Brrrrrrr... out in the cold fighting elections this week have people people in four wards: two Conservative, one SNP and one Liberal Democrat. Liberal Democrat candidates in all four seats this week, which is up two on when these seats were last contested. Results as they come (mostly, if not totally, on Friday by the looks of it). These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections. See my post The danger in celebrating parish and town council wins for your own party for the reasons to avoid straying too often into covering town, parish or community council by-elections. Get by-election ...
"To paraphrase Neil Kinnock, how did we end up in the grotesque chaos of a Conservative government - a Conservative government - setting about the seemingly deliberate demolition of the United Kingdom and its economy?" William Davies tries to work out the answer. Adam Bennett argues that the Liberal Democrats should adopt Universal Basic Income as a policy. "While the Lancet paper is a nice piece of work, it tells us very little that we didn't already know, and it has a number of limitations. The media reaction to the paper is frankly bananas." Neuroskeptic takes a cool look at ...
Should University students be conflicted over lecturers' being on strike and cancelling classes? The point of being a student is to be able to engage in wider debate, look at the bigger picture and analyse issues that are beyond our individual concerns. But in an age where so much stress is placed on getting a good education as a route to a good job many students, like me, are panicking over missing lectures for two weeks with exams looming in two months' time. An opportunity to discover the wider debate about the strike presented itself yesterday when I turned up ...
Welcome to my email digest for news from the Liberal Democrats in London, combining official news stories from the region with those from London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon and the London Lib Dem MPs.
Another convert from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats, over Brexit. This time, it is one of the party's donors: Pimlico Plumbers' boss Charlie Mullins, who handed over £48,000 to the Tories in the two years up to July 2017, said he is "up for reversing Brexit" in a bid to prevent "disaster" for the country. "I ain't going to beat about the bush, I've just tied up with Vince Cable and the Lib Dems. I'm going to financially support it to the best I can to stop Britain going into disaster," he told Sky News. The pro-Remain campaigner said ...
Embed from Getty Images The great man has reviewed New Forest: The Forging of a Landscape by Hadrian Cook for the Literary Review: There have also been clearances. The forest's gypsies suffered the ignominious fate, almost a century ago, of being herded into compounds, which Augustus John described as concentration camps. John, unmentioned by Cook, also railed against fences, hedgerows and enclosures as manifestations of land theft, to be corrected by squatting - hence places such as Nomansland. All along the beguiling, ragged forest edges - within or without the boundaries, according to which agency's map and regulations you consult ...
Thu 1st
19:46
Don't go along with Jacob Rees-Mogg's act by attacking him for being posh or old fashioned.
Embed from Getty Images The thing about really posh people is that they make it look effortless. Think of Prince William or David Cameron. True, Cameron's inner Flashman could soon appear if he was thwarted, but Prince William probably does not even think of himself in this way. It just comes naturally to him. At the other end of the spectrum are those for whom being posh is hard work. They make everything a little bit too obvious. Take Boris Johnson. He was plucked from the same North London primary school the Miliband brothers attended and sent to prep school ...
[IMG: Women's influence in chess - an International Women's Day event] I am holding an event on the influence of female chess players in history in celebration of International Women's Day. Chess is traditionally seen as a masculine game and the role of women has largely... The post Women's influence in chess – an International Women's Day event appeared first on FeministMama @ambitiousmamas.
Thu 1st
19:30
What do you think about the proposals for nearly 70 cabins in the Mortimer Forest? Vote now...
The Forestry Commission has published plans for "new opportunities" in the Mortimer Forest to the south of the town. It promises "benefits for day and overnight visitors, including new and improved paths, trails, natural play, habitat enhancement and a viewpoint for all to enjoy." That will include 68 holiday chalets in the heart of the forest and a £2.8 million boost to the local economy. Public opinion on this seems split down the middle. Many think it is a good idea that will bring trade to the town and provide worthwhile holidays. Some think the proposal is too big. Other ...
Thu 1st
18:29Theresa May warned two days before the referendum that Brexit would make a hard Irish border inevita...
MUST WATCH: shocking video in which Theresa May tells the truth about what Brexit will really mean for the Northern Ireland border. Everybody needs to see this so they know the real facts. Please RT: pic.twitter.com/s8HBLr5JVw— Open Britain (@Open_Britain) March 1, 2018We shall see if she has the courage to repeat that truth in her speech tomorrow. This video was posted on Twitter today by Open Britain.
It is vital that everyone in the Liberal Democrats stays on the right side of the law throughout the forthcoming election campaigns, and ALDC are on hand to help you do this through our Election Law Helpline - launching on Thursday 1 March 2018. The team at ALDC are providing free election law advice to campaigners in England for their forthcoming local elections, regardless of whether you are a member of ALDC. They can provide practical issues around election law - nominations, DNOs, imprints, expenses, etc. as well as detailed queries about election law issues. Guidance is available on issues ...
Thu 1st
17:20
Two #RetroHugo 1943 novels: The Uninvited, by Dorothy Macardle; Grand Canyon, by Vita Sackville-West
These were the two books that particularly jumped out at me from my list of sfnal 1942 novels by women, so in the name of informing my nominations I got hold of them and read them. I expect that the eventual finalists will probably be from the ranks of those originally published in the genre, but I hope I won't be the only voter to look beyond Heinlein, Siodmak and E.E. 'Doc' Smith. Spoiler: I will be nominating both of them. (Incidentally, it has been pointed out to me that The Screwtape Letters, by C.S. Lewis, is only 31,000 words ...
Thu 1st
17:15
Today's cancellation of the 2nd part of the Leveson Inquiry - a massive betrayal of the promises to ...
Just over six years ago, I walked into the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, sat down in a blue chair in front of some microphones and faced about an hour of questions from Robert Jay QC. I was giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry. Quite frankly, I had been terrified about doing so. Before heading up to London I had called the local police to warn them that I may need rapid response. I had talked through press management with the school I was a governor at, and had given advice to every single family member. But I ...
From one of those who didn't have to go to work today, "Thank you" to those who did and cheerfully kept the world moving.
Not a question I've heard, but I got your attention! The way we view men and women is still fundamentally flawed. I imagine our Lib Dem male MPs have several suits they use in cycle, only having to choose a shirt and tie. But our women MPs? It's a different matter, though it shouldn't be. I imagine hair, makeup, matching shoes, accessories and the right outfit for the right occasion are all things our women MPs think about. Why?? As a prospective parliamentary candidate, one of the women-only training sessions I attended was on image. I remember the look on ...
Christine Jardine responded for the Liberal Democrats to the Government's statement that they will not proceed with Her question is posted below: As a former journalist, I am utterly dismayed by the Secretary of State's statement. I value the freedom of the press, but does he not see the sad irony in talking about how the press has held the powerful to account and then closing the door on our opportunity to hold the powerful voices of the press to account on behalf of the victims? Those victims were promised the sort of legislation in section 40 that the Secretary ...
With snow due for the rest of today and Friday, you can find out the latest information on local services and get other cold weather advice on the South Glos Council website. This includes links to school closures. Rubbish, waste and recycling South Glos say: "Waste and recycling collections will not take place on Friday 2 March due to snow and ice. Please return your bins and containers to your property until your next normal collection. For recycling next collection is Friday 9 March, please present any extra recycling. Black bin waste and garden bins will be collected Friday 16 ...
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To be quite blunt, I've been spending a lot of time lately thinking about where it's all gone wrong for the Liberal Democrats. I've been a member of the party for seven years now, three-quarters of a decade no less, and in that time we have scarcely polled into the double digits. Amongst the young, the people who you may think would be the natural supporters of an anti-Brexit, progressive party, the outlook is especially bleak. In the latest Times tracker conducted by YouGov, a mere 4% of 18-24-year-olds plan to vote Liberal Democrat at the next election. The number ...
Julie Elliott is the Labour MP for Sunderland Central. A relatively recent arrival in the Commons (she was first elected in 2010), Ms Elliott represents a constituency which has been Labour for as long as people can remember. Such security can generate a degree of complacency and throughout Sunderland, complacency is rife in the Labour Party. They run the council with a whopping great big
Last night I did a TV interview about the first British court case regarding the EU's so-called Right to be Forgotten law, now being heard at the High Court. Actually, originally the broadcast was meant to be a debate with someone else, presumably from Google, which is contesting the claim against it, but there was [...]
You might think it's hyperbolic to blame this level of weather on a mild-mannered retired chef-cum-biology teacher from Yorkshire, but you see, my dad has certain Rob McKenna type "abilities". Whenever he is driving, every traffic light goes to red just for him. If he drops toast it always lands butter side down. Things roll off shelves just as he is under them and hit him in the head. Murphy's Law seems to be doubly enforced on him everywhere he goes. What has this to do with the snow, I hear you ask? Quite a lot, I'm afraid. You see, ...
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Wed, 12:09: RT @alexebarker: The Protocol on Ireland is quite breathtaking in its level of detail. It establishes a "common regulatory area" between no... Wed, 12:56: Why Macedonia Is Emerging as the Center of the Slow Food Movement https://t.co/csQvp2EDf9 Well, there you go. Wed, 16:05: Grenfell Tower Fire: Nearly 100 Blocks Of Flats Have Failed Safety Checks Since Disaster https://t.co/uxVl50qFtB Shameful. Wed, 18:48: February Books https://t.co/tECwsUVgHv Wed, 19:48: RT @davidallengreen: The EU simply put into legal form what the UK had already agreed to back in December, and such is the nature of UK pol... Wed, 19:51: RT @davidallengreen: Ten ...
weekly_food_challenge | Challenge #35: Welsh This week's challenge is live! Weather warnings - Yorkshire & Humber - Met Office Snowpocalypse set to continue The snow filling out the lines on this carving of Edinburgh on the side of the @ScotParl. Nice meeting of natural beauty and human art Lovely photo Yarl's Wood: Inside the crisis-hit immigration detention centre This is horrific Gender pay gap data from the government This is no time for complacency. The rule of law is under threat If you like what you see here (or even if you don't) please consider dropping me a tip: [IMG: ...
Thu 1st
10:30Book Review - Power to the People: Confessions of a Young Liberal Activist 1975 - 1987 by Felix Dodd...
Felix Dodds, who was Chair of the National League of Young Liberal (NLYL) 1985-1987 and led the so-called Green Guard, inheritors of the late 60s/early 70s YLs Red Guard mantle, wrote this book to inspire and give hope to today's young people at a time when politics seems a much more cynical and jaded business than the last time we had a Tory female Prime Minister and were arguing about Europe. Dodds 'confessions' tell of his involvement with the YLs starting as a 6th former in Hertfordshire, having been inspired by the Kennedy brothers as encapsulated in JFK's famous question ...
It would be an understatement to say that Tory Brexiteers are less than pleased with John Major this morning. The former PM gave a speech to the Creative Industries Federation yesterday in which he gave Brexit a good talking down and called for a second referendum on the matter. It was a pretty in your face speech from Major, and I can understand why it upset a lot of Leavers. However, their reactions have been revealing, mostly about the poor state of the current Right. Nadine Dorries, Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, tweeted out a short clip from 1990 of ...
In January, a friend of mine bought me a gift. A Jar of Mindfulness. The jar came from ProjectBemore.com developed by Sharon Jeffreys. Sharon is a commissioner of mental health and has developed this jar and other products to help folks with their mental health and general wellbeing. Mindfulness is proven to be one way of coping with mental health issues, and I aim to see how it helps my anxiety. If it works for me, it could work for any of you too. What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is a state of awareness. It is not magical, mystical or a ...
Getting off the train from Liverpool In case you missed the January screening of the BBC TV programme Great British Railway Journeys with Michael Portillo, which visited Maghull because it was the home of world famous toy manufacturer Frank Hornby, here's a link to it on You Tube:- www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHv-kkL4rqs – My apologies as the link to the video has been removed due to a copyright issue it seems. In the Hornby Room at Meadows Leisure Centre Following the programme being broadcast the Frank Hornby Trust held an open day at Meadows Leisure Centre and Library in Maghull on 21st January ...
I don't suppose the Tories care much for what happens with their MEPs, after all they plan to abolish them within the next few years. However, what happens with the Conservative group in Brussels is important, if only because it highlights problems within Theresa May's party itself. It is worth noting therefore that two British members of the European Parliament who were originally elected as Conservatives have defected to another, pro-EU parliamentary group allied with EU president Jean-Claude Juncker. The Independent reports that Julie Girling and Richard Ashworth, who represent south west and south east England respectively, said they were ...
After the Second World War and its march of unprecedented atrocities, the great powers all proclaimed that the pursuit of the 'common good' of humanity was now the foundation of their foreign policy. They did so by signing the United Nations Charter, but also through specific declarations. It all happened as if they had unconsciously [...] The post The diplomatic era of devil-take-the-hindmost appeared first on Radix.
Thu 1st
08:13The fundamentals of Brexit don't change - so opposition to it is a matter of principle!
"If you can keep your head while all about you are losing theirs, then you have seriously misjudged the gravity of the situation" - goes the rather silly adaptation of Kipling's famous line. I am not suggesting that Liberal Democrats are losing their heads. But I am suggesting that we are the only British political party that appears to have judged the gravity of the situation on Brexit. For certain, we are the only political party that is brave enough to oppose it explicitly. We know that the least privileged households will be the most harmed by Brexit. I have ...
Thu 1st
08:01
Trump and Brexit are the Pearl Harbor and the Fall of Singapore in Russia's Hybrid war against the W...
In December 1941, Imperial Japan launched a surprise attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor. After the subsequent declaration of war, within three days, the Japanese had sunk the British warships, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse, and the rapid Japanese attack led to the surrender of Hong Kong on Christmas Day 1941 and the fall of Singapore only two months after Pearl Harbor. These were the opening blows in the long war of the Pacific that cost over 30,000,000 lives and was only ended with the detonations above Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "History doesn't often repeat itself, but ...
The next Harris Academy Former Pupils' Association Lunch is on Monday 5th March at 12 noon for 12.30pm. It will be held in Invercarse Hotel on Perth Road and the cost per person, payable on arrival, will be £16.00. More information is available from the FPs' social secretary Sandra Mulford at social@harrisfps.co.uk. Please contact Sandra by 5pm tomorrow, 2nd March.
Arriva Train Wales has cancelled trains through Ludlow for a second day. Unless you must travel, don't try. The cancellations are a combination of the predicted severe weather during Storm Emma and urgent safety checks after a wheel fault was found overnight on Tuesday. It seems that all 27 trains in the Class 175 fleet have wheel damage. Replacement buses seem sporadic. (This post will be updated as more information becomes available.) Yesterday, the advice from Arriva Train Wales was "don't travel". Today that has been downgraded to "severe delays". Even so, journeys are going to be difficult if not ...
