It perhaps tells you all that you need to know about the state of our politics when the Government is found to have acted in contempt of Parliament and yet, hours later, nobody has resigned. But you can guess what's dominating today... Lib Dems demand urgent action on prisons crisis (already covered here) UK can get out of Brexit mess Moran: Govt is fostering a culture of senseless competition in our schools Cable: Legal advice must be published urgently Parliament wins back control, but people must have their say Cable: Bring country together with a People's Vote UK can get ...
Last year in the "Article 50 debate" we featured the text of Kenneth Clarke's Commons speech, because it was so good. Today, we again highlight a speech from someone in another party. Labour's Margaret Beckett made a calm but devastatingly powerful speech in the Brexit Commons debate. She lays into Theresa May's Brexit negotiating strategy, saying: Then, not satisfied with the grave "red lines" misjudgment, tying her own hands, restricting her room for manoeuvre, the Prime Minister added the crass folly of selecting a date, and not just a date, a time, for our leaving and, to please and reassure ...
[IMG: Putting context around sexism doesn't make it better] A prestigious sporting prize is awarded to a female footballer for the first time. At the awards ceremony, she is asked about her dancing talent instead. Not only is she asked some innocuous comment about... The post Putting context around sexism doesn't make it better appeared first on FeministMama.
Another video from the Shropshire Railways YouTube channel. The blurb there says: On this journey around Shropshire's current and disused railways, I travel from the county town of Shrewsbury down to historic Ludlow. In part one I travel southwards to Church Stretton and we discover how Shrewsbury and Church Stretton Stations have changed through the years. We also go and find the disused stations of Condover, Dorrington and Leebotwood.Part 2 will be along soon.
Tom Brake, a former deputy leader of the House, began his speech in this afternoon's contempt debate as follows: May I start by praising the Attorney General for spending more than two hours answering questions, but may I also gently chide him for the manner in which, occasionally, his style of delivery descended rather into Vaudeville? Finger-pointing, faux bonhomie and expansive arm gestures may work in court, but perhaps he might like to leave those at the Bar of the House.If that sort of thing works in court, it does not increase your confidence in the legal system.
Second paragraph of third chapter ("The Edge of Destruction: A New Fan's Guide to Old Who, by Val. E. Gurl" (as told to Taylor Deatherage)):Anyway, this episode was... disappointing to say the least. First of all, it was in black and white. Borning! I know each episode is only, like, 26 minutes, but it felt like an ETERNITY. Next time, they should consider making it in colour just because people are not going to pay attention. Sometimes, I just want to ask television studios if they know what their audience wants. Ugh.According to the subtitle, this is a collection of ...
Last time, we established the party's lack of identity and direction stemming from the overuse of the term "moderate". With this in mind, we can turn our attention to the problems that the term "centrism" presents. The centre position is one that the party has found itself in since the 1920s, as an inevitability owing to the rise of Labour, with it being officially recognised in the 1980s during the Alliance as a selling point for possible coalition government. What, then, is wrong with this? The first problem is similar to that of moderation - the conflation of terms. The ...
A video of an 18 car, yes 18 car, Merseyrail train passing through Hooton Station on the Wirral Line can be found via the link below:- www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiTNqtZrT6U 18th January 2015 – Hooton With thanks to Keith Page for the lead to this posting
Excellent news with this legal opinion just in: EU court advocate general rules that UK CAN unilaterally revoke article 50 – in other words, in theory, we could just say – stop the Brexit bus, we want to get off (long running case and european Advocate General has just released ruling) — Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) December 4, 2018
A question that has plagued the party since inception and has, in recent years, come to the forefront is the question of identity. How do the Liberal Democrats define themselves? It seems to me that when members and supporters speak about the topic the same two words repeat themselves – "moderate" and "centrist". As a result, these words have become synonymous with the term "liberal". This article, the first of two, will cover the problems I have identified with this synonymity, the first target being the term "moderate". The main problem lies in how the term is actually used. For ...
When it comes to local election results, punditry usually heads in one of two directions. Either the local elections will be held up as an ironclad prediction for the next general election result or they are an utter irrelevance which tells you nothing about how people will vote in national elections. Strangely, which of the two positions punditry tends towards seems to be very much linked to whether the local elections have been bad or good for the party backed by the pundit in question. As you might expect, of course, the truth lies somewhere in between – and the ...
Four practical steps which will make the next by-election in a weaker area an opportunity rather than another drag on time to endure.
The Association of European Journalists (AEJ) held its annual Congress over the weekend, hosted by the Greek section. We were based in Agrinio, a rather pleasant little town of which, I confess, I had previously never heard, though sessions also took place in Vonitsa and Messolonghi. The Greek hospitality was wonderful, but of course it [...]
Tue 4th
11:24
The surrealism of the current Brexit situation - The Attorney General addresses the House
Yesterday evening saw Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General who has become the darling of many a Tory since Conservative party conference due to his ability to give a speech that did not irrevocably suck, at the dispatch box. The reason was that the House of Commons had voted to force the government to make the legal advice they had received on the Brexit deal public, something that Cox was arguing was a bad idea. There is much strangeness here to talk about – I will have to stick only to the weirdest of it all for the sake of brevity. ...
Poverty premium: New Fair By Design Fund aims to raise £20m and disrupt markets JRF attempting to disrupt the Vimes Boots theory of economics. Since I'm Welsh it's my duty to say it's not only time for Xmas but also time for the Mari Lwyd, a special mid-winter tradition. I mean this is basically wassailing with a glammed-up horse skull. What's not to love? LGBT charity slams Daily Mail journo for posing as 13-year-old trans kid Government's counterterrorism is limiting texts and topics students can access, experts say I look forward to the queue of ppl who scream freeze peach ...
Mon, 12:29: RT @nathanjstewart: Here lads, anyone want to work in Brussels during Brexit and the EU elections? Apply below or message me sure. Deadlin... Mon, 12:56: Brexit, Borders, and the Bank of England (Wonkish) https://t.co/Y6mimaKzGg @PaulKrugman on the @BankOfEngland analysis. Mon, 15:24: RT @damonwake: Continuing surprise in the UK that the Brexit withdrawal agreement means what it says. https://t.co/V0InFgskFz Mon, 15:33: RT @CER_Grant: Would the EU offer something broady similar to EEA/Norway if the UK asks? Yes. But would the UK be offered a deal like Norwa... Mon, 16:05: RT @vdavidmartin: That's the human cost of #Brexit: "I can't ...
Yesterday was International Day of Persons with Disabilities and Lib Dem President Sal Brinton wrote a blog highlighting issues disabled people face. It begins: I am very aware that one billion people around the world live with a disability - that's roughly 15% of the global population. I am one of them, mainly using a wheelchair and sometimes walking with sticks. I could have written something smooth and supportive, but I am angry at having to be an afterthought in our society today. I'll be frank. Most people are not aware of the daily barriers and difficulties that we face, ...
"Queue-jumping", "swamped" by migrants, caravans of migrants threatening to invade. The anti-migrant rhetoric especially of the far right, currently in the ascendancy across the UK, Europe and the USA, is all too familiar. But, as so often, one country is bucking the trend. Fachkräfte-Einwanderungsgesetz. Only in German could such a wonderful, convoluted compound word exist, [...] The post What happens when a country doesn't have enough skilled migrants... appeared first on Radix.
We should be used by now to UKIP losing senior members on an almost daily basis, but the resignation of former leadership contender, Suzanne Evans yesterday seems more significant if only because it highlights the depths that the party's latest change of direction have plumbed. Ms Evans announced she is quitting UKIP in a fiery statement claiming the party is "becoming a successor to the British National Party". As the Standard reports, she hit out at the party's leader, Gerard Batten, and the decision to appoint former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson as an adviser: She wrote: "The NEC ...
Tue 4th
08:15
Rimrose Valley Country Park – Are Sefton Tories backing Highways England plan for new road thr...
Rimrose Valley Country Park map. Defending Rimrose Valley Country Park from having a new road forced through it is a matter close to the hearts of many local people in Sefton Borough. To me, it's always been an obvious and firm no on environmental grounds. And then Keith Page brought my attention (see link below) to this article on the Liverpool Echo website:- Rimrose in the foreground and its threat in the background Does this mean that the official policy of Sefton Tories is to back the new road or are the comments of the Formby Conservative Councillor just ...
HM Chief Inspector of Prisons' report on HMP Birmingham has just been released. The inspection report found that violence and drug-taking were rife at HMP Birmingham, with many staff working in fear and unable to maintain control. Responding to this, Lib Dem Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey has called for urgent action to reduce overcrowding in prisons and recruit more prison officers. Ministers need to get a grip on the crisis in our prisons. The violence and chaos isn't confined to HMP Birmingham - we keep hearing similar reports from across the country. Prisons are stuffed full of people on ...
Responding to the Chief Inspector of Prisons' report on the crisis at HMP Birmingham, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey has called for urgent action to reduce overcrowding in prisons and recruit more prison officers. The inspection report, published today found that violence and drug-taking were rife at HMP Birmingham, with many staff working in fear and unable to maintain control. In August, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons issued an "urgent notification" letter alerting the Government to the appalling conditions in the prison. He has also issued urgent notifications this year in respect of three other prisons: Nottingham, Exeter ...
