Oh so frustrating: Thornton (Lambeth) result: LAB: 41.5% (-3.3) LDEM: 40.7% (+7.9) GRN: 7.1% (-2.6) CON: 6.9% (-2.7) WEP: 2.2% (+0.4) UKIP: 1.6% (+0.2) Labour HOLD. — Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 11, 2019

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack
Thu 11th
23:39

2011 and all that

I got to thinking about the 2011 AV referendum. Post-2016, it would be "the referendum we've all forgotten" if that title weren't held by the 2011 Welsh referendum. No, really, there was one - look it up on google, it's seven pages in. I knew and know people who voted either way on AV, though my social circle was definitely skewed against the national trend (not surprising, I hang out with more lefties than righties) with a majority of people I knew backing AV whether eagerly or on the "half a loaf is better than no bread" basis. Since 2011 ...

Posted by Jen on Either / And

We had so much to tell you about on our latest leaflet for Yate Town Council's North Yate ward that we ran out of room! As we promised on the leaflet, here are all the contact details for your Yate North Focus Team. JOHN DAVIS 07894 449368 john_davis359@hotmail.com MIKE DREW 01454 882356 / 07966 228864 mike.drew@southglos.gov.uk SANDRA EMMS 01454 314139 sandraeemms@gmail.com ALAN MONAGHAN 01454 881251 alan.monaghan@blueyonder.co.uk BEN NUTLAND 01454 527550 ben@bennutland.org WULLY PERKS 01454 316485 wully.perks@btinternet.com JANE PRICE 07972 3216135 janeprice8@hotmail.com KARL TOMASIN 01454 313402 karltomasin@gmail.com CHRIS WILLMORE 01454 882356 / 07973 740290 chriswillmore@blueyonder.co.uk

Posted by Paul Hulbert on Focus on Sodbury, Yate and Dodington

Is this the way Brexit ends, not with a bang, but a whimper? Last night the EU27 agreed to the UK's plaintive request for another extension to Article 50, deferring our departure for the second time, this time by six months, to 31 October. Of course, it's way too soon to say Brexit has ended. It's still just about conceivable that the Conservative-Labour cross-party talks will throw up some compromise that can attract 320+ MPs. Nor is it impossible that we won't still crash out. But the big thing which happened was this: the EU once again decided not to ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Stephen Tall

Lib Dems: Extension offers a lifeline out of Brexit chaos Responding to the reports that the UK and the EU have agreed a "flexible extension" of Brexit until 31 October, Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake said: The British people have been given a lifeline. The Conservatives have dragged the country into chaos, but the extension agreed in the early hours of this morning offers a route out from the Brexit mess they have created. A flexible extension until 31st October is long enough to hold a People's Vote. The Prime Minister must now show leadership by handing the decision ...

Posted by The Voice on Liberal Democrat Voice

Havenhouse is the last stop before the seaside resort of Skegness and here appears gentle rather than bracing. I travelled this line back in 1978 on one of the Jolly Fisherman trains that in the BR era ran every day from various East Midlands towns and cities (in my case Nottingham) to Skegness. It was hauled by a pair of Class 20 diesels, which normally hauled only freight trains, and used the Grantham avoiding line. Taking an HST along this line would be fun too though, particularly going round the sharp bend at Firsby.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

The Swiss Federal Assembly (Photo: parliament.ch) Some interesting news has today come out of Switzerland. Switzerland is one of those modern democracies that likes to use referenda frequently. I'm not the biggest fan of referenda as democratic instruments, but if we're going to use them we could learn a few things from the Swiss model. Switzerland's electorate can vote in referenda up to four times annually - and to think we complain about referendum fatigue! Indeed, Switzerland has witnessed over 550 referenda since 1848. They have rather complicated arrangements but essentially the Swiss model used two types of referenda in ...

Posted by Andrew on A Scottish Liberal
Thu 11th
20:32

Six of the Best 861

"Fawlty Towers was, above all, an ensemble piece about isolation. It was a portrait of rage and frustration, an exploration of the impotence that results when the world as we wish it to be is so agonisingly at odds with the world as it is. It was the Brexit mindset incubating in the shabby surroundings of a down-at-heel hotel that had seen far better days." Britain's favourite sit come explains Brexit, says Alex Clark. The disordered thinking that lies behind the way Brexit has paralysed the British political system is laid bare by Koen Smets. Stephen Gibbons, Cong Peng and ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

DON'T LOSE YOUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS Deadline to apply for postal votes for May 2019 local elections across much of England: 5pm, Monday 15 April Deadline to apply for proxy votes for May 2019 local elections across much of England: 5pm, Wednesday 24 April If you are not able to vote in person at your local polling station in an election, you can instead apply for either: A postal vote – ballot papers are posted out in advance of the election and need to be returned by the usual close of polls time on polling day. Ballots can be posted overseas, ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Mark Pack reported this the other day, but the news has now made the Ludlow & Tenbury Wells Advertiser: The Liberal Democrats have selected the person who will contest the Ludlow constituency for the party at the next General Election. Rick Eling from Church Stretton was selected as the new Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Ludlow. "We don't know when the next election will come, but when it does the Liberal Democrats will be fighting right here to offer voters a real choice," said Mr Eling.The Ludlow constituency, which takes in a large area of rural South Shropshire, was ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England
YouGov
Thu 11th
17:48

Expo 58, by Jonathan Coe

Second paragraph of third chapter:Things had progressed pretty smoothly since the weekend. Over last night's dinner, he had finally told Sylvia about the Brussels assignment. She had been shocked, at first: the thought of coming with him did not seem to cross her mind (nor did he suggest it), and the prospect of being left alone for six months certainly alarmed her. But Thomas's reassurances were convincing: there would be letters, there would be telephone calls, there would be weekends when he flew home to see her. And the more he told her about the fair itself, the more she ...

I love Sandgate. I hope you do too. [IMG: Demand Better for Sandgate and West Folkestone] I've lived in the centre of Sandgate for the last 15 years. I run my business from the village. I'm in and around Sandgate pretty much every day. I'm a trustee of the Chichester Hall in the middle of town, and have been honoured to have been a Sandgate Parish Councillor for the last eight years and the Vice Chairman of the Parish Council for the last two. My friend and colleague Gary Fuller lived in Sandgate for 10 years. Although he has now ...

It has been more than six years that the French army has been deployed in Mali. In this former colony of AOF (French West Africa), two-and-a-half times the size of France, it is a question of preventing Islamist katibas from the deserts of the north from seizing the big cities of the centre (Timbuktu , [...] The post France in Mali: the return of the colonial trap appeared first on Radix.

Posted by Renaud Girard on Radix

Britain's struggle over Brexit resembles the popular image of trench warfare on the Western Front in the First World War. Huge amounts of effort are expended, after which nothing much seems to have changed. Last night's further postponement of the leaving date left me with that feeling. None of the possible endings seems any closer: ... Continue reading We don't know who is winning the Brexit trench warfare

Posted by Matthew on thinking liberal

A mate of mine suggested I have a look at a posting on the Conservative Home website because he said the utter misery the Tories are suffering is openly being talked about there. And so it is.... The few moderate Tories left these days are clearly ashamed of what their party is doing to the UK and of course we all know this. But at the other end of the scale where most Tory members and supporters sit these days are the Brexiteers, a colourful bunch of people seemingly totally out of touch with reality. So Tory canvassers are getting ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

With everything that's happening nationally, one thing remains certain - it's vital that our party achieves a good set of results on Thursday 2 May. Word on the street is that support for the big two parties is soft and where local Liberal Democrat teams are working hard, we are in a strong position to make gains. If you haven't yet had a chance to donate to ALDC's Local Election Appeal, time is running out to make a difference - in many councils, postal votes will start landing on doormats next week. 100 Lib Dem candidates in target wards from ...

Posted by ALDC on Liberal Democrat Voice

I had another visit to the Lib Dem office yesterday. This time I was printing for Lobley Hill and Bensham and Birtley wards for the local elections on 2nd May. Postal votes arrive next week and in many wards, of those who vote, far more do so by post than at polling stations. So when the postal votes arrive next week, we are effectively having our first polling day. Circulation of the Lobley

Posted by Jonathan Wallace on Jonathan Wallace
Thu 11th
11:00

My tweets

Wed, 12:56: RT @DrJaninaRamirez: I just heard a relationship die in Oxford. Boy and girl walking together towards the Eagle and Child. Him: 'So you've... Wed, 14:58: Another classic shot of my bald patch. https://t.co/D7fg3wRj09 Wed, 15:54: My first ride with #Lime. Still getting the hang of it. Use referral code RXFU4AL to sign up and receive one free u... https://t.co/9GCdAU8MqT Wed, 16:05: The emerging Boeing 737 Max scandal, explained https://t.co/5aCZDCTZ0d Horrifying. Wed, 16:14: @Tom_DeWaal's book launch, at @Carnegie_Europe with @valasekt. (@ Carnegie Europe in Brussels)... https://t.co/QBANMGShfc Wed, 16:15: RT @nwbrux: @Tom_DeWaal's book launch, at @Carnegie_Europe with @valasekt. (@ Carnegie ...

The commentary on last night's EU summit was presented as Theresa May going to beg for favours from foreigners. I saw it a bit differently. You see, I see the EU 27 as my leaders. I'm a European. I'm a citizen of the European Union. These people, down a long and convoluted democratic chain certainly, are accountable to me. They are my leaders in the same way as the UK Government – although the latter infuriates me a lot more and pleases me a lot less – and the Scottish Government and my Council are. And, frankly, out of that ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice

A Merseyrail train at Bootle Oriel Road Station The Liverpool Echo has the article on its website – see link below:- With all the appalling rail services being offered around the UK in recent times the charge of 'crap service' has often been levied at companies such as Northern but rarely does the normally excellent Merseyrail system get called that. But the incident reported in the Echo gives a whole new mean to the phrase a crap rail journey!

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus
eUKhost

Issue 395 of Liberator is on its way to subscribers. Our first free sample article for this issue gives Liberator's take on the potential contenders – with varying degrees of probability – as the next leader following Vince Cable signalling his retirement. In the second Paul Hindley wonders why the Lib Dems won't grasp Liberal policies in place over decades offer solutions to the crises of Brexit and inequality, Both are on: www.liberatormagazine.org.uk Also in this issue: Getting on without us? – The UK may end up absent but European Parliament elections will be held in May. David Grace assesses ...

Posted by The Liberator Collective on Liberal Democrat Voice

This time last year Liverpool Lib Dems produced a detailed manifesto for the 2018 local elections. Nothing surprising about that you might think because that is what political parties should do before an election. The surprise, however, was that no ... Continue reading →

Posted by richardkemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?

[IMG: Related image] The New Statesman wins the prize for the most prescient cover picture, when it featured the Prime Minister and her colleagues as zombies, dragging us all towards oblivion. Yesterday's agreement by the other 27 European Union countries, that the UK should have an extension of time until the end of October, to finally leave with a deal (or not), means that we have now been given an extra period stretching from April Fool's Day to Halloween. By the time the 31st October has come around, and the House of Commons has rejected Theresa May's deal for the ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black
Thu 11th
07:00

'Out and About' Bus

 

Lib Dems demand more mental health support for World Parkinson's Day Today, for World Parkinson's Day, Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Judith Jolly has called on increased mental health support for those suffering with the disease. Speaking on World Parkinson's Day, Baroness Jolly said: People with Parkinson's have an increased likelihood of depression and anxiety due to the condition, and it is unacceptable to think that harassment and discrimination could be making this worse. With mental health issues common in people with Parkinson's, it is vital people have access to mental health support when they need it. The Tories must do ...

Posted by The Voice on Liberal Democrat Voice

Crest Nicholson has submitted a planning application to create an access from the A49 to the proposed development of 137 homes at Foldgate Lane. To meet national road safety guidelines, the A49 must be widened by 1.7 metres to accommodate a ghost island for traffic turning right into the development. An extensive visibility splay is needed for traffic leaving the site. The main casualty of this is more than 100 young-mature and semi-mature trees. There is a plan in place for replacement trees but these will take some time to mature, during which time at least a dozen homes will ...

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington

Theresa May did not exactly have a brilliant record as Home Secretary, but when David Cameron fell on his sword after losing his foolish EU Referendum — retreating to a custom-made writing shed to concoct his memoirs — Mrs May brushed rivals aside with the ease of someone running through a field of wheat. She [...]

Posted by jonathanfryer on Jonathan Fryer
Thu 11th
00:58

Our Twins 12 Years On

So its late where I am currently and I find myself reflecting. This time of year is always very difficult for me and my partner as it marks the darkest time of our lives. Reverse back for a moment to 2007, we had been married for less than a year and were looking forward to [...]

Posted by tompkin982014 on tompkin98blog