We had a great canvass session in Bill Quay in Pelaw and Heworth ward tonight. There was a positive response on the doorsteps which reminded me of the reaction we had from people before the Coalition years. I'm not going to predict victory on the basis of this canvass but I do feel buoyed by it. Labour held the seat here last year by only 100 votes. It could be close again.
This morning I delivered a large number of letters to constituents in Sunniside and Marley Hill who vote by post rather than at polling stations. Postal votes arrive this week so the letters I delivered focused on my record as councillor for Whickham South and Sunniside for the past 32 years and my priorities for the area in the years ahead. Last year we got about two thirds of the votes cast
Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Layla Moran today used a speech at the National Education Union to demand an end to the 'teaching to the test' culture by scrapping league tables, Ofsted and high-stakes testing in primary schools. Speaking at the conference, Ms Moran warned that the Government cannot create an education system that gives every child the "opportunity to flourish" when teachers are "over-worked, under-paid and pressured to the point of sickness." Ms Moran also encouraged delegates to contribute to her newly launched independent Education Commission's call for evidence. The Commission intends to develop a vision for the school system ...
Having surveyed our new footbridge, I made my way into town. On a path near Little Bowden Green I came across a wood pigeon being observed with distant interest by a cat. Because of the sun I could not see exactly what was in the viewfinder, but the photo above had captured the scene. Then I had a look at the one where I had zoomed in on the cat. After a while the pigeon flew away and I approached the cat along the path. It galloped off and you can just see it disappearing in the third photograph, By ...
Rachel Reeves celebrates the way women MPs have transformed politics, The Conservatives - in government and beyond - have stopped thinking about economics, says.Stian Westlake. "Despite the internal divisions he did keep his Party together. There was the impressive fourth election victory in 1992, and he revived the party's social agenda. The economy grew continuously, and he bequeathed one of the best economic legacies to his successors." Kevin Hickson and Ben Williams argue that John Major's premiership deserves more credit than it is usually given. "Asian parents do their utmost and hammer a sense of worth and an unrivalled work ...
Someone I work with told me her father says "I hope they get off" every time horse trials are mentioned. Wednesday With the scents of spring in the air, I remember this morning the horse trials I used to hold every May. They were a fixture in the social calendar of this corner of Rutland and the crowds would throng the lanes that lead to the Hall. How people booed and jeered as the long-faced defendants were led in! Time, however, moves on: juries became less and less willing to convict and Liberal social reform grew to favour schemes to ...
Just to wish residents a Happy Easter, and a Happy Passover. Passover begins on the evening of this Friday (19 April 2019) and ends on the evening of 27 April 2019. All of our local churches will have special services and activities over the weekend. More information: Our Lady of Grace, St Mary's, St Margaret's and St George's (Simister) and both Methodist Churches. Information on St Gabriel's and St Hilda's can be found at this Church of England Website. According to the Manchester Evening News, the temperature over the Easter Weekend will be warmer in Greater Manchester than in Menorca..... ...
THE Rock shopping centre is hosting a two-day reading event this Easter. The free event will feature children's favourite The Gruffalo, as well as a host of pirate-themed, Treasure Island fun. There will also be character appearances, a read and relax area and a creation station where children can make book marks and treasure maps. Visitors can also take part in a Reading Rocks Quest where they can win an Easter prize by finding all the reading-related images in the shop windows Meanwhile, there will also be prizes for the best fancy dress and goody bags for visitors attending the ...
Second paragraph of third chapter: The friends shook themselves off, checked for scrapes and bruises, and then turned to thank their saviour. She was slighter in build than the others they had already met, but still manifestly the same species. She gleamed jet black in the half-light, and when she moved, flecks of mica shimmered all over her body. First (I think) of the new novels featuring the Thirteenth Doctor and the new Team Tardis. This is a well-paced and well-written book that captures the regular characters very well. I was a bit less convinced by the setting - a ...
We all feel it. Brexit is a battleground. It's muddy trenches that stink to high heaven whichever side of it you're on, and like sticky quicksand it's near impossible to escape. What's more, the confrontational atmosphere is contributing to a mental health crisis in our political system, one that needs addressing fast. For someone used to running fast-paced action days and writing punchy election literature, sometimes it can be hard not to view politics like a war. Elections become a battle of attrition. Your opponent is your enemy. Your leaflets are your ammunition. Your voters are a vital resource you ...
I have been on holiday over the last week and intermittently catching up with British politics because, well, even on holiday I can't quite let it go. This weekend, I happened upon the David Lammy story in which he compared the ERG to the Nazis. When confronted by Marr on his programme, Lammy decided to double down. Asked if comparing the ERG to the Nazis, and indeed the South African apartheid regime was fair, Lammy said that "I would say that that wasn't strong enough". Being abroad, I figured that Lammy and most of his followers would be embarrassed by ...
Sun, 15:59: BSFA Short Fiction and Non-Fiction, 2018 https://t.co/baAR7tSfsD #275 Sun, 20:48: RT @davidallengreen: This thread is a summary of why I think George R R Martin does the legal side of the Song of Ice and Fire so well. I... Sun, 22:38: RT @alexwilcock: Happy birthday, Terrance Dicks, who wrote the first #DoctorWho story I ever saw. Without whom... So I most especially love R... Mon, 10:45: RT @DPhinnemore: "We failed to recognise the absolute unassailability of the four freedoms... Our mutual recognition ask was seen to be che...
Following my own advice on how important it is to go campaigning in the local elections, on Easter Monday I'll be joining Lib Dems from Camden and elsewhere to head over to St Albans.
Mon 15th
10:24
New social media accounts for your delectation: PollBase and Never Mind The Bar Charts
In the last couple of weeks, I've spawned some new social media accounts which I hope you'll find useful. As always, the focus is on providing relevant political information with a strong flavour of evidence thrown in: PollBase – my huge database of voting intention polls – now has its own Facebook page, on which will also appear regular round-ups of the latest polls. Just the place to be to make sense of what's really happening in amongst all the excitable chatter and half-reports of voting intention figures. Never Mind The Bar Charts – my podcast with Stephen Tall – ...
Rape is not a matter anybody should be making jokes about. It is a vile and indefensible crime that should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. So when Carl Benjamin tweeted to the Labour MP. Jess Phillips, "I wouldn't even rape you" after she spoke of being sent rape threats, one would expect any political party to condemn the statement in strong and unequivocal terms. Mr. Benjamin is now a UKIP European Parliament candidate for the South West England constituency. He was selected, according to his party leader, after an exhaustive process. However, when that same leader ...
One of the most long-lasting impacts of Brexit will be the way it has shaken up traditional political allegiances. The weakness of the Lib Dems since the 2015 election has already spawned a dozen or more would be 'centrist' parties to compete in the ever-widening ground at the heart of British politics. The formation of [...] The post Why the time is not now for a new centrist alliance appeared first on Radix.
Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake has accused Labour and the Conservatives of being "hopelessly divided" and said only the Liberal Democrats have a "clear offer" ahead of European elections. The comments come after Iain Duncan Smith called on the Prime Minister to resign and Jeremy Corbyn was warned by Labour's MEP group leader that he must back a People's Vote or lose a generation of young people.Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake said:"At this time of national crisis, people are demanding real leadership. However, the Tories only offer internal party plotting while the Labour leadership is desperate to avoid committing ...
Speaking after the Home Office admitted to a breach of EU citizens' data, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said: "The Settled Status scheme only launched two weeks ago, and already the Home Office is proving it can't be trusted to manage it properly. "We've already heard far too many cases of EU citizens facing technical problems or being wrongly refused. Now 240 have had their privacy compromised. "And it will only get worse if Brexit goes ahead. On this evidence, we are heading straight for another Windrush scandal. "The 3.5 million EU citizens in the UK deserve better, ...
We do not yet know whether the UK electorate will be privileged to take part in the EU elections. If our government or parliament manages to cobble together some sort of deal before the election date, 22nd May, then we're "out" and naturally can't take part. But clearly, the parties have to make preparations "just in case." It is widely believed that, since the UK's Euro-elections are held under a (very crude) PR system, there is no need for the dedicated Remain parties (Liberal Democrats, Greens and Tiggers, if they decided to stand) to co-operate, because wasted votes for one ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 15 APRIL 2019 Glamis Drive - Invergowrie Drive to Hillside Road (Phase 1) and Hillside Road to Glamis Road (Phase 2) - closed in phases as stated for Monday 15 April for 2 weeks for footway resurfacing works. Only one phase closed at any one time. Riverside Esplanade - off-peak nearside lane closure on from Monday 15 - Wednesday 17 April for building maintenance.
