So, another day when much has happened, but little has obviously changed. It's a bit like 'Waiting for Godot', in that Brexit is supposedly coming, but never actually seems to turn up... Cable: Conservative spat won't resolve deepening divisions Agreement Reached Between new First Minister and Kirsty Williams Lamb: Labour's abstention on cannabis vote 'deeply depressing' Cable: Conservative spat won't resolve deepening divisions Responding to the reports that the Prime Minister will face a vote of confidence in her leadership, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable said: Theresa May's deal is a total mess and is the latest backdrop ...
Time for a bit of philosophy. This lecture touches on the distinction between prescriptive laws (like the law of the land) and descriptive laws (like the laws of physics) that was the subject of my first Philosophy lecture at York 40 years ago. Its subject reminds me of Prendergast in Evelyn Waugh's Decline and Fall. He had no trouble believing the whole of Christian doctrine, but had to give up being a clergyman because he could not see why God had created the universe in the first place.
Theresa May has been telling MPs that they need to vote for her deal to give certainty. That has always been hogwash because the Withdrawal Agreement kicks so much about our future relationship with the EU down the road as to be virtually meaningless. In fact, the very existence of the much maligned backstop is proof that it resolves very little and leaves us worse off. But now, Theresa May's quest to get her deal through the Commons is even more blighted. When she told Conservative MPs that she intended to step down ahead of the next election, she was ...
My old friend Phil Knowles, leader of the Liberal Democrat on Harborough District Council, tells me that the East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust spent almost £8m on private ambulances since the start of 2017. The information comes from senior managers at the Trust. Phil says: "There need to be questions about the planning that has been in place. What could have been done to avoid this situation? Will the promised investment ensure that the reliance on these private ambulances is a thing of the past? "With the winter pressures, the worry must be that there will a need to ...
I was originally going to title this blog post 'Stephen Lloyd – principled or perverse?'. I changed the titled on quick reflection because there is no two ways about it. He knew what the Lib Dem party stood for and, yet, reneged on his obligation to the party's primary platform which is to be the [...] The post Why on earth did Stephen Lloyd stand for election? appeared first on FeministMama.
I'm going to call it now. Theresa May is going to win and win big tonight. That is not going to mean that all is peace, harmony and love in the Conservative Party. Today's extraordinary scene between James Cleverly and Andrew Budgen showed the toxicity of the atmosphere. .@vicderbyshire: "I gather you don't necessary want to talk to each other" Andrew Bridgen MP: "...I'll go" Tory backbencher who supports no confidence vote walks off TV set as colleague, James Cleverly, puts case for supporting Theresa May Updates: https://t.co/aiJQkfNxO5 pic.twitter.com/uY03QPVHUR — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) December 12, 2018 Feel free to chip ...
The photo above hangs in my dining room and evokes lovely memories of my holiday to Auckland 10 years ago. My daughter played on Devonport beach as a 9 year old. We had soft sand, sunshine and lots of laughs which is why the photo hangs in a prominent place in my home. However, that [...] The post Murder in 'paradise' appeared first on FeministMama.
Announcements as at 12th December Lib Dems demand more action on 'dangerous' short prison sentences 'Gold-plated' visa chaos shows Home Office can't take back control Cable: Conservative spat won't resolve deepening divisions Lib Dems demand more action on 'dangerous' short prison sentences Responding to the Prisons Minister's appearance before the Justice Select Committee today, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey has called on the Government to introduce "a presumption against short prison sentences and greater use of community sentences". The Prisons Minister, Rory Stewart, told the committee that the "wrong kind of short sentences actually endangers the public" because ...
Well done to Cambridgeshire Live. In case any children are reading this, there is of course only one Father Christmas, and he happened to be at Cambridge's Corn Exchange on Sunday.
I for one am hopeful that we can make gains not least because the last cycle of these particular elections coincided with the last General Election and we all know how that turned out. So what are the critical messages that Liberal Democrats must attempt to get across between now and next May? Well, firstly the obvious one is to emphasise our commitment to community politics particularly in wards and districts where we are trying to build up support for the first time. The slogan 'Working all Year round not just at Election Time' is one that sums up our ...
Oh, let us be, eventually, recycled, Let us be with nature quite serene, In a cardboard box, To feed our hollyhocks, Let us be quite terminally green. Oh, let us be eventually recycled, Don't let us be like some old plastic bag, If we should become quite ill, Don't put us in landfill, We can't be an environmental drag. Oh, let us be eventually recycled, We'll stop this global warming in a trice, Carbon footprints left behind? That's not what's on our mind, We want to be environmentally nice. Oh, let us be eventually recycled, Cremated compost is our Lib ...
I have just attended my first anti-Brexit protest, a rally where MPs from all the main parties except the SNP called for a People's Vote. The call fell on sympathetic ears, but the speakers were pretty vague about the question "the people" were to answer. Lib Dems were the first to demand that, given the impossible promises made in the Brexit campaign, once a deal had been negotiated voters should be given a chance to say whether that was a version of Brexit that they wanted, and whether, in the light of the outcome of negotiations, they wanted to change ...
Now, I am not normally the person to rush to the front of the queue offering ideas to help the conservative government bail itself out from an inevitable political meltdown. However, in a deep-felt belief that we all need to put the needs of the country before our political self-interest, I wish to suggest an option that not only offers a lifeline to Theresa May but also provides the hope for a brighter future for our country: Albania Plus. Think about it. At a stroke, we would do away with all the problems of an advanced economy. We would phase ...
Tue, 12:56: RT @ezraklein: In each of the five years preceding Paul Ryan's speakership, annual deficits fell. In each of the three years since he's bee... Tue, 13:49: Latest edition of APCO's Brexit Bites - doing our best to stay up to date! https://t.co/33mbn9EOyN Tue, 19:13: RT @pmdfoster: "Frank". That's never a good word when diplomats use it. https://t.co/CbhDNUbyUS Tue, 19:30: "Tory MPs have asked in private how the Irish Republic can believe its relationship with the EU trumps its relation... https://t.co/hPs1P0eJvc Tue, 19:31: RT @jonworth: Here's an idea, Tories. Varadkar, Coveney and their civil servants have worked tirelessly to ...
I'm not necessarily known for the accuracy of my predictions. But having watched the coverage from Downing Street this morning while trying not to utter too many expletives, here's my latest hostage to fortune. I expect Theresa May to win the confidence vote tonight, with around 75-80 of her colleagues voting against her. Not that [...] The post A hostage to fortune appeared first on ten pence piece.
Phil Cowley is to writers of political books what Simon Cowell is to singers of songs,* so hurrah for: Am enjoying @markpack's book on winning elections. Although much of it could be called 101 Ways To Achieve Anything Without Much Money. — Philip Cowley (@philipjcowley) July 5, 2012 You too can get your guide to being a spendthrift here. UPDATE: Six years on, Phil is still just as wise, of course, and 101 Ways To Win An Election is now in its second edition. * No, I don't know either what that makes Dennis Kavanagh.
Thank you to everyone who submitted an application to the Holyrood Ward Community Grants programme for 2018-19. All councillors across Bury have been given a small amount of money to allocate to projects in their wards. In Holyrood Ward your three councillors have 'pooled' our allocation and asked you to apply for grants based on your community priorities. In 2018-19 we have been able to make the following grants: Heaton Park Methodist Church Extra games/activities for the "Make Lunch" event (offering meals to children and families that usually have free school meals during school holidays) £500.00 Simister Village Community Association ...
Bury's final 'Full Council' of the year took place at the end of November. This is the meeting, normally six times a year, where all 51 Bury Councillors meet to undertake some of the important functions of the authority. Gambling Policy Every few years local authorities have to publish a 'Gambling Policy', which was agreed by councillors. Liberal Democrat councillor Tim Pickstone asked the Cabinet member what consideration or changes to the policy had been made in the light of recent reports about the number of children and young people who were involved in gambling at worrying levels. The response ...
So the Conservative Party have done it again - faced with a national crisis that threatens to destroy our economic prosperity and leave the country hopelessly divided, they have reverted to looking after their own self-interests and personal ambitions. The breaking news this morning is that the hard-line Brexiteers have finally secured the 48 letters needed to force a no confidence vote in Theresa May as leader of the Conservative Party. The ballot will take place between 6pm and 8pm this evening, and if the rebels (or the bastards, as John Major would call them) are successful then a leadership ...
The Parklife Community Fund is now open for applications for money raised at the 2018 event. This fund is open to community Groups in Prestwich and is a donation from ParkLife organisers. This year the fund stands at £23,500 and we are offering grants of up to £1,500 for community projects. The fund is open to groups that operate from Prestwich and/or for the benefit of Prestwich residents. The closing date for applications forms is 12 noon on Friday 25th January 2019. Successful groups will be invited to an awards evening on February 28th 2019. The application form is here. ...
Greater Manchester Mental Health – the NHS trust with it's headquarters at Prestwich Hospital – has won an award to recognise the work it does with apprentices at the HPMA North West Excellence Awards. GMMH's submission, titled "Putting Apprenticeships at the Heart of a Talent Management Strategy", highlights the work of the Apprenticeship Team and Workforce Development in facilitating apprenticeships across the Trust, for new staff and existing staff who would like to progress or take a new direction in their career. Cathy Berry, Head of the Apprenticeship Team, said: "I am so proud of this award – it highlights ...
Heaton Park have confirmed that there will be a Friday night concert the weekend of Parklife in June 2019. This will be former Oasis member Noel Gallagher accompanied by his band High Flying Birds. Tickets went on sale last Friday here. This now means four nights of concerns in June using the Parklife 'set up': – Friday 7 June 2019 – Noel Gallagher – Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June 2019 – Parklife – Saturday 15 June 2019 – Courteeners From the start of the new year there will be a lot of liaison about impact of events on local ...
The former Liberal Democrat peer, Lord Lester, has resigned from the House of Lords. He was facing suspension from the Lords over a sexual harassment case. His resignation comes a few days before the House of Lords Committee for Privileges and Conduct was due to report on his case again. As a Liberal Democrat spokesman said welcoming the decision: Lord Lester has made the right decision in retiring from the House of Lords. The leadership of the Liberal Democrats supported the original report from the Privileges Committee that had recommended his suspension from the House.
The answer is simple: we are the only party centered on people who trust people to change their lives, their communities, and their government. This message resonates with millions, and it united the Radicals, Liberals, Social Democrats, Whigs and Peelites that form the rich tapestry and history of our party. We trust people to know best what their conception of the good life is. We believe that consenting adults can chase their happiness – our only role is to enable them to do so and get out of the way. Whether that meant legislating for same-sex marriage so consenting adults ...
Responding to the narrow defeat of his Ten Minute Rule Bill that sought to legalise and regulate the use of cannabis in the UK, former Health Minister Norman Lamb said:"Its depressing that rational, evidence-based reform was opposed by Conservative MPs."It is total hypocrisy that the most dangerous drug of all, in terms of harm to yourself and others, alcohol, is consumed in large quantities right here in our national Parliament, whilst we criminalise others for using a less dangerous drug - with many using it for the relief of pain."It is shameful that we continue to criminalise people who use ...
Responding to the news that OneSelect have gone bust, the seventh household energy supplier of the year to do so, leaving 36,000 customers without a supplier, Ed Davey, former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change said:"This is a deeply worrying trend for consumers. Four energy supplier have gone in just a month. Not only does this create major uncertainty for customers, but also undermines competition in the market. People will not switch if they think their new supplier will go under. "The Tories have a lot to answer for. Rather than trying to shore up competition in the ...
