Jenny Rathbone Warning Unacceptable - Welsh Lib Dems The Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised the decision to only give Cardiff Central AM Jenny Rathbone a formal warning following an investigation into anti-Semitic comments she made. Jenny Rathbone had already been readmitted into the Welsh Labour Assembly Group in January whilst the investigation was ongoing. Her remarks about a synagogue in Cyncoed were branded "extremely offensive" by the synagogue's rabbi Michoel Rose. Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds commented: It's extremely disappointing Jenny Rathbone has been admitted to the party with only a formal warning for her comments, which were clearly ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on Liberal Democrat Voice

The campaign to reopen this line exists as a Facebook group, but it is a closed one. I will never understand Facebook. Anyway, this freight-only line was meant to be reopened to passengers with plenty of intermediate stations in the 1990s, but the funding never materialised. Another page on the line tells us that it is the longest freight-only line in the country and that Coalville is one of the largest towns in the country with no railway station. Enjoy the video, though it is noticeable that there are more trees after you leave the National Forest.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

The Library at Bonkers Hall is a place of wonder, with many volumes unknown anywhere else. And, incidentally, there really was a Wise Woman of Wing. Tuesday What better, on a cold winter's day, than curling up by the Library fire with a good book? My choice today is the new Almanac from the Wise Woman of Wing; I buy it for its herb lore and racing tips. I turn eagerly to its predictions for 2019 to see how this Brexit hoo-hah will turn out, but find that foreseeing this is beyond even her powers. Earlier this week... Remembering Sir ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

This blog used to have great fun with Rupert Matthews, the wannabee Tory MEP who believed that "the evidence for UFOs and for the humanoid creatures linked to them is pretty compelling". In July 2017 he finally got his wish and things went quiet. But he will soon need a new job, hence this report in the Leicester Mercury:Three Conservatives are in the running to try to win back the seat of Leicestershire police and crime commissioner from Labour. The next PCC election will be held in May 2020 and the Tories are due to select their candidate next month. ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Labour voters stack up like this over Brexit:- And just look how badly Jez Corbyn is doing in terms of the most recent approval rating:- Just 17% Approve of him – 72% Disapprove – That's a score of minus 55! The two have to be linked, don't you think? Yes, we all understand that Corbyn is a life-long anti-EU person because he thinks it's some kind of capitalist conspiracy yet by enabling Brexit he is actually helping the far-right to get their way and trash our economy, living standards, employment rights and much else. The big question is why are ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

Fancy you and a friend travelling to Conference in style? London North Eastern Railway have kindly given us two First Class tickets to give away for use on their trains! To be in with chance of winning a pair of tickets, just join the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference group https://www.facebook.com/groups/ldconf/ and "Like" the post announcing this. You must be a party member to be eligible. The lucky winner will be picked at random on 15th February from those who liked the post, and announced in the comments below. Not registered for conference yet? It's running 15th-17th March in York, and ...

Posted by Zoe O'Connell on Liberal Democrat Voice

A busy Thursday of six by-elections welcomed campaigners into February, with 1 hold, 1 gain and a 21% swing for the team in Lambeth. Bradford MB, Bolton & Undercliffe LD Rachel Sunderland 1733 [51.3%; +9.0%] Lab 1153 [34.1%; -10.6%] Con 418 [12.4%; +2.4%] Green 73 [2.2%; -0.8%] LD gain from Lab Percentage change from 2018 We jump straight in at our standout result of the night in the Bolton & Undercliffe by-election. A hard-worked campaign from Rachel Sunderland and the Bradford team saw a fantastic first gain of the year for the Lib Dems and first gain from Labour since ...

Posted by ALDC on Liberal Democrat Voice
Fri 8th
13:03

Lest we don't remember

The Guardian's G2 has helpfully featured (7th February) the posters being put up around the country by a group called Led by Donkeys. Each poster features the actual words of a Brexit-supporting politician. In case you don't see them all, or Led by Donkeys doesn't come to your area, here are some of the actual quotes: I believe it is clearly in our national interest to remain in the European Union.Theresa May, 25th April, 2016 The day after we vote to leave, we hold all the cards and we can choose the path we want.Michael Gove, 9th April, 2016 Getting ...

Posted by Peter Wrigley on Keynesian Liberal

Many of us came into politics to change the way things were and are. For me, like many others, the woman who encouraged me into politics, was Shirley Williams. She was an inspirational figure, able to reach out to those, like me, who were new to the idea of activism and afraid that we wouldn't fit in. Shirley was of course famous. But my political apprenticeship didn't stop with her. Other women, such as Lesley Abdela who founded the 300 Group, taught me a huge amount. Learning from those who had experienced the ups and downs of politics, fought discrimination ...

Posted by Flo Clucas on Liberal Democrat Voice

Gateshead Council rightly takes action against those who flout planning rules. If you don't have planning permission for a development that needs it and you go ahead with it regardless, planning officers will come knocking at your door. Continued failure to abide by planning rules can result in legal action taking place. Indeed, this is exactly what took place with a pub in Bensham, Whickham

Posted by jonathanwallace on Jonathan Wallace
YouGov
Fri 8th
11:00

My tweets

Thu, 12:10: RT @a_maehl: ´Remainers and compromisers were regularly referred to as "quislings, collaborators or traitors" - language that pitches the E... Thu, 12:56: RT @mrdavidwhitley: The Brexiters who had got a really good, well thought-out plan - relax, he wasn't talking about you. Thu, 15:28: RT @JamesCrisp6: After the mass hysteria following @eucopresident Donald Tusk's #specialplaceinhell comment, I ask .. When did Brexiteers b... Thu, 16:05: Somewhere, Nowhere, Anywhere https://t.co/rT8i6Q84rM Natalie Sarkic-Todd on losing her Britain. Thu, 17:11: RT @simongerman600: Wonderful #map compares climate in #Australia with international benchmarks. https://t.co/zyVMTAxWdW https://t.co/ftCuU... Thu, 17:52: Latest analysis from various @APCOWorldwide colleagues ...

Why does a ground floor room in a one-story building need a ladder that reaches up three times the height of the ceiling?

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

The Department for International Trade has been hard at work recently and hooray, we have a trade deal that will save the UK from the abyss once we are into the brave new world of Brexit! That economic superpower, the Faroe Islands, has signed a trade agreement that allows fish and crabs to be imported into the UK. It looks like the great British fish and chips dinner has beaten back those

Posted by jonathanwallace on Jonathan Wallace

British patriots all agree (well almost all, except certain members of the ERG). "No deal" Brexit really is an undesirable end-game, it has tragic consequences, but given the issues with the backstop and the intransigence of the EU, MPs wish in their majority to renegotiate the already negotiated Withdrawal Agreement and, assuming that fails, the [...] The post Welcome to May 1940 (again) appeared first on Radix.

Posted by Peter Fischer Brown on Radix

Apart from the power plants, everybody ignored the (trucks with) medical isotopes. This another two-piece article. In the first article I talk about the Euratom aspect of the EU, totally ignored in 99% of Brexit campaigns and in present Brexit debates. The aspect of transporting nuclear material for medicinal purposes brings these atomic aspects of the EU very close to everybody's private lives: the survival of cancer patients In the second article, I follow on by pointing out that the UK turns out to be the international transport and EU certification hub in the international trade of medicines, medical supplies ...

Posted by Bernard Aris on Liberal Democrat Voice
Fri 8th
09:41

Is this civil war?

The clickbait for the Independent's article on Jeremy Corbyn's letter to the Prime Minister and the backlash from the Parliamentary Labour Party is 'Corbyn sparks Labour civil war over referendum', and judging by the reaction of some MPs on social media that is certainly what it looks like to the outsider. The paper says that Corbyn is battling to calm a growing Labour civil war over his refusal to support a fresh Brexit referendum, as some of his MPs threatened to quit the party in protest: The Labour leader was forced to justify his intentions after his new offer to ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

Afghanistan is in serious danger of a major outbreak of peace. Or is it? Certainly the signs are that the US is about to announce an historic deal with their foes the Taliban. The basic bones are that the US and NATO-led forces will withdraw. In return the Taliban will promise to never again allow Afghanistan to become a terrorist base. Withdrawal from the 17-year-long $1 trillion Afghan war has been one of the key goals of President Trump. It was also a political target of President Obama. The problem is how to exit without leaving behind a vacuum of ...

Posted by Tom Arms on Liberal Democrat Voice

In the light of recent local Conservative claims that all of Southport's money is being spent in Bootle (a rather coarse popularist approach which tries to pinch more sophisticated Lib Dem clothes) I thought I would revisit my piece on this matter from 2015 – you can access that blog via the link below:- Mm well, my views have not changed and I still think that Sefton is a geographically bizarre Borough and that this situation can only be changed for the better by looking at West Lancashire Borough at the same time. West Lancashire is not a unitary ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

 

Ahead of the Future Fit reorganisation of health services, should that go ahead, the Clinical Commissioning Groups are consulting on the renewal of the urgent care contract. This provides non-emergency treatments at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princes Royal Hospital in Telford 12 hours a day. In a survey launched without fanfare on 1 February, the Shropshire and Telford Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) are asking for views on providing urgent care treatment to the hours of 9am to 9pm. They are also asking if it would be helpful to pre-book appointments. I had missed the survey until emailed about it ...

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington
eUKhost
Fri 8th
04:45

Welcome to Muscat!

Since I last came to Oman a new airport is up and running, serving the capital, Muscat. It's rather a splendid affair, toned in mellow browns and greys, rather than the usual garish international colours. The interior is extremely spacious, with travelators to ease weary passengers' way, as well as an efficient and friendly immigration [...]

Posted by jonathanfryer on Jonathan Fryer