On Wednesday night I sat contemplating some of our Liverpool Lib Dem team as they started stuffing envelopes, having just come in from door knocking or delivering. Most of our councillors were there and some of our key target ward ... Continue reading →
Coombe Junction Halt is one of only two halts left on Britain's railways - the other is the neighbouring St Keyne Wishing Well Halt. And with only 48 passengers a year, as well as being the least used station in Cornwall it is the second least used station in Britain. Only Shippea Hill in the Fens sees fewer passengers. This video features an interesting bit of railway operation and a fine viaduct. I wonder more people do not go there.
Ah, gone are the balmy days when I was a "strategist" in the eyes of The Economist. Now I've been demoted/promoted to being an "activist": It is the Liberal Democrats who are the most optimistic [about this May's local elections]. Councils that contain large numbers of Conservative Remain-voters are often overlooked by politicos, notes Mark Pack, a Lib Dem activist. Such voters are abundant in cities such as Chelmsford, which voted only narrowly to leave the EU in 2016. Although the Lib Dems face new competition on the national stage from Change UK, a new centrist party formed by disaffected ...
If the Liberal Democrat press people could have detected the start of an article about today's launch it would have read something like this: The Liberal Democrats launched their European election campaign on Friday in east London with a simple message, Stop Brexit, but expressed disappointment that there was not a single pro-Europe grouping. The "unapologetically pro-European party" slate of 70 candidates includes local councillors, a chartered engineer, a former journalist, and those who are new to politics. The party leader, Vince Cable, said it was a pity that Change UK, which launched its European election campaign last week as ...
Yesterday the Guardian had an article on Conservative council candidates who have been suspended over "racist and inflammatory posts". Here's one of them: Robin Popley, 28, who is standing for the Conservatives in Leicestershire as a candidate in the Charnwood borough and Shepshed town council elections for Shepshed East, has endorsed Facebook posts suggesting Sajid Javid was appointed home secretary to secure "the ethnic vote" and criticising Prince Harry for having a relationship with "a divorcee of mixed race". Popely "liked" a post that read: "I had a lot of time for Harry however his choice is way off. A ...
The only council by-election last night was in the Belle Vue ward of Shropshire Council, which takes in some reasonably comfortable Shrewsbury suburbs. You can read more about it in Andrew Teale's preview. This has long been a Labour ward, and last night they held it with the Liberal Democrats coming second with an increase in their vote. Belle Vue (Shropshire) result: LAB: 47.1% (+4.1) LDEM: 31.5% (+3.2) CON: 11.9% (-12.3) GRN: 5.1% (+0.6) UKIP: 4.5% (+4.5) Labour HOLD.https://t.co/Ud5Y73Jm21— Britain Elects (@britainelects) April 25, 2019What is striking here is the fall in the Conservative vote from 24.2 per cent to ...
Sometimes it's difficult to detect when the wind has changed. Now may be one of those times. For nearly three years we've been pushing for a referendum. We all know why. It was our only chance to get what we really want, remaining a full member of the EU. Consider, though, where we are now. The Tory/Labour talks are going nowhere. Theresa May keeps threatening to put binding options before the House of Commons and accept the result, but her party probably won't let her do that, and the House is unlikely to pass the procedural motion to allow those ...
While I remain in remission from MCL, my lovely wife Jane now has her own battles to face. I'm still too numb to process her news properly. It's a good job that others in the...Continue Reading The post Cancer: "Enough Of This, Thank You" appeared first on ten pence piece.
After we've convinced people to support our cause and collected data on who our likely supporters are, we have one stage left to get our best result in an election - Get Out The Vote (GOTV). How can we use our data to work out our tactics for polling day and the run up to it? Quite simply: we need to remind people who are likely to support us to use their vote. Talking to voters We know that talking to voters increases their propensity to vote at a given election so over the next few days – and particularly ...
I was excited when Layla Moran first spoke about setting the direction for our party's education policy. Layla spoke about involving experts more in setting policy, about working with the Education Endowment Foundation and other bodies who do hard-hitting research, and about putting evidence above ideology. The speech given to the NEU earlier this month was sadly not in keeping with this vision. While her comments on the need to lift teacher pay and school funding were spot on, the prescription for ending the 'culture of accountability' were not in keeping with expert opinion. First, it's worth pointing out that ...
Thu, 12:56: RT @JennieBujold: I'm no fan of the monarchy, but I'm genuinely grateful for Harry going out on a limb and supporting Mermaids like this. I... Thu, 14:06: RT @Maisie_Williams: if u feel uncomfortable just know that my mother and my step dad and my 2 sisters and my 4 brothers have all probably... Thu, 16:05: Why does Nigel Farage keep coming back to Clacton? Because it is nothing like Britain https://t.co/7hwcHhpCfK Brutal. But fair. Thu, 17:11: RT @BBCMarkSimpson: 'Dreams' by The Cranberries, sung beautifully and bravely by Morgan MacIntyre & Gemma Doherty ... on a day when the ...
About three years ago, Marley Hill Bowling Club invited me to a meeting so I could talk to them about what could be done to give the club a strong, long term future. I told them about community asset transfer, under which the club itself would take on a lease of the bowling green and run it themselves as a charitable group, thus opening up more external funding opportunities. The club
Knife crime and gang wars were the reason for me taking this photo (above) in a windy parking lot in Hertfordshire. I met with Kevin who gave me the lowdown on the issues facing his community and what he'd like the Lib Dems to do about it. Kevin has grown up in an area affected by gang violence and has managed to navigate his way around it sufficiently to have avoided much conflict and to establish a good life for himself and his family. But he's the exception, it seems. Kevin isn't a Lib Dem member or supporter (yet), but, ...
On Facebook this morning I found a Mirror article which focused on the dire state of the Conservative vote which is in meltdown in the local election campaign. As this is the Mirror, Labour's poor state was only mentioned in passing. In Gateshead our canvassing is finding it increasingly difficult to find Conservative supporters (admittedly their base here is tiny) and those we do manage to find
The acronym FBPE, often used as the hashtag #FBPE, pops up frequently on social media, especially Twitter. It stands for 'follow back, Pro-European Union' and is the label used by a campaign to cultivate a strong pro-European voice online. It has has been very successful in helping make this happen, as well as picking up strong hostility from the Daily Express. The basic idea is simple: use it to highlight your support for the pro-European / anti-Brexit cause and others of like minds can more easily find you and join the pro-European community. It's like a pro-EU version of the ...
With the local council elections less than a week away, the last thing that any party needs is to have to suspend candidates for misbehaving on social media. However, inevitably given the recent history of right wing infiltration into the party, that is what the conservatives have had to do. The Guardian reports that two Conservative local election candidates and a woman honoured with an MBE are among 40 new self-professed Tory members who have shared or endorsed racist and inflammatory Facebook posts including Islamophobic material: The torrent of racist posts include references to Muslims as "bin bag wearing individuals", ...
There was one council by-election yesterday, in the Belle Vue ward for Shropshire Council. This is a long-standing Labour-held ward. The Liberal Democrats were represented by James McLeod: Congratulations to James McLeod on officially becoming the Lib Dem candidate for Belle Vue. Born and bred in Shropshire, James lives on Hereford Road. Time to #DemandBetter on issues like school places, green bin charges, and council waste! pic.twitter.com/hk4o2Wxwyv — Shrewsbury Lib Dems (@ShrewsLibDems) March 27, 2019 * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist. He is one of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.
In order to transform our cities to deliver individual and societal wellbeing within the context of low-carbon living and resource security, we must take into account the economic, social, and political contexts and systems in which we operate. I don't often stray into the rarified world of academic research. But I have just come across [...] The post What kind of cities can deliver well-being? appeared first on Radix.
How many times have we watched politicians of all colours wringing their hands in an attempt to look like they are tackling our nationwide housing crisis? Far too many times. We've had 'Help to Buy' and all the other incentive schemes to get young folk onto the housing ladder but there's strong opinion that these initiatives do little more than put more money in developers pockets whilst probably keeping house prices high! But however you cut it none of these politician's schemes are addressing the real problem – the huge lack of social housing. Yes, we all know that this ...
I've been a Liberal, and then Liberal Democrat, for a long time - thirty-five years now. And, whilst I would prefer to deny it, I am a bit tribal in my politics. I probably cut those of my political family a bit more slack than I might otherwise do, possibly because I know them better. It's also possibly because I acknowledge that, as a liberal, life is complicated, and people's motivations are predicated on life experiences that I may very well be utterly unaware of. And, I know that people are flawed, myself included. Political parties, whilst apparently monolithic on ...
Fri 26th
08:29
Foodbank usage in Wales reaches record high as Government cuts support for the poorest households
A record number of people in Wales are being forced to turn to food-banks, according to figures released today by the Trussell Trust. In the year ending 31 March 2019, 113,373 emergency food packages were delivered to people in crisis in Wales. This is a 15% increase in the last year and a 42% increase on five years ago. Over 40,000 of the packages were given to children. Responding to this announcement, Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson Christine Jardine MP said: "These figures show the Conservative Government's failure to ensure that everyone in our society has financial security. "The ...
Fri 26th
07:04
Big drop in Conservative vote in last council by-election ahead of May local elections
After no council by-elections last week, it's just one this week: a Labour defence in Shropshire. Belle Vue, Shropshire James McLeod stood for the Liberal Democrats: Congratulations to James McLeod on officially becoming the Lib Dem candidate for Belle Vue. Born and bred in Shropshire, James lives on Hereford Road. Time to #DemandBetter on issues like school places, green bin charges, and council waste! pic.twitter.com/hk4o2Wxwyv — Shrewsbury Lib Dems (@ShrewsLibDems) March 27, 2019
I'm not particularly familiar with TED Talks, but this one has been bought to my attention, and gives a very convincing account of how carefully targetted messages on Facebook, probably with finance that was illegal, were used to influence receptive people to vote Leave in the 2016 Referendum. Well worth the time to watch it, and just wonder what else is happening to lead us astray. A friend of mine who is Irish has sent me a cutting from the Irish Times which gives an account of how the anti-EU press in Britain has dripped absurd information about the ...
From the City Council : THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of Street Lighting Column removal works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Nethergate (eastbound between Tay Street Lane and West Marketgait), Dundee. This notice comes into effect on Sunday 28 April 2019 for 1 day. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes are available via Nethergate / Perth Road / Hawkhill / West Marketgait. For further information contact 433082. Executive Director of ...
The Liberal Democrat candidate for the by-election of 23rd May will be Sheila Kingston-Jones.
