Laurel and Hardy were one of the great comic duos of the 20th century, their films huge box office sensations. But Jon S. Baird's affectionate biopic, Stan & Ollie, covers their twilight months, when they were touring theatres in the British Isles, trying to resuscitate the old magic in a changing world newly enamoured of television. [...]
It's kind of lucky that this weekend is a national weekend of Lib Dem action. Coming just 72 hours before Parliament makes the most momentous decision of our lifetimes – or not, we hope – it's great to see that Lib Dems have been out on the streets making the case to stop Brexit by means of a People's Vote. Here's some pictures from all over the country. Great afternoon talking with neighbours on the Walworth Road about what next with #Brexit The majority do want a #PeoplesVote irrespective of their allegiance. We all agreed that the time for mud ...
I assume it must have been @lordbonkers who allowed the National Liberal Club's now lost library to be used for filming this Double Diamond advertisement some 50 years ago during one of the club's occasional financial crises?#maiolicatiling #Waterhouse https://t.co/BzsoMt2WJR— Lang Rabbie (@langrabbie) January 12, 2019Thanks to Lang Rabbie for tweeting this film at me. My first instinct was to attribute this to George de Chabris, but it turns out that he was not on the scene until the 1970s. So it does look to be the work of Lord Bonkers. I shall have to choose the right moment to ask ...
[IMG: Would you tell a neighbour off for having noisy sex?] Given the current arduous political climate there is really nothing much to laugh over that is featured in the news (apart from John Crace in the Guardian). So it was with much delight that I... The post Would you tell a neighbour off for having noisy sex? appeared first on FeministMama.
As part of the implementation of the Alderdice Report which aims to remove the barriers to participation in the party by members of BAME communities, the Party is looking to appoint a Vice President BAME. They've advertised the role and the details of what it entails and how to apply are below: The Vice President BaME will be a party ambassador and senior Board officer. They will work with various Federal and State bodies responsible for delivering diverse representation both internally and externally. These include Candidates Committees, the Candidates & Diversity Office and the Diversity Committee of the Federal People ...
On Monday night at 7pm, the party will release a new video. It promises to be something that grabs us in the gut and will make a powerful case for a People's Vote. The trailer looks good. Do you demand better than Brexit? Tune into our Facebook on Monday 14th, 7pm pic.twitter.com/CCmqjhkKsH — Liberal Democrats (@LibDems) January 10, 2019 It looks like it's going to be authentic with none of the clever W1A stuff that we had last year. That is a much better idea because the country needs heartfelt and hopeful at the moment, not slick and clever. * ...
Motions have landed in my inbox for Spring conference, and I am composing my emails to the spokes I need to contact on the topic I have been designated, but I'm reading all the others too, and... I actually really like the name blind submissions. We get "10 or more members" or "SAO" or "local party" or "federal committee" under who the motion was submitted by, and honestly? I think even that is too specific. But FPC/FB would probably moan if we got rid of the differentiation completely... I'd really like to see their motions assessed on their merits... But ...
Sat 12th
15:28
What the long-term polling averages say about the popularity of the parties: PollBase Q4 2018 update
Here's the overall picture it paints, with the gradual downward drift for Labour and the upward drift for the Liberal Democrats and Greens over the long term.
I've explained before how, even if Article 50 is not delayed and Britain leave the EU in late March, Brexit will not be over as a political issue. Rather it will last for years, even decades (explanation here). What will start to change, however, is the need to talk less about what happened in the referendum last time and more about what sort of future there is for the UK. Whether it is a People's Vote, an ongoing dispute with Article 50 delayed or Britain out of the EU, that future focus will be an essential part of winning political ...
Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine has warned that the Conservatives must commit to "major investment" to remedy the problems with Universal Credit. Ms Jardine said: "The Conservative's botched roll-out of Universal Credit continues to cause real pain and misery that must be stopped. Liberal Democrats demand better than the Conservatives' cruel policy of balancing the books on the backs of the poor. "Instead of putting the most vulnerable in society through another 12 months of misery, Rudd should end the benefits freeze immediately and fully restore the billions the Tories cut from Universal Credit's Work Allowance. That is the major ...
Responding to claims from Chris Grayling that blocking Brexit could lead to a rise in neo-Nazi extremist groups, Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake said:"Chris Grayling has lost the plot. This kind of scaremongering is not only dangerous, but it is embarrassing."Politicians should be focused on healing the divisions in our country, not shamefully stoking the fire in order to secure support for Theresa May's botched deal."This Conservative Government has lost all moral authority. It is time to take back control of this Brexit process and give the people a final say on the deal, including the option to remain ...
Responding to the Prisons Minister's comments that jail sentences of six months or less should be scrapped, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said: "Short-term sentences perpetuate the crisis in our overcrowded prisons, cost millions and don't work to prevent crime. Robust community-based sentences are far more successful in reducing re-offending and the chance of more people becoming victims of crime."Indications from the Prison Minister that he agrees is testament to the campaigners who have long made this case. However, the Prison Minister does not go far enough. Liberal Democrats demand better."Our goal must be to transform prisons into ...
Brexit is difficult - as a bureaucrat, I get that. There are a whole series of competing demands, made yet more challenging by the existence of a series of red lines that constrain the range of solutions yet create even more problems. Is this the best deal that could be obtained given Theresa May's stubborn, if inconsistent, stance on met inward migration? It possibly is, though that in itself is hardly a convincing reason for agreeing to it. After all, she was the Home Secretary who failed to keep even non-EU migration under the global 100,000 target she arbitrarily set. ...
The BSFA long list is out. As I'm this year's Hugo Administrator, I will make no comment here beyond posting the stats. Books listed by (geometric) average of GR/LT rating. The top ten in each column are in bold. Goodreads LibraryThing owners av rating owners av rating Naomi Novik Spinning Silver 105622 4.31 700 4.27 Stuart Turton The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 108267 4.03 552 3.87 Pierce Brown Iron Gold 88775 4.25 286 3.94 RF Kuang The Poppy War 69835 4.06 339 3.96 Becky Chambers Record of a Spaceborn Few 27709 4.2 312 4.21 Ling Ma Severance 37440 3.9 ...
Sat 12th
12:27
What happens when mainstream politicians talk up the far right's prospects: A warning from the Isle ...
Copyright © Mike Seaborne Chris Grayling has been talking to the Daily Mail. "It will open the door to extremist populist political forces in this country of the kind we see in other countries in Europe," Mr Grayling told the paper. "If MPs who represent seats that voted 70% to leave say 'sorry guys, we're still going to have freedom of movement', they will turn against the political mainstream," he added. "There's already a nastiness and unpleasantness in our politics, more people with extreme views, more people willing to behave in an uncivilised way," he said.In other words, MPs must ...
In a House of Lords debate on the Western Balkans this week, Baroness Liz Barker paid tribute to Paddy Ashdown: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Helic, for this debate, which, sadly, is timely and appropriate. I thank her for giving me the opportunity to tell your Lordships' House about an event that took place in Sarajevo on 27 December. Joseph Ingram wrote a report of it and he said this. Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina held a spontaneous commemorative service in the "iconic, reconstructed city hall". The hall was, "filled to capacity, and despite being nationally televised, ...
Fri, 12:56: The Completely Audacious Guide to Breaking the Ice https://t.co/cmLiJFaQ3f I don't often share links that I disagre... https://t.co/mx1WLZdgCq Fri, 15:41: RT @StigAbell: Finally, somebody is debunking the whole "tapas and cocaine diet is really good for you" thing. https://t.co/VqArV8EvE4 Fri, 16:05: I had to go look at my notes to decide this one. Basically I have generally found Mark Gatiss's novels good:... https://t.co/UBzpCUQYs7 Fri, 17:45: Favourite New Who Series: Series 4, with David Tennant and Catherine Tate - Partners in Crime, the library two-part... https://t.co/wLqvyeXhAl Fri, 20:08: RT @apcoworldwide: Our @nwbrux shares that as we move to 2019, ...
I reported last year how the introduction of ID checks for all voters in pilot areas, had led to an estimated one in five polling stations turning away voters for not having ID. This just reinforced the perception that the motive behind this idea was voter suppression, and had nothing to do with tackling voter fraud, which is at fairly miniscule levels. The Electoral Commission says there were only 21 cases of alleged in-person voter fraud in 2014, 44 in 2016, and 28 in 2017 - just 0.000063% per vote cast. Five areas, Bromley, Gosport, Swindon, Watford and Woking, piloted ...
At the end of last year, the local party in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk chose Jenny Marr to fight the seat at the next General Election. She's written about the importance of getting involved in the political process by voting and beyond for the Scot Women Stand website. It's another thing to add to the to do list, isn't it? And of course first you have to register to do it. Then there's the wading through of manifestos, trying to understand policies, which are not exactly the work of Shakespeare. Then there's the appeal of Love Island or similar which ...
Southern Brooks Partnership will be running a range of new wellbeing sessions in Kingswood, Patchway, Staple Hill and Yate starting in January and February - click here for session details. All wellbeing sessions are free to attend for everyone. You can attend one class or as many as you like. Booking is required for all sessions (except drop-ins). Sessions are run as part of South Gloucestershire Wellbeing College. Not the course for you? See what else is on offer FOR FREE at www.sgwellbeingcollege.org
Craig Harrow, a former work colleague of mine and rather more importantly someone who has worked and campaigned in the Highlands for years has been selected as the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC) in Charles Kennedy's old constituency. On being selected for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, Craig Harrow said: I am determined to be a champion in Parliament for Ross, Skye and Lochaber. With the party's deep roots in the Highlands and Islands we understand the special challenges that comes with living here. I will make sure those challenges are addressed by government. The unpleasantness around Charles Kennedy's last ...
Shelter has published the final report of its cross-party commission on Social Housing setting out the need for 3.1m new social homes over the next 20 years. The report makes the case that council houses and social housing should be available to more than just the people in greatest need and those saving to buy. As well as the 1.3 million people it estimates are in greatest need because of hazardous homes, overcrowding, homelessness and disabilities, the new homes should be accessible to a further 1.2 million young people and 700,000 older people trapped in private rent. The commission puts ...
From Sheena Wellington : Next Saturday - 19th January - at 11am (doors open at 10.30am) Cappucino Concert with Simon Kempston Simon Kempston is 'one of Scotland's best songwriters' (The Sunday Herald) and leading fingerstyle guitarists. Simon's original, distinctive guitar playing is founded upon a complex, finger-picking style which technically reveals his classical training yet is steeped in the history of the folk, blues and celtic traditions and is complemented by Simon's rich, powerful and compelling clipped vocal style. An award-winning songwriter and an inspiring, poetic lyricist, Simon's songs are amongst the most thought-provoking you are likely to hear, often ...
