Earlier this month, Change UK / The Independent Group picked up two MEPs, Julie Girling and Richard Ashworth. Both had been Conservative MEPs before losing that party's whip in a dispute over Brexit. Now Julie Girling has decided not to run as a Change UK candidate in the European Parliament elections: I have been following the online debate about how to maximise the "Remain Vote" in the coming European Elections with increasing dismay. I have decided to simplify the decision for the large numbers of constituents who have pledged their support to me personally by not accepting a place on ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Brynley Heaven looks at the problems besetting the Lincolnshire town of Grantham and finds solutions in some unexpected quarters. Violet Van Der Elst, the daughter of a washer woman and a coal heaver, took over Grantham Castle in 1937. Edward VII had tried to buy it before her, but had to settle for the less impressive accommodation at Sandringham. As chief promoter (and quite probably inventor) of Shavex shaving foam, Violet had become seriously rich and spent lavishly on interiors. Everything top drawer and in the grandest style, she received visitors in the great chair of the Doges of Venice. ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Greater Manchester Councils recently submitted an outline case to Government for a 'Clean Air' charging zone for Greater Manchester which would charge buses, lorries, vans and taxis for driving on Greater Mancheter's roads from 2021. (£100 a day for buses and lorries, £7.50 a day for taxis and vans.) One of our big concerns is the impact of the charge on buses, and bus users. Done badly the charges could increase pollution if bus companies run less services or put up fares to pay the charge. At the most recent Full Council meeting of Bury Council, Liberal Democrat Councillor Tim ...

Posted by timpickstone on Tim Pickstone

Three things have made me think of the nature of Liverpool politics recently. The first is the discussions, which have already been mentioned by Mayor Anderson, about changes in the way we hold council meetings. The second is the failure ... Continue reading →

Posted by richardkemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?

Liberal Democrat members from eight different boroughs (a quarter of London!) combined to head over to St Albans for some local election campaigning today.

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Just launched is the UK EU Party which, it says, "A new UK political party with one purpose, one policy: to stop Brexit." But will it just end up helping Brexiters win?

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Information from Pennine Care NHS Trust about the X-PERT patient programme for patients who live in Bury or the Rochdale and have type 2 diabetes? The aim is to improve your understanding of the condition, how it affects your body and how to make the best decisions to stay healthy and avoid life threatening complications. There are six group sessions, which last 2.5 hours each and are held in a convenient community location. Topics include healthy eating and tackling common food myths, medication, improving energy levels and fitness, how to lower blood glucose, blood pressure and blood cholesterol and more. ...

Posted by timpickstone on Tim Pickstone

Bury Adult Learning Service will be offering a wide range of courses during the summer that are open to all adults over the age of 19. Information from Bury Council: "Whether you are interested in computer skills, confidence building, childcare, developing your job skills, art, cake decoration, languages, sewing, making gifts with stained glass, soft furnishings/upholstery or creative writing, there is something for you. Courses start towards the end of April and are delivered at Bury Adult Learning Centre, Ramsbottom Library and Prestwich Library Adult Learning Centres and various community venues." To download a copy of the course guide, visit ...

Posted by timpickstone on Tim Pickstone

Stop Food Waste Day is an international day of action in the fight against food waste which is a serious and growing problem. Roughly one-third of the food produced globally is either lost or wasted every year. Find out more about the day here. Read tips for what we can do to reduce food waste. Here is information from Greater Manchester Waste on reducing food waste.

Posted by timpickstone on Tim Pickstone

Second paragraph of third chapter: Es sollte tatsächlich der Tag werden, an dem er Abschied nehmen musste. Er dachte, es wäre der Bauch. Sein großer Blähbauch drückte gegen seine Lunge und presste sie zusammen, so empfand er es und er meinte, dass das der Grund für seine Atemnot wäre, die immer wieder wie ein Seufzen klang. The day would surely come when he would have to take his leave. He thought it would be his stomach. His large potbelly was pressing against his lungs, forcing them together. That was what it felt like and he supposed it was the reason ...

YouGov

Contemporary Iran is much maligned and little understood in the West, especially in Washington, where the Trump administration (like several of its predeccessors) views Iran as the devil incarnate. Of course, the Islamic Republic returns the compliment by frequently calling the United States the Great Satan. Each country has good reason to object to some [...]

Posted by jonathanfryer on Jonathan Fryer
Mon 22nd
12:19

Printing and delivering

This is a bit of catch up from a couple of weeks ago. I seemed to spend much of my time in the Lib Dem office in Consett printing leaflets for Birtley and Lobley Hill and Bensham wards. Both wards are developmental campaigns where we are aiming to build up a strong base in the ward for future gains. Most of my activities are captured on my video diaries listed here.

Posted by Jonathan Wallace on Jonathan Wallace

It's officially Spring, but the weather appears less certain. Some days we get a bit of sunshine, the next a downpour of rain. Well it is April! Here is what we have been up to since our last update. WARD NEWS The pond and fountain in the library gardens Works to restore the pond and [...]

Posted by jaynemccoy on Diary of a Sutton Councillor
Mon 22nd
11:00

My tweets

Sun, 12:56: UK-born baby of parents with right to remain given six-month tourist stamp https://t.co/QxwO0SZdc6 "she [the baby]... https://t.co/uE4iWfGRm5 Sun, 12:58: RT @ytterbiumcon: On how she drew Ada Lovelace... "I was in the pub with @Suw, and she said 'you should draw... as a woman in tech. and I was l... Sun, 14:41: Bitter Angels, by C. L. Anderson https://t.co/k2wD21dSvm Sun, 14:51: RT @bellinghman: . @rhipratchett @tadethompson @BohemianCoast to be Guests of Honour at Eastercon 2020, yay! Sun, 14:58: RT @rowena_kay: Whilst we're enjoying 2016 takes: "Whether or not Brexit can be made to work financially will depend to a ...

Change UK reports that among 3,700 applicants to be their candidates in the Euro elections are 105 former Lib Dems, along with 895 former Labour activists and dozens of former Tories. Why would former Lib Dems join Change? Did they leave our party in the rout of the Coalition and haven't been won back since? Do they think they have a better chance of getting elected now with Change? Or do they simply feel that in the current British political crisis some real change is essential to unstick it? The trouble with the last argument is that it isn't the ...

Posted by Katharine Pindar on Liberal Democrat Voice

If Labour are going to put the whole anti-Semitism row behind them then they need to stop scoring own-goals. Unfortunately for those activists who want to go out and campaign on other issues, the party leadership just cannot help themselves. Thus, as the Independent reports, the author of an open letter that claimed a protest organised by Jewish community groups over antisemitism in the Labour Party was the work of a "very powerful special interest group" has now been selected as a Labour council candidate: The letter, which was endorsed by thousands of Jeremy Corbyn supporters and reported by The ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

Vintage Ribble bus photoed at the West Lancs Light railway in 2018 I posted recently about the 100th anniversary of the founding of Ribble Buses in 1919 – here's a link back to that posting:- Well the other day I bumped into a chap who is deeply involved in organising the Ribble 100 celebrations and I gained more of an understanding about activities throughout 2019 to mark the centenary. Here's the detail:- And finally here's a link to the Ribble Vehicle Preservation Trust's website:- www.rvpt.co.uk/

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

You know when a political party is struggling at a very local level due to the unpopular actions of their leader because they put out leaflets like the one above that has recently been circulated in a Derbyshire ward. Of course we've been here before – Thatcher at her worst became a local elections liability for the Tories, likewise Blair (over Iraq) and indeed Brown at times for Labour and of course the Lib Dem's Clegg following his Tuition Fees U-turn.

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 22 APRIL 2019 Glamis Drive - closed for one week for footway resurfacing works. Nethergate (Tay Street Lane to West Marketgait) - closed eastbound on Sunday 28 April for Street Lighting work. Brook Street (at Edward Street) - temporary traffic lights for 10 days for SSEN works. Perth Road (Roseangle) - temporary traffic lights on Saturday 27 April for BT works. Forthcoming Roadworks Nethergate (at West Marketgait) - eastbound lane restrictions from Monday 29 April for 2 weeks for Scottish Water work. Perth Road ...

The new episode of A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs is up. This one focuses on "Maybellene" and Chess Records, and covers key signatures, contracts, and Lil Nas X.

Posted by Andrew Hickey on Sci-Ence! Justice Leak!
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