Embed from Getty Images The Liberal Democrat leader made an important speech last week: Vince Cable has compared Google, Amazon and Facebook to the US oil monopolies that exploited their market power more than a century ago - and called for them to be broken up. In a speech in London, the Liberal Democrat leader said a series of recent scandals, including revelations about Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, meant the "tech titans" had "progressed from heroes to villains very quickly". "Just as Standard Oil once cornered 85% of the refined oil market, today Google drives 89% of internet searches, 95% ...
The first football match I attended was an Athenian League clash between Hemel Hempstead Town and Harwich & Parkeston that my father took me to. I remember that the game ended in a goalless draw, Hemel played in a green and white strip and it all took place at their Crabtree Lane ground, Thanks to the wonders of The Results Web I can tell you that this match took place on Saturday 18 November 1967, so I was seven. The Crabtree Lane ground was sold for housing in 1970, but you can see it in the video above, which was ...
Tue 24th
21:13
Today at Shropshire Council we were challenged by our peers, overshadowed by Orwellian telescreens
We are on day two a four day peer challenge at Shropshire Council. After two meetings with the peers today, I have gained some confidence in the process. But I was amazed by the Orwellian propaganda installed in the last few days in Shirehall. We have the Chief Executive and others broadcasting messages about the council on large telescreens around Shirehall. Huge posters in the main committee rooms. Stickers on the lift doors. I am sure that it was just a coincidence that these all appeared as the peer challengers arrived. Despite this 1984 scenario, I hope that the review ...
Liberal Democrat members in Yeovil, formerly Paddy Ashdown's and then David Laws's constituency, have voted for Mick Clark to be their new Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC).
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 26th April. 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.
I have recently been building a large personal playlist on a well-known music streaming service. I have more tunes on there from Fleetwood Mac than any other band. I have sixteen tunes from the Rumours and post-Rumours (post-1974) era. I have eight tunes from the Green/McVie/Spencer/Fleetwood/Welch/Weston era from 1967 to 1974. Fair enough. But I ... Continue reading Fleetwood Mac – a band of two halves?
It's funny how convoluted routes can lead one to the most glorious music. Walking around Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently (as you do) I overheard the phrase "working for the Yankee Dollar" being sung over the PA system of a local attraction. I noted it to add to my streaming playlist when I ... Continue reading The outlandish glory of Professor Longhair
Regular readers of this site will probably be aware that the Party has been consulting members about the development of new policy on immigration, refugees and identity. As the chair of the working group, I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to respond to the consultation: we received around 100,000 words in written submissions and over 900 members responded to our online survey. The working group has been working through your responses and last Wednesday we met to discuss what you have told us and how it will inform the development of our policy paper on ...
Back to Hugo blogging again, with the Graphic Story category for 2018. Interesting to note that this year we have two Prison Break stories, three Fantastic Voyages, and one that isn't really sfnal at all. I did not find it hard to make my ranking (with one exception); but I am also conscious that my choices here are even more subjective than usual. 6) Black Bolt, Volume 1: Hard Time, by Saladin Ahmed, Christian Ward, & Clayton Cowles I'm not into Marvel mythology, but this seems to be an origin myth for the superhero Black Bolt, tricked out of his ...
It is always a challenge to deliver literature. My shoe leather and legs know the cost of so many deliveries. The challenge face all parties. It's hard work and a hard slog to get everything through people's letterboxes. We are constantly being told by Labour that their ranks have been swollen by youthful Corbynistas. In my ward, I have to ask, where are they? Labour started to deliver an A3
We recently published our next edition of our Ryton/Blaydon eFocus. It's mainly about the local elections but you can read it on this link.
Do not forget, we were amazed when it was new. Now it's overlooked as everyday: faintly dismissed... (although when we were young there was no story unless someone crawled and wept) Still. We all stand... The thin and the fat. The healthy and the ill. In healing or in stasis or decline. With futures we [...]
Canvassing in Whickham on Saturday was relatively positive, towards the higher end of expectations. But in Dunston Hill and Whickham East ward, the battle is still on for first place.
In Dunston Hill and Whickham East ward of Gateshead, Labour have circulated a leaflet which contains a few statements that don't quite fit with what's actually happening. In this video I gut the leaflet. Enjoy!
miss_s_b | The Blood is the Life for 23-04-2018 I posted The Blood is the Life for 23-04-2018 to my dreamwidth blog The vetting files: How the BBC kept out 'subversives' - BBC News This is fascinating miss_s_b | Diana Trent I posted Diana Trent to my dreamwidth blog If you like what you see here (or even if you don't) please consider dropping me a tip: [IMG: Paypal Donate Button] [IMG: Buy Me an uncaffeinated beverage (because I'm allergic to coffee) at ko-fi.com] [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
South Glos Council is consulting about which roads should be salted and gritted during icy weather - it's yet another "saving" they have identified to help cope with the reduction in grant funding received from central government. They are proposing to reduce their fleet from 11 gritters to 9, and take 30 km of roads off the list that are salted when freezing conditions seem likely. In our area Claypit Hill, part of Dodington Road, Gibbs Lane and Sodbury Lane would no longer be gritted. Other nearby roads include Park lane and Perrinpit Road (Frampton Cotterell), Tormarton Road / Shire ...
Amanda Spielman the Head of Ofsted is right to promote social cohesion, but wrong to achieve that by ostracizing children who choose to wear a headscarf. Demonising Islamic teachings about modest dress is not becoming of a regulator whose task is to broaden minds, not close them. Ofsted is properly troubled that contrary to Islam and the best interests of children, some very young girls could be being forced to wear a hijab or fast during Ramadhan. The right way to deal with that is to challenge false notions about religion. The wrong way is to penalise innocent children's right ...
Mon, 12:56: Restaurant noise levels are climbing. Here's how to fight back. https://t.co/k4mohQpRfJ It's worse in the US, but i... https://t.co/xjqdJwHZGl Mon, 15:28: RT @meridithmcgraw: Nice photo of the Bushes, Clintons, Obamas, and First Lady Trump at the funeral of Barbara Bush posted by @jgm41 (@Paul... Mon, 16:05: New Meta-analysis Confirms: No Association between Vaccines and Autism https://t.co/VzerLTvQay If anything, MMR may decrease risk. Mon, 19:30: Monday reading https://t.co/QYKpuxVkXV Mon, 19:48: RT @DavidLammy: Home Secretary just said Windrush children can become citizens if they want to be. They were citizens when we invited them... Mon, 22:32: RT @CelestialGinger: Whenever I ...
Last night I was at the Jumeirah Carlton Towers in Knightsbridge for the annual Diplomat Awards, arranged by Diplomat magazine — for which I have sometimes written — and sponsored by the Tata group (among others). This is the opportunity London's sizable diplomatic community has to recognise outstanding members within its own ranks. Laureates are [...]
Earlier this month was the regular meeting of Bury's Full Council. The Liberal Democrat team always take the opportunity to ask our full quote of questions to the Leader of the Council. Here are some highlights: Coucnillor Steve Wright asked about the levels of uncollected bins: Could the Leader inform members of the numbers of bins which are reported by residents as uncollected, by bin type, for the previous three financial years? Answer The total number of bins reported to the Customer Contact Centre as missed for the previous 3 financial year. The figures do not include the self-serve missed ...
There is an important article by Chuka Umunna in the Independent in which he argues that anti-Semitism is a form of racism and that it is endemic within the Labour Party. Despite that, he argues, some continue to deny that it is and that it remains a problem. Referring to a report of the House of Commons Home Affairs Select Committee in the 2015-2017 parliament, of which he was a member, he says that one of its principal findings was: "The failure of the Labour Party to deal consistently and effectively with anti-Semitic incidents in recent years risks lending force ...
Manchester Liberal Democrats produced a campaign video for their Council election campaign. In 2016, former Lib Dem MP John Leech was elected as the only opposition councillor to Labour. That's right, it was just him and 95 Labour councillors. He punched well above his weight, though, frequently exasperating the Council leadership by subjecting them to some serious scrutiny. Our campaign is about everyone and everything that makes Manchester the great city it is today; a strong local community, a celebration of diversity and non-conformity. Liberal Democrats care passionately about our local communities because it's where we live and it's what ...
I've blogged about this problematic flooding issue previously and both Edie Pope and myself have tried to get Sefton Council to take some effective action. The latest news is that the Council will assess the situation after the next heavy rainfall and will carry out a 'level survey'. More news when I have it.
In a BFM TV on Sunday, April 15, President Macron congratulated himself for having convinced the United States of America not to abandon the Syrian terrain. About 2,000 men from their special forces are currently deployed in northern Syria, in Rojava, a vast strip of land with de facto autonomy from Damascus, controlled by the [...] The post Macron's big American challenge appeared first on Radix.
Rear view of Bootle New Strand shopping centre If your Council was strapped for cash and was having big trouble funding vital community services would you speculatively spend what we have been told amounts to £32.5m buying a shopping center, seemingly via off-shore companies and borrow the money to do it? Well most probably you wouldn't but it's exactly what Labour-run Sefton Council did in Bootle in 2017 This is of course not a new story but even with the passing of a few months since the purchase it still beggars belief. Whilst Labour refuse to reveal how much the ...
A free 'Foraging walk' takes place on Sunday 29th April – 2.00 to 4.00 The walk has been organised by Friends of Prestwich Forest Park and Increadably Edible Prestwich and District. They say: "Join us on a walk with expert Dave Winnard. We'll be looking for flowers & leaves to taste. After we'll have a cook-up from 4.00 to 6.00 hosted by Incredible Edible at The Barn". To book and for more information contact Mark – 07748 873200 or Rob – 07749 042325 Meet 1.45pm The Barn Countryside Centre, Philips Park, Whitefield, M45 7QJ
I have slammed mindless vandalism caused by graffiti vandals who have defaced a prominent building in Step Row - see photo below :I have been contacted by residents who are extremely annoyed at this stupid vandalism. It is also on some other parts of the street and unfortunately because of the sandstone quality of the wall, managing to get completely rid of the graffiti will prove a challenge. I have asked the council's Rapid Response Team to remove it and have also highlighted the matter to Police Scotland. It is extremely disappointing to see this sort of stupid and deliberate ...
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