Today saw something historically unusual, the expulsion of a member party from one of the European political groupings, as PdeCAT (the Catalan European Democratic Party) were the subject of an extraordinary ALDE Party Council meeting in Brussels. As I'm no longer one of the Party's Council delegation due to not being Welsh (it's a long story...), I wasn't there, but there is an element of sadness to what was an overwhelming vote to expel them. There seems to be little suggestion that they have become anyone other than a liberal grouping, but the links to their discredited predecessor movement, accused ...
Cable: Broken business rates system should be abolished Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable has warned the Chancellor's business rates relief is nothing more than "hand-to-mouth support" and has called for the broken business rates system to be abolished. Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said: The UK high street is suffering the worst year on record, with in-store sales falling and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost. While I welcome any relief, hand-to-mouth support for businesses simply isn't sustainable. Liberal Democrats demand better. There needs to be a fundamental change to the system. We must create a level playing ...
"Justice requires civility as well as rectitude. The bombastic and the wrong can be stopped, as Joe McCarthy was stopped." Cicero's Songs makes the case for civility in politics. "The songs on Village Green Preservation Society aren't really about village greens and steam trains, or saving 'little shops, china cups and virginity'... the subject Ray Davies was writing about was nostalgia - or rather, the ways in which nostalgia can lead you astray, falsifying memories and leaving you yearning for something which may never have existed in the first place." Andy Miller says the Kinks' great album is more relevant ...
Yesterday I claimed to like ghost and horror films. Today I went to the pictures as The Little Stranger, which is based on a novel by Sarah Walters, is currently showing at the Phoenix arts centre in Leicester. It is set just after the second world war and features a country estate that is on its last legs. A young doctor befriends the family who live there. The parallels with Brideshead and Satis House are obvious. We soon learn that his mother was in service at the big house and that he once visited the house and was overwhelmed by ...
Since I last wrote on T+30 I've continued to make progress. I'm still tired much of the time and if sleeping was an Olympic sport I'd be a certainty for the gold medal. However, it feels as if some kind of normality might not be that far away. Physical exercise This is the easiest to [...] The post Transplant +45: Gentle exercise appeared first on ten pence piece.
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable has warned that the Chancellor's business rates relief is nothing more than "hand-to-mouth support" and has called for the broken business rates system to be abolished. Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said: "The UK high street is suffering the worst year on record, with in-store sales falling and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost. "While I welcome any relief, hand-to-mouth support for businesses simply isn't sustainable. Liberal Democrats demand better. There needs to be a fundamental change to the system. "We must create a level playing field between the high street and online ...
Time for another Oscar-winning film, and it's another one I hadn't heard of before starting this project. Gentleman's Agreement won Best Motion Picture for 1947, and got another two Oscars in other categories (which is low by Best Picture standards), Best Director for Elia Kazan and Best Supporting Actress for Celeste Holm as Anne Dettrey. The other Best Motion Picture contenders were The Bishop's Wife, Crossfire, Great Expectations and Miracle on 34th Street, none of which I have seen. Here's the poster: Gentleman's Agreement ranks 8th on both IMDB measures of the top films of 1947 (here and here). Ahead ...
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Fri, 18:29: Ireland votes today: presidential election and blasphemy referendum. #Aras18 https://t.co/yYsfVCyPUh Fri, 20:48: Universal Credit: When will the government listen to the evidence? https://t.co/RIUum1uycd "there is no excuse to c... https://t.co/UsBikMdKT9
I am not one of those who believe that Peter Hain's use of Parliamentary privilege to make accusations against Sir Philip Green is an abuse that should herald a restriction on the rights of Parliamentarians. Nor do I agree with lawyers who argue that using the rights afforded to MPs and Lords to breach court injunctions is undermining the rule of law. as reported in the Guardian. However, I do think that Peter Hain was ill-advised to use the privilege afforded to him in this way, especially in the light of subsequent revelations that he is a paid adviser to ...
South Glos Council has confirmed its policy on removing graffiti: All graffiti should be reported to the CouncilGraffiti on public property will be removed in 3 working daysOffensive/hate crime graffiti is removed within 1 day unless police investigations are ongoingGraffiti can be reported online hereGraffiti on private property is the responsibility of the property ownerThe Council will report graffiti on utility boxes (phone, electricity etc) to the utility provider But if they DON'T deal with it in the 3 days / 1 day after you've reported it, please let your nearest Focus Team member know (see list here)
In her Scotsman column this week, Christine Jardine tackled Brexit and, in particular, a speech by Dutch social liberal party D66's new leader, Rob Jetten, in the UK Parliament. His words showed the bond between this country and our European family. Listening to him reminded me of why I have always cherished what some dismiss as the 'European Project' as he likened our relationship with the EU to the biblical tale of the Prodigal Son. Although I'm not religious, I do remember the story from school. A wrestless son demands his inheritance to leave his family and make his own ...
The ability of a Parliamentarian to use Parliamentary privilege to break a legal injunction with impunity is both an important safeguard and a power easily open to abuse. Which is why it should only be used in exceptional cases.
The Liverpool Echo has the story on its web site – see link below:- Recalling my 16 years as a Sefton Councillor (1999 to 2015) my recollection is that Sefton has always been pretty good at collecting Council tax i.e. it collects more than many other councils. And it's clear from this Echo article that the Council is willing to chase up Council tax debt through the courts. Sefton Council Logo Council tax is a poor and unfair and regressive tax because it is based on the value of land/property rather than the ability to pay. A poor person ...
The next West End Police Surgeries take place on Monday - details below - all welcome!
Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Christine Jardine MP has today demanded the Government address the immigration struggles of Chagos islanders, after the British Indian Ocean Territory (Citizenship) Bill was blocked from advancing for the second time. The Bill, which has cross party support, was objected to at its initial Stage 2 reading on Friday 16th March 2018 and has now been blocked in the House of Commons for a second time.The Home Affairs Committee report on the Windrush generation recommends that the Government support the British Indian Ocean Territory (Citizenship) Bill and "allow anyone who can prove that they are ...
Responding to new statistics on the number of people going to prison on short-term sentences, Liberal Democrat spokesperson Ed Davey said:"The Justice Secretary has admitted that short-term sentences don't work, and yet we are still spending hundreds of millions of pounds to lock people up for a matter of months. "Even worse, the Government is now trying to create new mandatory short-term sentences, which will tie judges' hands and worsen prison overcrowding while failing to actually prevent crime. "The Liberal Democrats demand better. We are opposing the Government's new mandatory sentences, and calling for a presumption against short prison sentences ...
