Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson Tim Farron has today called for the Climate Change Minister, Claire Perry, to make a statement to Parliament to explain why she held an unrecorded meeting with fracking companies.The Liberal Democrat MP also wants the Climate Change Minister to explain her proposed plan to relax rules designed to halt fracking operations given Cuadrilla has been forced to suspend fracking at their Lancashire site after a 0.8 magnitude earthquake was recorded.Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said: "The public will expect questions to be asked about the Climate Change Minister and her 'secret' meeting with fracking companies. We ...
The Victorian polychromatic brick church of St Andrew is always an unexpected find in such a picturesque village as Tur Langton, but over the years it has grown on me.
The news that Russia has formally objected to United Kingdom proposals to divide the current quotas between the two according to the historical flows of trade in each product comes, sadly, as little surprise to anyone who has been paying attention all along. In any negotiation where you seek to alter existing arrangements as a supplicant with a ticking clock, you start at a disadvantage. The other side can simply wait it out, knowing that, as your cliff edge gets closer, you'll get more desperate, thus more likely to offer a good deal. Now under normal circumstances, that's not a ...
She's Not There is a sold gold classic. It was also the second or third song Rod Argent ever wrote. In this video he and Colin Blunstone tell the story behind its recording.
I could do another "Why oh why oh why do we celebrate Halloween now and not Bonfire night?" piece. But I have already done that act for the Yorkshire Evening Post and the New Statesman and the truth is that Bonfire Night was anti-Catholic propaganda grafted on to much older Halloween traditions. Besides, I am reaching the age where you have to be clear whether you are playing an old fogey or have really become one. So let me try another reason for explaining why the fact that shops now fill with Halloween tat at the start of October does ...
A very diverse range of press releases today, it must be said... Universal Credit causing unacceptable hardship Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran has slammed the Conservative Government for refusing to listen to problems experienced by those on Universal Credit as the Public Accounts Committee urges Ministers to make fundamental changes to the scheme. The Public Accounts Committee has today (26th October) published its report into the implementation of Universal Credit. The committee concludes that: The DWP's dismissive attitude to real-world experience is failing claimants The recent announcement of delayed roll-out is not a solution The Government must work with third-party ...
Ireland has had a president since 1938, and today is the 14th presidential election in that time. Almost certainly, the winner will be the incumbent, Michael D. Higgins, aged 77, poet, former sociology lecturer, former Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht, former Mayor of Galway, genial left-wing icon. Young F and I were lucky enough to visit Áras an Uachtaráin, the President's official residence in Phoenix Park, last summer. It's a remarkable place, and the current resident is a remarkable person. SF fans should note that President Higgins sent a special welcome note to next year's Worldcon, which will ...
There are a few blog posts I've got mostly or wholly written, which I'd much rather be posting here — the next in my series of posts on Harry Nilsson, reviews of the new Christmas albums by the Monkees and ... Continue reading →
Every now and again someone in the Lib Dems argues that the party's focus on Brexit is mistaken because the issue will be over and done with come the spring of next year. What's odd about these comments when I've seen them made is that they're not really followed up by any evidence or justification beyond the (to the utterer) apparent self-evident logic that once Brexit has been dropped or come into force it's bound to be dead as a political issue. That's odd, because we have plenty of examples from previous dominant political issues about what happens once they ...
11 by-elections took place last night with 10 Lib Dem candidates standing. A great night saw 3 Lib Dem gains in marginal seats, and some very closely run battles in others. Mendip DC, Wells St. Thomas - LD Gain from Con LD Tom Ronan 594 [48.8%; +4.6%] Con 493 [40.5%; +5.2%] Lab 131 [10.8%, +10.8%] [Green 546 [20.6%; -20.6%]] Wells City Council, Wells St. Thomas – LD Gain from Con LD Caroline McKinnell 605 [49.5%; +24.5%] Con 489 [40.0%; +20.9%] Lab 128 [10.5%; +10.5%] [Green 712 [13.5%; -13.5%]] [Ind 786 [14.9%; -14.9%]] [Ind 759 [14.3%; -14.3%]] [Ind 702 [13.3%; -13.3%]] ...
Network Rail will be doubling the tracks between Bristol Temple Meads and Filton Abbey Wood over the next few weeks, which will mean that from Saturday 27 October to Sunday 18 November buses will replace trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway, and some services will be diverted. Please check with National Rail Enquiries www.nationalrail.co.uk before you travel how your journey will be affected.
I have a slightly irrational aversion to holding up diamonds, wearing rosettes and beginning sentences with the phrase "Only the Liberal Democrats". In fact I canvass now with a badge I had made which says on it against a yellow background "Bloody Politicians". I really,really do get the importance of branding etc but I do think that the future of Liberalism depends on the death of tribal politics. We are living in strange times where political discourse is often reduced to the exchange of insults, declaration of tribal belief and parodying of alternative perspectives. As Nick Robinson tweeted< Thought for ...
I have at long last finished Iain McGilchrist's The Master and his Emissary. It studies how the right and left sides of our brains differ, and develops the idea that there is a conflict between the two hemispheres that has wider implications in our society. It is a fascinating book that has changed the way ... Continue reading The Master and his Emissary: is modern society too left-brained?
Thu, 12:56: Navigating Brexit (19 pages, PDF) https://t.co/D56i7exM1V Had not seen this before - effective presentation by Nort... https://t.co/hPQ26VULKJ Thu, 16:05: How Nick Clegg's new job at Facebook shows Britain doesn't matter any more to Big Tech https://t.co/96eHsqQwqM Inte... https://t.co/WDvGXLdvxK Thu, 18:36: Packed house at @IrelandRepEu for @tconnellyRTE presentation, courtesy of @emireland and @DecKelleher. https://t.co/HdH7Spxwhx Thu, 18:41: RT @emireland: Speaking at this evening's sold out Brussels Connection: 🗣 Ambassador @DecKelleher 🗣 @tconnellyRTE 🗣 @Noelle_OC 🗣 @EuroCelt... Thu, 18:51: Sodom and Gomorrah, by Marcel Proust https://t.co/wWopaXEGc0 Thu, 20:48: RT @paulfeig: But her emails ... https://t.co/GBvnHHZlTV Fri, 10:45: RT @zakavkaza: A great ...
Yes I know, I could not help but pinch the title of Bill Byrson's excellent book but it felt appropriate to me anyway. I've not updated on the activities of the Parish Council for a while but as we have just had our October meeting here goes with a few notes:- * We donated £73 to the WW1 Lydiate Project to help them produce 100 additional printed booklets on their work. Here's a link to this primary schools based project:- madcos.org.uk/project/ww1-lydiate/ By the way have you seen/read 'Great War Britain – Liverpool – Remembering 1914-18' by Lydiate historian Pam Russell? ...
As we previously told you, the Sundridge Park roadworks are taking place from Monday 29th October until Tuesday 6th November, from 8 am until 5 pm each weekday (except that on the days that clash with school term, the work will take place from 9.30 am until 5.30 pm) This will affect the Y1, Y2, 967 and 620 bus services. The Y1 and Y2 buses will travel along St Briavels Drive and then turn right onto Sundridge Park, left onto Rodford Way and left into Scott Way and vice versa. There will be temporary bus stops in Scott Way for ...
The murder of Jamal Khashoggi is not an isolated incident. It is part of a worldwide concerted effort by criminals threatened by exposure; power-hungry politicians frightened of truth and criticism and ideologues seeking to manipulate public opinion. Khashoggi hit the headlines because he was murdered by agents of one of the world's most oppressive regimes which is also supported by countries who claim freedom of speech as a bedrock of their system of government. A total of 46 journalists around the world were killed in 2017. Two thirds were murder victims. More than 2,500 have been killed since 1990. According ...
Another day, yet another report highlighting the toxic impact on the UK and on people's standards of living if we leave the EU. The Independent tells us about new research by an Oxford economist which has found that young people will lose as much as £108,000 in earnings by 2050 if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal. This is more than three times the cost of deposit on a first home and shows that the young will "lose the most" from leaving the EU. Even under a "soft Brexit" young people will be £32,000 worse off, ...
Eight Conservative (sort of – see Mendip below) and two Labour defences make up a bumper set of ten council by-elections this week. Kennington, Ashford No Lib Dem candidate, alas, even though there was one last time (in 2015). Kennington (Ashford) result: CON: 63.2% (+15.0) ASHI: 24.0% (+9.0) LAB: 9.0% (-3.5) GRN: 3.8% (+3.8) No UKIP (-14.9) and LDem (-9.4) as prev. — Britain Elects (@britainelects) October 25, 2018
[IMG: A warming Malaysian dish for the cold weekend ahead - Penang Nyonya Fish Curry] Quick Info: Serves: 4 with accompaniments Difficulty: easy Time: 30 mins Ingredients: 2 Sea bream, about 650g to 750g – cleaned and gutted, or 4 Mackerel fillets 3 Tbsp Fish curry powder or 2 Tbsp... The post A warming Malaysian dish for the cold weekend ahead – Penang Nyonya Fish Curry appeared first on FeministMama.
