The death of Jim Bowen this weeks brings to mind the strangest episode in the history of his programme Bullseye. Let's begin on the Pembrokeshire coast. In 1989 a middle-aged couple, Peter and Gwenda Dixon, were murdered while walking the coastal path. Before they were killed they were forced to disclose the PIN number of their bank card, which was later used to withdraw money. Their murder attracted much media attention and there was a theory that they had somehow discovered an IRA arms dump, but no one was arrested for it. I recall an article from some years after ...
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our much belated 510th 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 (4-10 March 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 seat from ...
Having people understand what the Liberal Democrats stand for and why is a continuing challenge for the party. More recently, it's come with a new twist – because approaching two-thirds of the party's members have joined since 10pm on general election day 2015. So to help address part of that issue, I've spun up a free 14-part weekly email series about the roots of liberal, Liberal and Liberal Democrat beliefs. Each email is quite chunky, which is why they are spaced out weekly. You can sign up for the free 14-week course here. It's about where the party's beliefs come ...
Parliament has recently published the bid from Cambridge Analytica to work with the controversial Leave.EU and Arron Banks, he of the address shared with 11 Brexit groups struck off for breaking the law. Here it is, including the fundraising suggestion which was actually illegal: Cambridge-Analytica-proposal-for-Leave.EU_
By the time you read this the election for President will have happened in Russia. Writing in the middle of February we can all say exactly what will happen in the election and what the result will be. The election during the election period will be entirely free and fair - it will comply with domestic laws and international standards for elections (the latter is the phrasing that professional international observers actually use) and Vladimir Putin will be elected with an overwhelming majority over 'rival' candidates who mostly take care to praise the President during the election as well as ...
Liberal Democrat spokesperson for health, Baroness Jolly, asks for your support on a crossbench Public Health amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill which will be debated at Committee Stage in the Lords on Monday. Fellow Peers and Liberal Democrat supporters. Whatever your stance is on Brexit, an issue on which we can all unite is the health of our nation. That is why I will proudly stand alongside fellow Peers next week to make the case for a 'Do No Harm' amendment to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill. The amendment was tabled by ex-Health Minister Lord Warner (Crossbench) and will be ...
Rather to my surprise, I picked this up at the local bookfair. It is a series of messages between renegade Time Lady Iris Wildthyme, created by Paul Magrs and portrayed in Big Finish audios by Katy Manning, and her toy panda, portrayed by David Benson. The third chapter, in full, is: I set the coordinates for Paris but went a bit off kilter in the Maelstrom, that mysterious region in which Space and Time are completely buggered up. Upshot is, I ended up here. It's some kind of space city in the middle of a jungle of flesh-eating flaming plants. ...
In January and February Gateshead Lib Dems delivered tens of thousands of copies of our tabloid across the borough. There were five editions which focused on significant local issues. Generally it was well received (except by Labour!) I've included images of the five different front pages in this post.
Our fifth update from the LDV Fantasy Football League is very much a catch-up edition — apologies! — with 3 managers of the month awards needing to be recognised: December: Sam Matthews' Saltwood Actually FC (484 points) January: Ross Baillie's Hamilton's Army (277) February: Alex Marsh's Morata hope than ... (228) Well done to all three. Here's the current full league table: There are 200+ players in total and you can still join the league by clicking here and using this code: 926270-223363. * Stephen was Editor (and Co-Editor) of Liberal Democrat Voice from 2007 to 2015, and writes at ...
If we want to improve how research tackles the world's health problems, we need to be honest about our current priorities. Ismael Ràfols and Jack Stilgoe report on new data showing the imbalance. The world spends more than US$240bn every year on biomedical research and development. For pharmaceutical companies, who spend more than US$145bn each year, the motivation is clear: the development of new treatments that can ensure future revenue. For governments and charities (who provide the other 30% and 10% of public research and development (R&D), respectively), the justifications are more complicated. They certainly help support industrial innovation, but ...
Reflecting on the idea raised in my previous blog, of professionalism being linked to payment, I thought on Bill Readings claim that 'what is at stake is no longer the nature of value but its function'.[1]The term 'value' has commercial implications, but also suggests a thing that is cherished. Writing about art and culture, George Yúdice states that 'theorists and critics came to define art in contradiction to the commercial'[2]which implies that the scarcity and relative inaccessibility of art assigns 'cherished-value', and therefore capital value, even as the mass-production of popular culture creates capital. Andy Warhol's work played with ideas ...
One of the biggest cries from Brexit campaigners was that leaving the EU would allow us to regain control of our borders. It was one of the promises that, if implemented, would create far more problems than solutions. One consequence will be that there are more extensive checks at the borders with ramifications for businesses and the flow of goods as lorries join long queues while border
As the University strikes come towards the end of a fourth week of action, it is particularly relevant that the assigned reading for this week discusses the place of the University in society. Reflecting last weeks discussion on the place of museums and galleries institutions, and Herbert Muschamp's claim that this sector 'now has more power than the curators in certain decision-making areas'[1] Bill Readings contests that even within the University institution 'the dignity they acquire is not that of authenticity but of marketability'.[2]This claim is certainly pertinent right now as the relationship between the institution (which may be increasingly ...
The RoyalVauxhall Tavern in South London is a Grade II listed building, housing one of London's oldest, and best known, LGBTQ+ venues. Known for providing alternative entertainment, such as Drag, Burlesque, and avant-garde performance artists, last night I attended, with a couple of friends, to watch a show by one of the legends of the Cabaret scene. David Hoyle's show Exobiology is billed as 'genre-defying evenings of love, protest, comedy and live art'[1]and it certainly delivered. Image Source: vauxhalltavern.com Hoyle is a self-proclaimed 'anti-drag queen'[2]: he appeared through the stage-smoke and strobing lights dancing like a dervish to an ominous-sounding ...
At Spring Conference in Southport last weekend, Liberal Democrat members from across the party came together to back an amendment submitted by Liberal Reform members to the party's strategy motion, removing a reference to a "progressive alliance of ideas". Liberal Reform organised this amendment not because we are against working across party lines, but because we saw this as a clear first step on the slippery slope towards a formal electoral pact. There is a general understanding that this is what has come to be meant by the term "progressive alliance": in a publication by pressure group Compass entitled "What ...
Questions via [IMG: [community profile] ] thefridayfive 1. Are you Irish? Nope 2. Do you like Guinness? Nope 3. Do you know what the symbol of Ireland is? Harp 4. Have you ever watched Father Ted? Yes, but I regret loving it as much as I did now the writer has turned out to be a transphobic arsehole. Kick Bishop Brennan Up The Arse remains a guilty pleasure though. 5. Do you believe in leprechauns? Nope. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
The government must be relieved that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Spring Statement on the economy (which now replaces all the flummery of what used to be Budget Day) was squeezed off the headlines by the apparent attempt to murder a former Russian spy and his daughter, and Donald Trump's sacking of his Secretary of State. Mr Hammond claims to be able to see "light at the end of the tunnel" when, by the end of the year, there may just be a surplus on current tax receipts over expenditure. When that is achieved any excess may be split three ...
Fri 16th
12:42
The North West's Two Metro Mayors add little to the development of Liverpool and Manchester City Reg...
Mayor Andy Burnham Mayor Steve Rotheram Greater Manchester ... Continue reading →
Our Headline of the Day comes from Romania Insider.
Victor Chamberlain, standing as a candidate in the Borough and Bankside ward, Southwark Council in this May's local elections, tells us why ALDC's appeal needs your generous support. The challenging set of elections taking place across the country on Thursday 3 May provide a fantastic opportunity to put the Liberal Democrats back on the map in local government. As a candidate, I wanted to help promote ALDC's Local Election Appeal, knowing first-hand how important this financial support is for teams fighting to win this May. HOW YOUR DONATIONS WILL HELP In Southwark, we're up against a well organised Labour party ...
I am one of the The 'Four' who came together 60 years after George Watson's book The Unservile State unleashed a host of radical, liberal and distributivist ideas. We believe the time has come for a new initiative, building on those ideas and new ones for the world we now inhabit. Our excellent Independent Bookshop is stocking the book We are angry and frustrated about the state of politics in Britain, it is too short term, too tribal and fails to face up to some of the big challenges that confront our nation and our planet. The new book, which ...
Thu, 12:34: Very glad to be in this briefly from around 0:21:20! Thanks @ottocrat and @GuitarMoog. https://t.co/CZEnwohGTb Thu, 12:34: RT @ottocrat: Thanks to @jonworth @BrusselsGeek @DaveKeating @nwbrux @jackschickler @MarkJohnstonLD and anon for their vox pops on this wee... Thu, 12:56: RT @davidallengreen: Those demanding strict judicial standards of proof and for due process regarding the Russian chemical attack... ...se... Thu, 13:56: Who do I call if I want to call the US? https://t.co/enLa3GKZlB @NathalieTocci reverses Kissinger. Thu, 14:45: A Cambridge Evening https://t.co/VoOJTqXF3I Greg Benford's dinner with Martin Rees, Paul Dirac and Stephen Hawking. Thu, 16:05: RT @brendan_vickers: @chrisgreybrexit Fun fact: ...
Interesting stuff about men/empathy (with a rather provocative image at the top) "men aren't necessarily worse at sensing and understanding others' feelings than women are; it's just that quite a few of them don't feel the need to put for the effort unless it profits them in some way." The Fungus That Turns Ants Into Zombies Is More Diabolical Than We Realized So the ant, assuming you believe an ant has some form of sentience, is being controlled utterly by this fungus and is AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND UNABLE TO STOP IT because the fungus infects everywhere EXCEPT ...
Following the launch on 14th March, a shiny new Raspberry Pi 3B+ landed on my doormat yesterday. I purchased it from The Pi Hut for the princely sum of £32 + £2.50pp. I was delighted that it arrived the day after I ordered it, despite not having paid extra to guarantee delivery. Naturally(+) the first thing I did after setting ... The post Whetstone FORTRAN benchmark: Raspberry Pi 3B+ appeared first on ten pence piece.
The government's pilots for improved "integration" among immigrant communities in 5 English councils feel much like a microwave dinner – reheated and lacking fresh ingredients. As the government launches yet another "integration agenda" it's worth examining how the Conservatives and their friends in the media who support them are in fact, hindering integration in a number of ways. Government funding for teaching English as a second language (ESOL) has dropped from £203m a year in 2009/10 to just £90m in 2015/16. If it really was concerned about new arrivals speaking English, perhaps cutting funding for ESOL was not the best ...
I had to miss conference at Southport last weekend due to my friend Richard's emergency heart operation (I am his carer). The good news was that I was able to help at the Dunston Hill and Whickham East action day in Gateshead where we are hoping to pick up the seat of the former Labour mayor on 3rd May. We shifted a large quantity of literature. The video was shot on the day.
Fri 16th
10:07
Gateshead Lib Dems first "party political broadcast" - cutting councillors rather than street cleani...
This is Gateshead Lib Dems' first "party political broadcast" for the local elections in May. It features on of our "Six to Fix" campaign issues - cutting the number of councillors by a third in the borough with the savings of £250,000 a year used on street sweeping and litter clearance.
There was an interesting intervention in the ongoing saga of the Sergei Skripal attack in the Guardian yesterday, in which the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Linas Linkevičius is reported as saying that Russia sees the UK as increasingly isolated because of Brexit and is testing our strength, resolve and diplomatic links: "Russia is always looking for weak points, and may feel the UK does not feel very strong," he said in an interview. "The Russian assumption may be that in the process of Brexit, the UK is weaker in terms of its isolation, and due to Brexit the EU will not ...
jimhancock.co.uk/devolution-frustrations/ The article is on Jim's blog site accessed via the link above I remember Jim, as others will, from his BBC North West Regional News days and respect his views. I'm sure he and other devolution skeptics (and I include myself here) are right to think that government is not that keen on the process of devolving power to the regions of England, except that is when it suits them to be able to blame the regions for whatever the troubles of the day are. It might seem odd me being a Liberal, having been brought up on a ...
Network Rail have warned us that they will be carrying out their largest ever resignalling project this Easter, from Friday 30 March to Tuesday 3 April, in and around Bristol Temple Meads. The aim is to improve reliability and increase capacity to meet growing demand. No trains will run to, through or from Bristol Temple Meads during this time. While this is bad news for those planning to travel over Easter, they promise that in the long run it will mean fewer delays and faster journey times, and enable an increase in trains from 2019. Passengers will benefit from almost ...
Hey, hey, hey, Donald Trump is off to Pyongyang. Or is it Beijing, Moscow or Seoul? Anyway, that is not important. What is important is that he will before the end of May hold summit talks with North Korea's Kim (rocket man) Jong-un to secure the disarming of Pyongyang's nuclear weapons. The master of the art of the deal will negotiate peace in our time. Maybe. More Likely, maybe not. Donald Trump has failed to master the dark arts of diplomatic negotiation. And he refuses to accept that discussions between governments require a different perspective and skill set than those ...
Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, Daniel Lewis, and Nigel Ashton are holding their next advice centre in Churchtown. We will be at BoxTree Kitchen for Queenscourt café, Manor Road/Cambridge Road, roundabout, from 10:30 to 11.30am on Thursday 22nd March. We also hold a monthly advice centre in Crossens, at St John's School, Rufford Road, Crossens every month (except August) on the second Saturday of the month from 11:00 am to 12:00. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in.
There has been a great deal of media speculation about the prospect of a new centre party in the UK. Meanwhile in many countries in Europe, new insurgent parties have been spectacularly successful for example in Spain, France, Greece and Italy. We are publishing a series of blogs (on Fridays) describing the experience from other [...] The post Five Stars: dreaming of a radically new politics appeared first on Radix.
With thanks to Sheena Wellington, here's the latest update from Friends of Wighton : Wighton Heritage Centre, Central LibrarySaturday 17th March, 11am (doors open at 10.30am)Cappuccino Concert with Heather Innes, singer, & Kate Kramer, fiddler Heather's forte is unaccompanied song and she sings with great feeling and delicacy in her fine clear voice. Her singing has been described as peaceful and calming to listen to and her solo concerts sheer relaxation after a hard day at the office! Heather began singing professionally in 1990 after performing as the resident singer at the Sunflower Folk Club in Belfast for several years ...
I have heard of football matches being stopped because of pitch invasions, even the odd streaker, but the latest incident must be unique. As the BBC report, Turkish side Besiktas have been charged by Uefa after a cat wandered on to the pitch during the Champions League last-16 defeat by Bayern Munich. English referee Michael Oliver stopped play in the second half at Vodafone Park until the cat left the pitch. The exact charge is "insufficient organisation", while the Turkish club has also been charged with "throwing objects and blocked stairways". The case will be heard by Uefa's disciplinary body ...
View Poll: #19657 [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
