Good news from Norfolk tonight. Congratulations to Cllr Sue Catchpole and her team. Congratulations Sue Catchpole for a massive GAIN in Norfolk [IMG: 😀] Broadland Council Aylsham ward LD Sue Catchpole 1018 Lab 328 Con 865 pic.twitter.com/859V1Yundg — ALDC (@ALDC) May 24, 2018 And another Sue, Sue Hislop, got 4.5% from a standing start.
I have more than once noticed and photographed this official-looking building on the corner of Aber Road and Stoneygate Road in Leicester. Today it is occupied by a Montessori school, but what was it originally? A tweet from the Stoneygate Conservation Area Society today gives the answer: Originally built in 1881 on the corner of Stoneygate and Aber Roads as the `Home for Penitent Females'. More background into this sad but intriguing story in the 2011 issue of the @LAHSoc journal `Leicestershire Historian' (page 19)https://t.co/XnE9ba0ViX pic.twitter.com/OVeRE9Gf0m— Stoneygate CA Soc (@StoneygateCASoc) May 24, 2018The journal is a big pdf to download, ...
The Sheffield Star has an upbeat report on Vince Cable's visit to the city yesterday, when he called in at the party's HQ to congratulate activists and councillors on their gains in the local elections: There is a sense of optimism in the room - spurred on by ongoing public anger at the lack of transparency on offer from the authority's ruling Labour Cabinet, on matters from tree-felling to the group's dealings with Chinese investors. But there is also a feeling that the Lib Dems are on their way back, after Nick Clegg's disastrous dealings with the Conservatives took the ...
It began with Simon Mann, but now the whole Test Match Special team is obsessed with the over rate. If a day's play does not include the regulation number of overs, they are up in arms on behalf of the paying public. I just don't get it. When I have been to the cricket I have no idea what the over rate has been and I don't much care. What you remember are individual shots and catches, and brief, intense passages of play. If the day contains none of those you will probably have left before the end anyway. If ...
The Friends of Balgay Spring 2018 litter pick takes place on Sunday 27th May. If you can lend a hand, please meet at the Balgay Bridge at 2pm - many thanks.
I don't pretend to know nearly enough to judge right from wrong in the latest goings-on at Renew, one of the burst of new centrist/pro-European parties. But I can spot a big political car crash at Renew with the resignation of founder Chris Coghlan.
For many continental Europeans one of the most puzzling things about Britain's stumbling towards the Brexit door has been the way that the opposition Labour Party has been effectively cheering the government on the way. Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn called for Article 50 to be invoked almost as soon as the EU Referendum result waas [...]
Second paragraph of third chapter (numbered Chapter 1):'He's here,' I said, keeping tight rein on the panic levels in my voice. 'I can hear him, moving about. He's in Time Vault Zero. The Doctor is in Time Vault Zero.'Second paragraph of seventh chapter (numbered Chapter 3):I am writing this account so that perhaps, finally, I can leave it behind.Steven Moffat is, oddly enough, the one writer of the four new novelisations who had not previously written a Doctor Who novel. Yep, his previous written Who prose, despite his being the show-runner for the whole of the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor ...
Lib Dem MP Layla Moran has been writing for Politics Home on Palestine. The first MP of Palestinian descent, she has special insight into the troubles experienced and what the solutions might be. You can find the full article here, but to get you started here is an excerpt. Working with our EU partners, now more valuable than ever before, the UK Government must meet the expectations on its special responsibilities and influence in the Middle East. The US has left the field, UK Government Ministers cannot hide away. And we must remember our obligations under Balfour. In a very ...
There was a lively debate between Jo Swinson and Jacob Rees-Mogg concerning abortion on Tuesday's Daily Politics. Here is a link if you'd like to have a look.
FPC members met for an awayday meeting on Saturday 19 May 2018, with a focus on reviewing our overall plans for policy development and how they can most usefully contribute to the party as a whole. It was an upbeat meeting, with lots of positive ideas for our next steps. We started with a briefing from Nick Harvey, the party's Chief Executive, on the party's overall direction and current objectives, so that FPC's plans could contribute most usefully to that. This led on to a presentation of some recent research and polling on messaging. Next we reviewed a paper on ...
I've been delving into the Department of Work and Pensions Family Resources Survey 2016/17 published recently. It contains statistics in five broad categories: Income and State Support; Tenure; Disability; Care; and Pensions. It is the Care statistics which I'd like to highlight today. I've written previously on this site about carers, highlighting the prevalence of women doing the majority of care-work around the world. These recent Family Resources Survey stats show that the largest portion of informal care is for ageing parents. 33% of this care is for parents not living in the same household, whilst 7% care for parents ...
It's an emotionally resonant date to mark but I probably can't improve on my summary of the Section 28 affair from two years ago here. But as we mark 30 years since Section 28 came in, worth remembering that it is also 15 and 18 years since it was got rid of, depending where you live. Yet its shadow lingered on - and as the current government drags its heels on reform of sex and relationship education for England that shadow gets to linger a little longer. And we have this bold parallel taking place around us as voices just ...
If you are fed up of "stay on our mailing list" emails, spare a thought for those having to send them. Make junk food expensive, and children will go hungry Making "unhealthy" food more expensive does not make "healthy" food cheaper or more attainable. You'd think this would be a no-brainer, but apparently not... Amazon Teams Up With Law Enforcement to Deploy Dangerous New Face Recognition Technology weekly_food_challenge | DON'T PANIC! Here's Challenge #44: Towel Day Remote-Controlled Flying Goth is the Stuff of Nightmares Simonfromharlow school trip tweets 'largely fictional' This is why we can't have nice things. 'A woman ...
I have known Inga for close to 20 years, she's had indefinite leave to remain in her passport since 1979. Hostile environment for lawful EU citizens already here. Disgraceful! Home Office denies citizenship to ex-Ipswich mayor Inga Lockington https://t.co/bVbye36avH — SalBrinton (@SalBrinton) May 23, 2018 Ipswich councillor Inga Lockington (Lib Dem) has been a local councillor for 19 years, served as the town's Mayor, a county councillor in addition for 17 years and a resident of the UK for 39 years. None of that however is enough to persuade the Home Office: Former Ipswich mayor Inga Lockington has had her ...
First published on LibDemVoice, 24th May 2018. I think Equal Power is the first book I have ever pre-ordered. I started reading it the day it came out. When I tweeted about that, Jo Swinson replied, and I promised her I would review it as soon as I finished reading it. Several months later..... My post hoc justification for my tardiness is that, to coin a phrase, a review is something best tasted cold. And I find that my opinions about the book have not changed since I first read it. I found "Equal Power, and how you can make ...
Wed, 12:56: Former Ipswich mayor Inga Lockington loses citizenship bid https://t.co/0xNg9QYLXM But reassuring EU citizens has b... https://t.co/VDn54U7ktC Wed, 16:05: John Crace on his heroin addiction https://t.co/xeHq4y5Boz Powerful. Wed, 18:47: Doctor Who: The Christmas Invasion, by Jenny T. Colgan https://t.co/wct0WsUEnB Wed, 18:59: RT @schlimazlnik: Eddy C. Bertin, writer of horror and fantasy stories died suddenly, aged 73. https://t.co/xhSmnHPN29 #bertin #rip Wed, 19:52: RT @campaignforleo: Abortion is a reality in Ireland today: 3 women a day take the abortion pill (which they get illegally online), without... Wed, 20:48: RT @Ciaraioch: Making your mind up. #Together4Yes #RepealThe8th https://t.co/FUHpd4e3x1 Wed, 21:43: RT @Popehat: ...
The BBC reports: A Conservative councillor has been expelled from the party after it emerged he had formerly been an activist for the BNP. Stephen Goldsack was listed as the far-right party's "Scottish security adviser" in 2011, and was pictured holding its manifesto. He was elected as a Scottish Conservative councillor in North Lanarkshire last year. Stephen Goldsack had hit the news recently after objecting to a planning application for a mosque. In response to complaints that he made a racist comment about it, he had said, "There's no way I'm a racist". Expulsion seems quite right in this case. ...
Lib Dem Inga Lockington, the former mayor of Ipswich, has been refused citizenship. It is covered extensively here. Inga came to the UK in 1979 when she married her British husband. That resonates with me as I moved to the UK twenty-four years ago when I married my British husband. Inga was given indefinite leave to remain at the time, and has been a resident ever since. Not only has Inga lived in this country, but she has contributed greatly to community life. She has been a councillor for 19 years, and as Suffolk County Councillor has helped many local ...
Earlier this month, Regent Court in Gateshead experienced a significant fire. Residents were evacuated. Most have now been able to return but 14 flats remain damaged. At Gateshead Council's annual meeting last week, deputy leader Catherine Donovan and I (as leader of the opposition) led the tributes to the services involved in tackling the fire and helping the displaced residents. I also raise
I would highly recommend, to my Remainer readers especially, reading Dominic Cummings blog, at least when he writes about Brexit. That may seem counterintuitive, but I do so because Cummings' blog is like an oasis in a sea of Brexit insanity; he is now, sadly, one of the only Leavers who writes about leaving the EU without embedding huge dollops of mystical lunacy into every article. Disagree with him (I do), and recognise he has an agenda, but at least enjoy the fact that he understands what is actually going on with the negotiations in a way that seemingly no ...
It is fair to say that Donald Trump has revolutionised the way that Twitter is used by politicians. That has nor always been a good thing. Although he has been able to speak directly to more that 52 million people, his utterances have not always been coherent, whilst the opprobrium he has attracted in return is often unrepeatable in mixed company or indeed any company. What has surprised many people is how he has managed to avoid plunging the United States into a war through his tweets. After all he is a sitting President who speaks for the nation. He ...
Des Carter was Clerk to Maghull Town Council for around 7 years if memory serves. He retired in 1995 but lived in Maghull until he died. Des was without doubt one of the nicest people I have ever met. He was old school and always wore a business suit and tie at work. He was a highly qualified accountant who came to work for the Town Council when financially it was in a right old mess. He sorted all that out working with a councillor of that time called Merrick Stott, who was a retired bank manager. Merrick also died ...
Two years ago, we launched Radix with our first paper focused on the Bank of England's quantitative easing programme. The core questions we raised in that paper were these: What should be the limits of central bank independence? How reasonable is it, in a democracy, that unelected and minimally politically accountable central banks should have powers to [...] The post The 'unelected power' of the Bank of England appeared first on Radix.
Thu 24th
08:30
Lib Dems call Special Council Meeting to begin process of abolishing the position of Elected Mayor
The seven Lib Dem Councillors have taken up their new positions and seats in the Council Chamber. Their first job was to requisition a special council meeting to begin the process of abolishing the position of Elected Mayor All seven ... Continue reading →
I think Equal Power is the first book I have ever pre-ordered. I started reading it the day it came out. When I tweeted about that, Jo Swinson replied, and I promised her I would review it as soon as I finished reading it. Several months later..... My post hoc justification for my tardiness is that, to coin a phrase, a review is something best tasted cold. And I find that my opinions about the book have not changed since I first read it. I found "Equal Power, and how you can make it happen" very powerful indeed. Not because ...
Figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that 29,000 Support for Mortgage Interest (SMI) loan claimants still haven't been successfully contacted by the Department, one month after the changes came into force. The update on the uptake of SMI loans also shows that of those contacted, 60% or 45,000 have turned it down, meaning they have lost the payment.Commenting on these figures, which are accurate as of 16th May 2018, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions Spokesperson Stephen Lloyd said: "These lamentable figures show that thousands of people have still not responded to the significant changes on ...
Speaking following the new Home Secretary's first speech to the Police Federation, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said: "Warm words are not enough to gain the trust of hard working police officers who have faced the tough consequences of this Tory Government slashing police budgets and police numbers. "Violent crime is on the rise and police officers are facing ever greater danger in order to protect our communities. They are rightly proud to do their job, but we must back them up with the resources they need. "Time will tell if the Home Secretary can convince the Treasury ...
