Football in the 1970s. Maverick geniuses, muddy pitches and violence on and off the field. Here you have Charlie George and Duncan McKenzie, though the lush grass at the Baseball Ground belies the reputation the stadium had. And there is a fist fight between Francis Lee and Norman Hunter than turns into a free for all. The confusion over the sendings off, incidentally, shows why red and yellow cards were introduced.
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 544th round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the five most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator over the last fortnight (17 February -2 March, 2019), as we missed last week because I was knackered after Scottish Conference , together with a hand-picked seven you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start ...
Joanne Vigor-Mungovin looks at an early episode in the life of Joseph Merrick ('The Elephant Man') and in so doing opens the shutters on the Dickensian conditions of working-class life in Leicester in that period. At 13 years old Joseph Merrick left school, and just like many other children of his age, attempted to bring money into the home. He writes in his autobiography that nothing would "satisfy [my] step mother until she got me out to work". Many hard-working families were often up against intense household poverty. Emma (Joseph's stepmother) came into the marriage with two young daughters, and ...
Happy thirty-first birthday, Liberal Democrats? Liberalism is desperately needed today. Liberal Democrats are sometimes powerful voices, but sometimes tongue-tied. We must demand better. Last year I chose six words (three positive values, one urgent priority) for a short video on 'Why the Lib Dems': Freedom, Fairness, Future Exit From Brexit If our MPs would even pick six such words and sound like they meant them, that would be a start. Our Leadership seems to think 'Why can't we all get along?' is good enough. It isn't. It's a cry of helplessness, and they have no answer to their own question. ...
The Campaign for Better Transport has published a new report backing 33 rail reopening schemes. Between them they would add 343 miles to the passenger rail network (166 miles of reopened route and 177 miles of freight-only route upgraded to passenger rail standards). One of the schemes advocated is the freight-only line from Leicester to Burton upon Trent, though the report envisages fewer intermediate stations than were planned when this scheme was close to being put into practice in the 1980s. Another freight line mentioned is the one from Walsall to Water Orton through Sutton Coldfield. The photo above shows ...
[IMG: A Sunday evening laugh at the Michael Cohen 'hearing'] Here is the real thing: Here is a question that I ask myself every day: 'Do Republicans have brains?' The post A Sunday evening laugh at the Michael Cohen 'hearing' appeared first on FeministMama.
The Liberal Democrats are 31 years old today. Courtesy of my Facebook memories, here is what I wrote on our 30th birthday last year. 30 years of the Lib Dems today! 30 years of having the courage to stand up for what we believe in. I think what I like best about us is that we have such an optimistic view of people – our citizens are not to be contained and restrained but given power to run their lives and communities as they see fit with a state ensuring that everyone gets a fair chance in life. I am ...
Another year, another budget debate with the Conservative opposition criticising the budget but failing to offer any alternative of their own. But as we have seen with Brexit, the Tories seem generally to lack the vision to see the need for a Plan B. Cllr Garratt appeared to have been given the role of opposition [...]
The ever-excellent Paula Surridge made an excellent point on Twitter about how those in the political centre (on the left/right scale) are less interested in politics.
I have some very happy memories of Peter Swinson. He was a lovely man. He was so supportive of Jo's campaigns, Whether it was knocking on doors in East Dunbartonshire, delivering super human quantities of election literature or dancing with her at her wedding, his pride in her was so obvious. Peter sadly passed away a year ago. He had had a blood cancer for some time. In three weeks' time, Jo is running the London Half Marathon in his memory. Literally ran 11 miles before breakfast this morning... all for a good cause. I'm fundraising for @bloodwise_uk by running ...
there is little sign of any real appetite to face the challenge of climate change head on. Until that changes, such debates will be little more than a talking shop.
Sun 3rd
14:59
LibLink Jane Dodds: Why the Welsh Lib Dems want to trial Universal Basic Income in Wales
Welsh Lib Dem leader Jane Dodds supports the Universal Basic Income as a means to tackle poverty and inequality. She explains why in an article for Nation Cymru: In Wales, like the rest of the UK, we are seeing increasing homelessness and food bank use. We need to look for progressive solutions and to continue to oppose government policies that demonise the poor. One possible solution is Universal Basic Income (UBI), an idea that has been the subject of much debate across the political spectrum, including within my own party. UBI is rooted in the idea that people seek purpose ...
The end of LGBT History Month was unusually busy for me, as I'd been asked to give a few speeches at events in Devon, and then the key speech at an event put on by London-based human rights lawyers Leigh Day. Several people asked me to publish the speech, so I have done here as [...]
Sun 3rd
12:59Last chance to submit Spring Conference Amendments and Awkward Questions - deadline 1pm 4th March
It's just 12 days until we gather in York for Spring Conference. And tomorrow, at 1pm, is the final chance for you to submit amendments to motions as well as awkward questions to all the party committees and for Vince's question and answer session. It's also the last chance to submit a motion on Europe for discussion at the Conference – although, to be honest, anything submitted is likely to be out of date by the time it happens. Maybe it should just go the whole hog and call for the immediate revocation of Article 50 because the whole Brexit ...
A downbeat anthem for a country poised on the crumbling edge of Brexit. The Good, the Bad and the Queen are a modern-day supergroup, formed of Damon Albarn from Blur, Paul Simonon from the Clash, Simon Tong from Verve and the legendary Nigerian percussionist Tony Allen. Merrie Land is the title track from their second album, which was released at the end of last year. Madison Bloom writes of it on Pitchfork: In a passage from the title track, Albarn closes in on that isolation, to claustrophobic effect: "So rebuild the railways/Firm up all the roads," he sings. "No one ...
I recently had my attention drawn to this essay from May 2016 – The Empty Brain – written by psychologist Robert Epstein (thanks Andrew). In it, Epstein argues that the dominant information processing (IP) model...Continue Reading The post The brain is (mostly) not a computer appeared first on ten pence piece.
Yesterday I visited the Dunston Staiths which had been damaged recently by an arson attack. I was taken on to the structure by a member of Friends of the Staiths who also explained to me some of the problems of securing the site. The damage was less than I feared but nevertheless, still significant. Repair costs could be up to £50,000. A public appeal has been launched to pay for the repairs
Sat, 12:14: First visit to Brussels for @MichelleGomez at @comicconbxl https://t.co/fo0gzOmhkK Sat, 12:56: RT @jonnymorris1973: Here's a thing. It was originally the plan for Mission to the Unknown to feature seven delegates, not six (not includi... Sat, 13:08: RT @KeohaneDan: This was unfair of me. @CER_Grant never wanted Ireland "thrown under a bus" - in 2017 (which I was referring to) or since.... Sat, 13:55: RT @yesdaddyperalta: michelle gomez laughing is everything tbh https://t.co/dQAQHvvKLv Sat, 13:56: When you discover that someone you've known online for years is standing ten metres away from you... https://t.co/CtiUfSv275 Sat, 14:17: RT @SluggerOToole: .@naomi_long "Her ...
On Monday 4th March at 7.30pm if you are in or around London the NLC is the place to be. The Social Liberal Forum is launching its new publication and Ian Kearns will be speaking. Admission is free. Full details are on the SLF website. Dr Seth Thevoz reviews the publication for Lib Dem Voice. The SLF will also be holding a fringe meeting with Ian Kearns about the book at the Spring Conference inYork. The Social Liberal Forum has given us a very welcome republication of John Maynard Keynes's Am I a Liberal?, alongside a new essay by Ian ...
After spending months debating and agonising over Brexit, you would think that MPs might want a bit of relief and a change of subject. A number took the opportunity of course to condemn the schoolchildren's strike over climate change, failing to notice that the implications of this global phenomenon, even in the short term, could well nullify all their rhetoric about borders, trade and international relationships. However, when it was the turn of the 'grown-ups' to take the stage and talk about the future of our planet, very few actually showed up. Perhaps we could do a swop and put ...
We agreed to make donations to both Lydiate in Flower and Lydiate Village Festival. Remember the trouble over dogs on Sandy Lane Playing Field and the dog walker getting fined* for their dog being on the football pitch from a few weeks back? Well since then the Parish Council has been creating and fencing off an area of the park where dogs can be walked without fear of fines. The fencing is now mainly in and it looks like this:- We also discussed appropriate signage for the park so that dog walkers and indeed all park users know what the ...
Whatever comes of the current somewhat awkward and half-public courtship rituals between the Liberal Democrats and The Independent Group...
t is no secret that our rail fares system is broken. With customers having to choose between over 55 million fare combinations, it is understandable that they would have no confidence in getting the best value fare for their journey. That's why I welcomed the largest ever public consultation on fares reform which took place last summer, and saw responses from almost 20,000 passengers, business groups, local authorities and accessibility groups from across the country. The public has spoken - over 80% of respondents want to see fundamental reform within our fares system and they now cannot be ignored. The ...
Sun 3rd
07:11
Shropshire Council puts up council tax but drops extra parking blitz at dispiriting meeting
Shropshire Council met on Thursday morning. Council taxes will go up 4.2% in Ludlow. We learnt that income from parking and the Shrewsbury shopping centres is below claims. Huge cuts to bus subsidies were approved. But a bid to slap yet more penalty charge notices on cars has been quietly dropped. That was the only good news. My motion on funding for market towns was blocked and Heather Kidd's on greater transparency in planning suffered the same fate. A public question on climate change was ruled out of order as was the point of order on why the question was ...
Here are the latest general election voting intention figures from each of the main pollsters currently polling in the UK, now including ones featuring The Independent Group (TIG). Where pollsters both ask a voting intention question with TIG and one without, both of those results feature below. What's notable about the latest polls (Opinium, not all the details published yet) is that on the question featuring TIG, the Liberal Democrats are now back above TIG, just. Pollster Con Lab LibDem Ukip Green TIG Con lead Fieldwork Method BMG 38% 35% 13% 5% 5% – 3% 4-8/2 Online ComRes 38% 37% ...
