captivated me a few years back in a sport which I rarely watch, Horse Racing. Just to ...
Chapel Lane in Old Sodbury will be closed for an expected period of 3 days from 12th March for works to the water mains.
The Independent reports that rebel Labour and Tory MPs are accusing the government of seeking to avoid proper scrutiny by reclassifying key Brexit legislation as a Finance Bill, thus preventing the House of Lords from amending it. The row centres on what was announced in the Queen's Speech last year as the "Customs Bill", but which was renamed the Taxation (Cross Border Trade) Bill, when it was eventually presented to the Commons. The draft carries a preamble showing the Government wants the legislation to carry "supply bill" status, which according to parliamentary privilege would make it harder, but not impossible, ...
Now that Parliament has the right to vote on the final deal, it is very likely that the Conservative government will support a public referendum on the deal, as they will loose a vote in House of Commons. The facts are such: Government's technical House of Commons majority: 13 Rebel MPs needed to block the [...] The post Another way Brexit won't happen appeared first on Radix.
Before I discuss this report I want to put it into perspective: An article in the Guardian, some time ago now, stated that there were 159 seats where the winning margin in 2015 general election was lower than the number of Muslims in the constituency; Of Sikhs and Muslims, over 70% of them vote Labour; Newspapers reported in the elections following the Iraq war over 20% of the voters originally from Pakistan and Bangladesh voted for the Liberal Democrats and in 2010 and 2015 general elections Runnymede points to this same voting group going down to 2%; In the 1960s ...
Tony cycling in Aughton, West Lancs One thing you get to know about as a cyclist is the state of our local road surfaces. Yes I know we all moan about them but here in Sefton we generally have far better road surfaces (excepting of course the appalling but just fixed surface in Foxhouse Lane of recent times) than neighbouring West Lancashire or indeed Liverpool. Liverpool is of course legendary for its poor road surfaces going back as far as I can remember to the 1960's. Yes I'm sure readers of this blog site may well wish to give me ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORTREPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2018 Riverside Drive at Dundee Railway Station - eastbound nearside lane closure for one week for footway works. Glamis Road (Blackness Road to Dickson Avenue) - give and take traffic control for up to 5 days for footway and tree works. West Marketgait (Overgate Lane to Nethergate) - southbound nearside lane closure for 3 weeks for SSE cable overlay. Riverside Drive (at Botanic Garden) - off peak (9.30am - 3.30pm) temporary traffic lights for up to one week for street lighting duct installation ...
