Huffington Post has got hold of a copy of the election address leaflets being prepared by the Labour Party for use in the European Parliament elections.
I do not know much about gods; but I think that the river Is a strong brown god—sullen, untamed and intractable...This is the last of the videos in this series. You can find them all on Minimum Labyrinth. If I ever do a series like this on Leicester, I shall begin with the Humber Stone.
A pig yesterday Outdoor Revival wins our Headline of the Day Award. The judges dedicated today's contest to the late Joe Grundy.
Stamford Meadows are celebrated for their views of the town and their wildlife - which on Saturday seemed to consist largely of swans and dogs. It was on this walk that I found the town's old medicinal spring and by the end of it could see the heroic industry of Ketton cement works.
I'm just back from Pelaw and Heworth ward where I've been canvassing for Lib Dem candidate Paul Diston. Another positive set of results. There was no sign of a vote for Conservatives, Greens or UKIP. We did find a former Labour voter who recently switched to the Conservatives but is voting Lib Dem in the local elections. Quite a journey! Overall, once we number crunched the figures (a large
[IMG: Being a low to middle income earner in a picturesque place can end up costing you] There is a housing crisis on the Island of Arran, Scotland, which is resulting in some islanders having to live in caravans due to homes being bought by the well-off as holiday lets or second... The post Being a low to middle income earner in a picturesque place can end up costing you appeared first on A Feminist Mum making a difference.
Ainsdale Station during rebuilding – October 2017 I've posted before about the rebuilding of Ainsdale Station on the Liverpool – Southport Northern Line of Merseyrail. My most relevant blog about it is accessible via the link below:- And a quick reminder of the Southport Visitor newspaper story of 2nd August 2017:- Now if I told you that it seems the Police Hub is hardly, if at all, in use still in April 2019 you may be a little surprised based on on previous publicity. Who's got the key? Is there any internet available? When will the girls and ...
Opening of Act III:Four weeks later. The scene is the same save that the room is in a far more advanced state of disorder with posters, stationery, banners, flags and all manner of electioneering paraphernalia. A clock shows that it is about nine in the evening. The curtains are drawn. MARGARET is sitting disconsolately alone on the sofa, which is facing the audience towards the left of the stage. KELLY is listening on the phone, bending over a small table towards the right. There is complete silence for a few seconds after the curtain goes up. KELLY: What? What? (MARGARET ...
Thu 25th
17:10
We have to defend open debate and democratic government against fears of dark forces and betrayal
Most of us never see most of the social media that feeds conspiracy theories about the European Union. As we have all learned, the algorithms operate to feed back to consumers stories that confirm their existing views, not challenge them. When the wilder beliefs filter through into letters to newspapers, the deepest prejudices have often been removed. A letter in the Yorkshire Post last week, for example, warned of the threat of German domination, and referred to the re-emergence of 'militarism in Germany'. Anyone who follows German military expenditure will know that German forces are under-equipped and poorly trained, suffer ...
At the end of last year, Shropshire Council came up with proposals to strictly control the way businesses place A-Boards outside their premises and sometimes much further away. A minority of A-Boards are placed carelessly and are an impediment to the partially sighted and mobility impaired. The council proposals were rejected as over the top by the Place Overview committee. Now Shropshire Council is asking town and parish councils their views. I am surprised that it is not also asking traders but I would suggest that any traders with concerns should respond either to their local council or directly to ...
Responding to International Trade Secretary Liam Fox's climate change comments today, Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat Climate Change Spokesperson, said: "The Conservative Government are finally showing their true colours, as apologists for climate change denial. While their ranks have many who reject the scientific evidence that humans are contributing to climate change, the Government at least accepted what was happening, but now it seems they've changed their mind. "In a week where protesters have filled the streets of London and activist Greta Thunberg has visited Parliament, it is outrageous that Liam Fox is now legitimising those who deny climate change."Climate change ...
Thu 25th
15:40Message to Extinction Rebellion: Flying is here to stay - but we need to reduce its carbon footprint
It was 13 July 2005, and I was sitting in an office in Madrid when I got the dreaded phone call to tell me that my father, who had been suffering from cancer, was slipping away. By that evening I was by his bedside in Surrey, and held his hand as he died the next morning. I am very glad, to this day, that I got back in time. Extinction Rebellion had the intention on Good Friday of disrupting flights at Heathrow. 'Terribly sorry' – they said – 'if your Easter getaway is delayed' – fortunately none were. Delaying an ...
As a lifelong active member of the Dutch party "Democrats 66" (D66), I know how difficult constitutional, structural and cultural improvements of state (and European) democracy can be. My party had both improving national democracy (example: direct election of the prime minister who would lead the formation of the post-election coalition government) and direct European elections in its 1966 founding manifesto, As anybody consulting Wikipedia can read, D66 was founded by a coalition of both members of existing parties (including an orthodox Marxist one) and unaffiliated, new citizens who'd become concerned that Dutch politics was stagnating and becoming oligarchic. (From ...
Yesterday the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Vince Cable, secured an Urgent Question to ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Saudi government following the mass execution of 37 people yesterday.In the House of Commons Vince Cable raised the killing of 37 people, including three minors, calling the UK government morally compromised in their dealings with the regime. In the chamber Vince Cable asked the Secretary of State: "Was the Government aware that at least three of these 37 were minors, and most appear to have been tortured into making ...
Liberal Democrat MP Christine Jardine has today called on the Conservative Government to end the breaches of human rights for women in Northern Ireland by decriminalising abortion. Ms Jardine was responding to the report from the Women and Equalities Committee which has warned of a lack of scrutiny and a continuing failure of the UK Government to respond to international human rights obligations. Ms Jardine said: "Women in Northern Ireland are being left behind. Women's physical and mental health is being jeopardised due to the near total ban on abortion in Northern Ireland. "The UN has told the Conservative Government, ...
Embed from Getty ImagesVince Cable has today declined an invitation to a state banquet with Donald Trump. In a letter to Palace staff organising the impending state visit in June, Mr Cable said: I have taken the view that as a party leader I should not support state visits where the government of the day has issued invitations inappropriately. I did not accept an invitation to attend a State Banquet with the King of Saudi Arabia for that reason. I hope and trust Her Majesty The Queen will understand that I decline this invitation out of no disrespect to her. ...
Thu 25th
11:28
Why the future of the Liberal Democrats is completely riding on what happens next Thursday
One week from today, large parts of England and all of Northern Ireland will vote in local elections. It used to be that local elections saw the governing party get walloped, while the number of seats gained by the official opposition (and where they were gained) were taken apart by psephologists, both professional and armchair, in an attempt to ascertain who was bound to win the next general election. Since 2010, this hasn't exactly been the case. The Tories have done very well in local elections for a governing party since coming to power. In fact, if you take the ...
We had another good canvass in Dunston last night. Again, we went to areas where Labour are traditionally stronger. Labour supporters here seemed more prepared to admit their party colours to us than was the case on Tuesday. The flip side is that people backing us were much more likely to say so as well. We identified a good number of people as Lib Dem supporters from whom we have not
Over the last few weeks I've had the pleasure of participating in some conversations, on a dark corner of the internet, about values-based campaigning. Over the last few days I've had the delight of seeing this break out of the dark corner, when Henry Wright (candidate for Cherry Hinton, Cambridge) shared what he'd been creating and why he joined the Lib Dems in the first place: I joined @LibDems because I saw a party where what mattered wasn't where you were from, what your background was or who you were but what you could achieve. Because in our Britain, who ...
So I'm sure everyone has now seen this Daily Mail story Change UK group plots to destroy the Lib Dems Some follow-ups that lend credence: Heidi Allen refusing to answer a question about it from legend Steve Bray Change UK executing the strategy From which I quote: "none of the main parties are making a positive case for a People's Vote and staying in the EU" I expect the Greens, SNP and Plaid aren't too happy with that either. Let us not forget that at the launch of TIG (as was), Angela Smith said the "Lib Dems lost the trust ...
Wed, 12:56: The myth of a 10-year grace period, Brexit and trade talks with the EU https://t.co/CM54MhJT5f In case you needed t... https://t.co/vfUfz5xd87 Wed, 14:46: Fantastic, moving, gutwrenching speech by Stephen Lusty at Lyra McKee's funeral. Wed, 16:05: Who Are They? Jenny Turner reports from the Battle of Ideas https://t.co/oQU97CMfqZ An old piece, I know, but inter... https://t.co/fxmwpHNqiE Wed, 16:33: RT @MartinMcAuley: Powerful. https://t.co/2trGMn6wKA Wed, 18:36: Present Danger, ed. Eddie Robson https://t.co/P28PkN6sdK Wed, 19:29: Considering the ERG are so very bad at counting up for parliamentary votes, why should anyone take their economic a... https://t.co/lFZTGPSEtB Wed, 19:47: RT @unamccormack: Greta ...
The Mail has published a leaked memo from Change UK which sets out its current strategy in relation to the Lib Dems. It is a bit of a shock. We were hoping that there would be co-operation between Change UK and our party. However, the one page of the memo (it's not clear if there are more unleaked pages) makes it clear that the authors want to stamp out the Lib Dems and, basically, replace us. They basically want to grab our money, members and policies. There is only a small measure of co-operation on "certain issues" mentioned at the ...
The narrative has gained ground – maybe it's even solidly embedded – that the Euro elections, if they happen, will be a proxy Remain-Leave referendum. Not only is this nonsense, but by continuing to back this narrative, Remain parties may be committing an act of self-immolation. First, the idea that this is somehow a 'referendum'. [...] The post The nonsense of a proxy referendum appeared first on Radix.
Having launched their new party with a huge fanfare, the Independent Group, or Change UK as they prefer to be called, have come back to earth with a bump. As the Guardian reports, within 24 hours of announcing their candidates for the European Parliament, the new party has started to lose them. The paper says that Joseph Russo, who had been due to top the party's list in Scotland, will no longer stand after posts emerged including one that said "black women scare me". The tweet, from 2012, went on to say: "I put this down to being chased through ...
From Sheena Wellington : Saturday 27th April : Christine Kydd, singer and songwriterWighton Heritage Centre - Central Library - starts 11am Check any online folk music station or magazine these days and chances are that there will be someone running out of superlatives to describe Christine Kydd's latest CD "Shift & Change." Christine is, of course, one of Scotland's leading, award-winning singers and recording artistes. With eclectic tastes, she is best known for her treatment of traditional and contemporary songs and her solo set is as likely to include self-penned songs as the work of Marra, Springsteen, Hulett, Wellington, McVicar, ...
