Many of his old friends and colleagues knew this was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with when it actually happens: Following a long battle with lymphoma, former councillor Colin Rosenstiel has died. Colin was City councillor for Market Ward from 1973 to 1988 and from 1992 to 2014, a cycling campaigner, a staunch supporter of the Holocaust Memorial Movement and our friend. — Cambridge Lib Dems (@CambridgeLDs) May 8, 2018 I've known Colin for almost half my life. He was a stalwart of the original Lib Dem online community, Cix, back in the day – ...
With much fanfare, Donald Trump today carried out his threat to withdraw the United States from the Iran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or Iran Nuclear Deal). While this move will be loudly welcomed in Tel Aviv and Riyadh, Washington can be left in no doubt about the displeasure of most of the rest [...]
Sky News reported earlier: Labour MP Heidi Alexander will quit Parliament in order to become one of London Mayor Sadiq Khan's deputies. Lib Dem prospects in Lewisham East In 2017 the Liberal Democrats polled 4.4% in her Lewisham East seat. However back in 2010 the party was up on 28.2%: this seat is more promising territory than that 4.4% may make it look at first glance. Especially as the best calculations put the Remain vote at the European Referendum on 65-66% in this constituency. In the local elections last week, the Liberal Democrats were on 13%: By-election in store for ...
I arrived in Brixworth this lunchtime to find the place thronged with men in a black uniforms. They seemed to be in every street - sometimes alone or in pairs: sometimes in groups. A local later told me they were staff from the Mercedes engine research facility in the village, but I prefer my original theory. Last night a flying saucer was brought down at Hanging Houghton and they were there to mop up.
Tue 8th
21:24
How have Labour leaders in opposition done in local elections? (Updated with more data)
The following graph shows all the leaders of the Labour Party who have been in post when the party has been in opposition at the time of at least one round of annual council elections.
Tue 8th
19:54
At last we see signs that Shropshire Council is preparing for the challenging future facing our coun...
Boredom alert! This article is going to talk about Shropshire Council's corporate plan. It's not exciting. But the draft plan does at last set out where the council is heading, for good or bad, probably both. Once it is agreed in December, it will provide a better basis for scrutiny and challenge within the council. It has long been possible to see what Shropshire Council was heading from, robust democracy. It has been much harder to work out where Shropshire Council is heading towards. But that could change with a new corporate plan. Maybe. Shropshire Council was created as a ...
Even Boris Johnson can see the sense in sticking with the Iran nuclear deal. Unfortunately, his tv diplomacy over the weekend seems to have come to nought as Trump has decided to withdraw the US from it. This news is not going to come as the biggest surprise we've ever had but it still makes the world just a bit more unstable. Tom Brake called the decision short-sighted and reckless, and looks to the EU for leadership, saying: Trump's decision to scrap US participation in the Iran nuclear deal is reckless and short-sighted. The deal is far from perfect, but ...
Embed from Getty Images As was widely expected, Heidi Alexander announced today that she is to resign as MP for Lewisham East to become Sadiq Khan's deputy mayor for transport. When I blogged about the likely by-election I said: Heidi Alexander had a majority of 21,213 at last year's general election, with the Liberal Democrats in a distant third place. We did have a good second place here as recently as 2010.But there is another, intriguing statistic that bears on the contest. Lewisham Borough Council gives the 2016 referendum result for the borough as a whole. It reveals that Remain ...
Bear with me on this. Pro-Brexit Cllr Micheal Wyatt, who used to be in the Labour Party, has quit the Lib Dem group at @LeicsCountyHall He'll now sit as an independent but the Tories would quite like him to cross the floor and join them#keepup pic.twitter.com/BQEPt8e8Hp— Dan Martin (@Danjamesmartin) May 8, 2018So the Leicester Mercury's politics correspondent has tweeted this afternoon. Michael Wyatt was one of the supporters of Liberal Leave listed on the literature the pro-Brexit campaign gave out at our March spring conference. He was also at the centre of discord that caused the Lib Dem constituency party ...
Second page of part 3: This pulls together the Rift War! comic story published originally in issues 4-13 of Torchwood Magazine in 2008, and adds at the end a single-episode story, Jetsam, published in issue 3 also in 2008. I felt that the Rift War! epsiodes did not hang together very well - there was rather a feeling of three different writers (Simon Furman, Paul Grist and Ian Edgington) handing off the storyline between each other without much of a unifying concept. Also I was not attracted by Paul Grist's depictions of the regular characters in six of the ten ...
Commenting on Boris Johnson's remarks that a post-Brexit customs partnership would be 'crazy', Liberal Democrat Leader Vince Cable said: "Ironically, Boris is right. A customs partnership is - as he says - "crazy". It is a poor substitute for the UK remaining within the EU. "As part of the EU, the UK has a seat at the top table and access to a multitude of ready-established trade deals. Any alternative trade and customs relationship with the EU will pale in comparison to the one we already have."Yet again this Tory Government is demonstrating to the Europeans who are negotiating with ...
Tue 8th
14:50
Brexiteers who want to ditch any talk of a customs union with the EU should come clean about the Uni...
The situation in regards to the UK-EU discussions seems to be that the cabinet argued last week about two options for supposedly solving the Irish border situation, neither of which were accepted nor rejected, and it was all immaterial anyhow as both of them had been rejected by the EU Commission already. This, combined with Corbyn moving to a pro-CU position, combined further with the Lords amendments that would tie the government into a customs union should they pass the House of Commons, has led to much Brexiter upset about remaining in a customs union as it hovers into possibility ...
Part 1 here. The dust has settled from last Thursday, and Liberal Democrats have posted 75 net gains on the day. But a mere number hardly does justice to all the teams behind each result. So here are some shoutouts. In alphabetical order. Well done everyone, brilliant work. Apologies for any errors – this is coming from local council websites, some of which are easier to use than others. If it isn't clear which seats are gains are I've just given a total, but please shoutout in the comments if you know. North Hertfordshire +3 6 wins with 3 net ...
On Sunday I got a bit riled up. I'd nipped out to the supermarket to grab myself some goodies and dinner. It was a lovely day and the stroll into town was pleasant enough. Nothing in my short trip should've fazed me nor tripped me up. Yet well, it did. Walking towards the supermarket, I noticed a man, woman and two kids walking in front of me. I didn't think twice about them but moments later, I watched as the dad veered out from the right hand side of the walkway to the left. Immediately I knew exactly what he ...
Mon, 12:56: The 3 Most Important Things I Know About Consumers I Learned From Bartending https://t.co/Dhdo6rcmMV Interesting th... https://t.co/2yM3fz9tUH Mon, 14:52: RT @EU_Commission: We offer our deepest condolences after the passing of journalist Andy Carling. Our thoughts go to his family and friends... Mon, 14:56: RT @eurorealist: The saddest of news. @quarsan was a gentleman, a pro-European and zen with his illness in his latter days. Had the pleasur... Mon, 14:57: RT @ronpatz: #RIP, dear @quarsan! As a young #euroblogger moving to Brussels, you were among the first persons I got to know. You were so... Mon, 16:05: RT @leninsgf: ...
The dust has settled from last Thursday, and Liberal Democrats have posted 75 net gains on the day. But a mere number hardly does justice to all the teams behind each result. So here are some shoutouts. In alphabetical order. Well done everyone, brilliant work. Apologies for any errors – this is coming from local council websites, some of which are easier to use than others. If it isn't clear which seats are gains are I've just given a total, but please shoutout in the comments if you know. Barnsley +1 The marvellous Hannah Kitching becomes the first Liberal Democrat ...
Just to let residents know about recent planning applications in our area – quite a few this month on Willow Road, Tamworth Avenue (x 2), Newlands Drive, Poppythorn Lane, Orford Road, Lilac Grove, Hill Top Avenue, Mount Road and Cuckoo Lane. Please just let us know if you have any queries. Lawful development certificate for proposed construction of detached building to be used as a gar... 6 Willow Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 3DZ Ref. No: 62762 | Received: Tue 01 May 2018 | Validated: Wed 02 May 2018 | Status: Registered Prior notification of proposed single storey rear extension 16 ...
The Liverpool Echo has the story on its web site – see link above News from the Echo (in a dramatic way?) about the consequences (on the Northern Line timetable) of the new Maghull North Station opening and also the consequences of Liverpool Lime Street being partly shut down again for further upgrade works.
A Memorial Wall dedicated to local people who lost their lives in the First World War has been created at Radcliffe Library. It has been lovingly put together by staff and volunteers from the library's family history mornings, and is updated every month. It lists the names and details of local servicemen and women who died in the corresponding months throughout the conflict. Among those remembered this month is Gertrude Jones, a nursing sister who died aged 31 when her hospital ship HMHS Salta was sunk by enemy action on 10 April 1917. Gertrude is the only woman out of ...
A week of free events has been arranged to shine the spotlight on mental health, raise awareness of local services and get people talking about mental health. The following information is from Bury Council: With an estimated 36,000 adults in Bury experiencing a mental health condition at any given time, the council and its partners are keen to emphasise to residents that they are not alone - don't suffer in silence, as local organisations are here to help. A wide range of activities will take place during Mental Health Awareness Week, which runs from 14 to 20 May - from ...
Prestwich Clough Day returns a week on Sunday, 20 May 2018, 12pm-5pm in St Mary's Flower Park and outside The Church Inn, Church Lane. The Event features Activities, Concessions, Countryside Groups, Displays,Entertainment and Local Groups. More information www.prestwichclough.co.uk.
I some wonder what those MPs, MEPs and newspapers, who supported us leaving the European Union thought we were signing up for. Did some of them really think we could have our cake and eat it, that we could leave the single market and all the European institutions we have been a part of for 43 years and still enjoy the benefits? If so then they have wilfully mislead voters. The latest panic is a case in point as the Independent reports that Jeremy Hunt has been urged to intervene in Brexit talks to stop British people from losing their ...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-43881389 According to the BBC article on its web site – see link above – in Sefton someone with a full-time job works until 20 April to pay the rent for the year. That's 13 working days less than in 2011. Average wage: £ 21,747 a year after tax. Average rent: £ 6,600 a year, the same as in 2011. Editor's Note – Sefton is of course a very diverse Borough with much low end private rented housing in places such as parts of Southport and Bootle, whilst at the same time a lot of high end private rental housing ...
Class 66 Diesel Locos at Seaforth Container Terminal From a Merseytravel briefing ***** Peel Ports partners with DB Cargo for first rail freight service Peel Ports has partnered with the freight company, DB Cargo UK to provide a new rail service for containers via the Port of Liverpool for the first time. The new service provides shipping lines, forwarders, tank operators and cargo-owners with a seamless route, between the quayside at Liverpool and Scotland. The first service is due to start on 8th May, with goods loaded in Liverpool and transferred to Mossend terminal in Glasgow, before onward delivery to ...
It's a bad deal. It's the best deal we're likely to get. These are essentially the positions being taken by the US and Europe respectively with regards to the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran. In our polarised world, these positions are being presented as fundamentally opposed. Trump is evil or stupid – or both – [...] The post The vacuous European-US debate on Iran gets us precisely nowhere appeared first on Radix.
I have today launched my May 2018 Update to West End Community Council. Subjects covered include: • Roads and pavements improvements 2018/19• Graffiti vandalism tackled The Community Council meets this evening at Logie St John's (Cross) Church Hall at 7pm - all residents welcome. You can download my Update here. The agenda for tonight's meeting is as follows : WEST END COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETINGTUESDAY 8th MAY 2018 AT 7.00PMLOGIE AND ST JOHN`S (CROSS) PARISH CHURCH HALL(ENTER FROM SHAFTESBURY TERRACE - OFF BLACKNESS AVENUE) 1. WELCOME, INTRODUCTIONS AND APOLOGIES2. MINUTE OF MEETING 10th APRIL 2018 AND MATTERS ARISING3. CORRESPONDENCE4. POLICE SCOTLAND ...
