We had a gathering in the Lib Dem office in Consett on Sunday to put nearly 5000 letters into envelopes, print more letters, print the Lobley Hill and Bensham Focus and eat sandwiches! A successful day though it became a bit surreal when the talk around the envelope stuffing table turned to memories of the 1908s!
I was in Dunston on Saturday to deliver more Focuses. Key story in this edition was the air pollution levels on the nearby A1. While the government are requiring Gateshead Council to deal with illegal levels of emissions in central Gateshead, ministers are yet to put forward any proposals for reducing emissions on the A1, a road for which the government is responsible. Now is't that odd!
Amidst the conjecture caused by the launch of The Independent Group this morning, it might have been easy to forget that there's plenty of other stuff going on... Lib Dems: Rail reform proposals signals change needed Govt consultations on plastic must be followed by action On short prison sentences, Tories say one thing and do another Cable: Honda decision another hammer blow to the UK economy Lib Dems will work with like-minded MPs – Cable Statement on the death of Paul Flynn Lib Dems: Rail reform proposals signals change needed Responding to the release of the report containing the Rail ...
This video traces the line that ran from Bedford to Northampton and finds a number of lineside railway buildings surviving on the way. All three of Northampton's station served as the terminus of trains from Bedford in their time. I recently posted an aerial photo of the long-vanished Northampton St Johns.
Today's announcement by seven Labour MPs that they were leaving the party did not feel hopeful so much as sad. It is hard to see much hope in the statement of values their Independent Group has published. It is hard to imagine anyone reading it and thinking: "At last someone has put into words what I have been feeling all these years." Rather than the launch of a new movement, I see seven individuals who have succumbed to the hard left's perennial tactic of making life so unpleasant for those who oppose them that they eventually walk away from fight. ...
I've been vaguely following the debate triggered by today's launch of The Independent Group, and I have to admit to a tinge of despair. The competing stances of "we look forward to working with them" and "they're not proper liberals and we shouldn't touch them with a bargepole" are hardly unexpected, and there are people that I respect on both sides. But, of course, I'm a bureaucrat, inherently cautious, and I'm older and wiser than I once was. So I find myself wondering, what is it we want, and how can this help us to get it? Think of it ...
Roy Jenkins was a man of many metaphors. My favourite was to liken a delicate and perilous political task to "carrying a valuable Ming vase across a highly polished floor." But his most famous was the description of the mission of the party of which he was the founder leader as to "break the mould [...]
The creation of The Independent Group by seven former Labour MPs comes, of course, with all sorts of interest for the Liberal Democrats. The reaction has generally been a warm one, and also comes with some lessons for the party. First, that although many people have joined the party recently, including from both Labour and the Conservatives, there is a real limit to the power of saying 'well, just join us then'. Plenty of people share, to varying degrees, the party's values but do not, currently at least, finding the idea of joining the party that attractive. That's part of ...
Just in case you ever needed to know, there are 55 positive integers whose square root √n is less than or equal to their number of divisors τ(n). √n < τ(n) in 53 cases and in two cases √n = τ(n) - 1 and 9. They are: n τ(n) √n 1 1 1 2 2 1.41 3 2 1.73 4 3 2 6 4 2.45 8 4 2.83 9 3 3 10 4 3.16 12 6 3.46 14 4 3.74 15 4 3.87 16 5 4 18 6 4.24 20 6 4.47 24 8 4.90 28 6 5.30 30 8 ...
Monday Apparently, there's a new political absolutely-not-a-Party-unless-you-ask-them-nicely on the block. Hilariously, their website gives a list of their value, and only gives you the option to agree with all of them. Which, as I understand it, was their problem with Mr Corbyn. But there you go. Let's have a look anyway, and see what they believe in and see if we agree to tick any boxes, shall we? Number 1:Ours is a great country of which people are rightly proud, where the first duty of government must be to defend its people and do whatever it takes to safeguard Britain's ...
Cllr Richard Kemp CBE Liverpool Liberal Democrats 16, Dovedale Road, Liverpool L18 1DW Richardkemp68@yahoo.co.uk 07885 626913 Luciana Berger MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA 18th February 2019 Dear Luciana, Re: Your new Independent Group I am writing to you ... Continue reading →
Mon 18th
15:27
Book review: The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman, the bomb and the four months that changed th...
While in Washington DC, I made a pilgrimage to the large "Prose and Politics" bookstore in Connecticut Avenue NW. As one would expect, it was bursting with political books. I would have quite happily walked away with an entire wheelbarrow load of books, if my airline baggage weight limit had allowed it. In the end, I bought one paperback, which was "The Accidental President" by A.J.Baime about Harry S. Truman's first four months as President in 1945. I was not disappointed. It is a brilliant book – a real page turner. By coincidence, Harry Truman lived with his family from ...
The Independent Group's statement of values is mostly a pile of centrist mush that very few people could disagree with, apart from the very first bit under "we believe", where they dog-whistle racists with stuff about how the first duty of government - the first duty, mark you - is to do whatever it takes to secure our borders against all those nasty immigrants. I would have thought the first duty of government is to look after its citizens, or maybe uphold the rule of law. There's also the wishy-washy (at best) commitment to international co-operation, including no mention whatsoever ...
Eating Disorders Awareness Week this year takes place between 25th February and 3rd March. Eating disorders can affect anyone, anywhere. This National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), want to change the conversation around food, body image, and eating disorders! This year's theme is Come as You Are to encourage inclusivity. The eating disorders charity, Beat, estimates that there are over 1.6 million people struggling with an eating disorder throughout the UK. Everyone should be able to speak out, share their experiences and connect with others. The week also aims to start conversations with a variety of ...
Information from Bury Council regarding the 'Working carers Hub': "Juggling the demands of life, work and care giving Working and caring for our loved ones and everything this involves can sometimes overwhelm us. That's why we have set up a new communication platform specially designed for working carers at Bury Council and Six Town Housing. Called 'The One Community Working Carers Hub' It's private, it's confidential and a place where we can listen to you and act on what you tell us. Once you have joined you can: · take part in polls and discussions; · tell us your ideas ...
Every time I think British politics couldn't get any dafter it does. We have the most incompetent government since that of Lord North, daily making itself more and more foolish, and so what happens? Not a split in the Tories. Oh no - though the soi disant European Research Group, the ERG, have been acting as a party within a party for months, forming a tail which is very effectively wagging the dog. No, the split is in the Labour Party, from which seven of their MPs have decided to resign. It is not even clear why. Their chief spokesperson ...
The situation with Shamima Begum has been one that I have been ruminating over for the last few days, whether it has been the racist headline of the Metro on Friday ("Jihadi Bride wants baby on NHS") or the utterly appalling misogyny and unconscious racism displayed on this topic by politicians, friends and others on social media. For those of you who may not remember, at 15, Shamima Begum left the U.K. with two friends to go to ISIS-controlled territories in the Middle East. There, shortly after arrival, she was married to someone she had been introduced to online who ...
Responding to the release of the report containing the Rail Delivery Group's proposals to the Williams Rail Review, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson Jenny Randerson said:"It has been long overdue for the Conservative Government to introduce the legislation needed to reform our outdated and unfair rail fares system. The proposals put forward by the industry which would modernise the way in which we pay for our train tickets are encouraging and it is now essential the Government sets the wheels in motion."Simplifying the system and introducing smart ticketing would help transform what is an incredibly outdated system, invented before people bought ...
Responding to the Government's launch of a number of consultations looking at overhauling the waste system, cutting plastic pollution, and moving towards a more circular economy, Liberal Democrat Environment Spokesperson, Alistair Carmichael said:"Whilst the Government fail to get a grip of the crisis facing our environment, the detrimental effects to the UK's wildlife continues. The Liberal Democrats have been clear about the need for a plastic bottle deposit scheme and the Conservative Government must follow through on these consultations with action."The Liberal Democrats will also continue to fight for a ban on all single-use plastic within three years and the ...
Responding to the Labour party split, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable said: "It is not unexpected, or unwelcome, that a group of Labour MPs have decided to break away from Corbyn's Labour; in part motivated by his refusal to follow the party's policy on Brexit. "The Liberal Democrats are open to working with like-minded groups and individuals in order to give the people the final say on Brexit, with the option to remain in the EU. We will be engaging in talks to progress both that campaign and a wider political agenda."
Responding to the Justice Secretary's speech this morning where he advocated abolishing prison sentences of six months or less, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse said: "I'm glad the Justice Secretary is finally accepting what the evidence - and the Liberal Democrats - have been saying for years: short prison sentences are destructive and just lead to more crime. "But even as he makes that admission, his Tory colleagues at the Home Office are busy introducing more short prison sentences in their Offensive Weapons Bill. "This Tory Government is saying one thing and doing another, and the Liberal Democrats demand ...
Labour's split today has formalised something that has been gradually underway for months. But how does it affect matters up here in the North East? My main concern is about whether or not the Labour party will back a referendum on the Brexit deal. I suspect the departure of the 7 MPs won't change Corbyn's position - he is a Leaver and has done everything he can to resist a further referendum.
Sun, 12:56: Brexit: The Compromise (PDF) https://t.co/XoHcycmRfM @AndrewDuffEU sees a way forward. Sun, 13:49: RT @AlbertoNardelli: 1) measures have been covered multiple times by multiple outlets since first set out 2) it's not a secret deal, but un... Sun, 14:21: RT @Dublin2019: Don't forget, deadline for nominating in @TheHugoAwards is the 15th of March. Sun, 20:48: Stanley McChrystal: 'I Think I Am at Peace' https://t.co/OSWHQELz5C Fascinating @FT interview by @JananGanesh. Sun, 22:06: Return to Bosnia and Croatia https://t.co/NgmXWStTDS Mon, 08:53: RT @Jack_Blanchard_: Britain in 2019: They're selling copies of the latest Ivan Rogers speech at the counter in Waterstones https://t.co/Wy... ...
From the BBC: Seven MPs have resigned from the Labour Party in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's approach to Brexit and anti-Semitism. They are: Chuka Umunna, Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker and Ann Coffey. Ms Berger said Labour had become institutionally anti-Semitic and she was "embarrassed and ashamed" to stay. Mr Corbyn said he was "disappointed" the MPs had felt unable to continue working for the policies that "inspired millions" at the 2017 election. The MPs are not launching a new political party – they will sit in Parliament as the Independent group. * Paul Walter ...
So, it's finally, finally happened: the Labour Party has split. Now that it's gone down, it feels inevitable – yet it really took its time in finally taking place. Anyhow, now starts the questions: will the Independent Group succeed? Will other Labour MPs follow them soon enough? Will Tory MPs quit their whip and join the Independent Group as well? Will this be like the SDP, meaning it ultimately won't work as intended but will keep the Tories in power for a long time? What interests me more in the immediate is how Corbyn responds to what's happened this morning. ...
Here are the initial reactions of a range of Liberal Democrats to the departure of seven MPs from Labour (whose policy statement you can read here): The Liberal Democrats are open to working with like-minded groups and individuals in order to give the people the final say on Brexit, with the option to remain in the EU. We will be engaging in talks to progress both that campaign and a wider political agenda. #LabourSplit — Vince Cable (@vincecable) February 18, 2019
The newly formed Independent Group of seven Labour MPs has the following as their launch policy statement. What do you make of it?
It's easy to forget how many Party members are of very recent vintage sometimes. Given that our membership at the time of the General Election was in the region of 45,000, and is now more than double that, many of our readers will have no reason to be aware of the history of the post. So, here are some of the things that might be of interest... Sal Brinton is the ninth person to hold the position of Party President, and the longest serving of them all – her second term is of three years, the first of such length. ...
Our Lib Dem tabloid has started to hit the doormats of Gateshead. Bensham (part of Lobley Hill and Bensham ward, which we will be targeting in future elections) and Saltwell started to receive their copies this morning. Delivery will be rolled out over the next few weeks over other areas of Gateshead. The lead story is the £700,000 spent on building a car park by Labour-run Gateshead that
A select committee report argues that Facebook deliberately broke privacy and competition law and should urgently be subject to statutory regulation, and denounces the company and its executives as "digital gangsters". The Guardian reports that the final report of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee's 18-month investigation into disinformation and fake news accused Facebook of purposefully obstructing its inquiry and failing to tackle attempts by Russia to manipulate elections. The report: Accuses Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's co-founder and chief executive, of contempt for parliament in refusing three separate demands for him to give evidence, instead sending junior employees unable ...
I have been part of various online forums that have been discussing the "Green New Deal" being championed by some in the US Democratic Party. These forums are made up mainly of academics who have an interest in climate and environmental policy. What was striking about the various discussions is that they were all technical/ideological. [...] The post If you want a green new deal, you have to win first appeared first on Radix.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been US Representative for New York's 14th District for less than two months, but she has already made waves in US politics so large that they have spread across the pond. Last week, Ocasio-Cortez (or AOC, as she is popularly known) tabled House Resolution 109. The "Green New Deal" it outlines would transition the US to a carbon neutral economy and 100% renewable energy generation within ten years. These changes would be accompanied by massive investment in infrastructure, from improving the energy efficiency of buildings, to developing new transport links to reduce domestic air travel. AOC is ...
Mon 18th
07:46
Paying your bus fare on Merseyside cashless but there have to be concerns about the move towards a c...
Cash is of course still accepted on buses, but the option to pay by the Contactless method has to date only been available on Merseyside via Stagecoach buses. However, Merseytravel want to make this option more widely available, which helps both passengers and the bus companies, as they don't have deal with so much cash at the end of each day. Plus, there's less chance of ne'er-do-wells robbing a driver. Cumfybus have recently upgraded their ticket machines in order they can accept Contactless payments. However, there do not seem to be any notices on the buses to inform cash passengers ...
The new episode of "A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs" is up. This one's on Bill Haley and the Comets, and Rock Around the Clock. But that's not all... There's a second new episode, on "Cry" by Johnnie ... Continue reading →
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2019 Bellfield Street - off-peak (9.30am - 3.30pm) stop/go traffic control on Monday 18 February for 2 days at new housing development for road and footway reinstatement works.
