The novelty of Chuka Umunna as a new Lib Dem MP hasn't quite worn off yet. For the second day running our new Treasury Spokesperon tackled the Government, this time on measures to deal with late business payments, trying to nail their jelly to the wall. I thank the Minister for advance sight of her statement. She talked about the challenges facing small businesses. Brexit, of course, will cause huge disruption to small businesses' supply chains given the added bureaucracy and tariffs. This statement on late payments is welcome, but may I ask the Minister again the specific question put ...
Another London walk with John Rogers.
A few general elections back I was both working at party HQ and in, my spare time, volunteering as the data manager for a constituency campaign.
Jo's day started by tackling the Secretary of State for Scotland about the impact of Brexit and the prospect of No Deal on her constituency: Brexit is already having an impact on East Dunbartonshire's major employers. Aviva has announced that there will be job losses in the coming years, and a major engineering firm—an award-winning exporter—has told me about the negative impact Brexit is having on its business. Knowing what he does about the devastating impact on Scotland, how can the Secretary of State possibly countenance the no-deal or hard Brexit being offered by his colleagues in his party's leadership ...
Further support for my theory that the Conservatives' problem is that they are no longer Conservative came in the shape of a Telegraph front page the other day: Did Rory Stewart spy for MI6? Intrigue surrounds Tory candidate's past as leadership race intensifiesThat the paper thought that revealing that Rory Stewart had served his country in this way would damage him in the eyes of his fellow Tory MPs tells you all you need to know about those MPs. The subject of spies going into politics is an interesting one and there is an article about it on The Conversation. ...
I have just got this from a taxi driver who got it from two nuns, so it must be true. Father O'Dowd, the priest at Our Lady of Victories, Market Harborough, in the Seventies and Eighties, was the uncle of Boy George,
It's Wednesday, it's eve of poll, and there's a by-election in Merton Canvassing for the amazing @JeniferGouldCH in Cannon Hill by-election in Merton – polling day tomorrow! Labour vote softer than ever – fantastic doorstep response! email jenifer@mertonlibdems.org.uk if you can help tomorrow Come on #MertonMachine @LibDems pic.twitter.com/Yr6d9auJ9t — Ed Davey [IMG: 🔶] (@EdwardJDavey) June 19, 2019 Ed's website is here and you can follow him on Twitter here.
So as to better cover the Lib Dem leadership race and hence improve the information available to party members ahead of a key decision, I'm staying neutral in the contest. But the following is, for the reasons set out, crucial to deciding who to vote for – whichever candidate you are leaning towards. P.S. There is still time for party members to take part in my leadership election survey. Vince Cable's approach to working with other parties During his time as Liberal Democrat leader, Vince Cable had a triple-track approach to working with those who share (some of the) party's ...
A cycle down this path reasonably regularly and it has been getting more and more overgrown this summer, making it difficult in places for cyclists and pedestrians to pass each other not least because much of the overgrowth is nettles. What's more overhanging branches are also becoming a problem. I've raised the matter with Sefton Council's Footpaths/Rights of Way Officer.
Issue 396 of Liberator will soon be on its way to subscribers and the free sample article for this issue is Ed Davey and Jo Swinson giving their answers to Liberator's questionnaire to Lib Dem leadership candidates. The topics here are intended to get both to think about what the party is for and what it should do now that it has unexpectedly and suddenly recovered its political standing from the post-coalition doldrums. Here's what we asked the two candidates. For their answers see: www.liberatormagazine.org.uk Were the European election results a one-off or can the support gained be kept and ...
This week is Learning Disability Week. The theme is sport and inclusion. According to a Mencap survey of 18-35-year-olds, one-third spend less than an hour outside of their homes on a Saturday. Many feel isolated, excluded and lonely. Can you imagine only getting out for an hour and being at home the rest of the day? 49% of the survey respondents want to get out more but can't. We have 1.4 million people with learning disability in the UK. They are often marginalised and misunderstood. A lot of work still needs to be done to break down the stigma around ...
Wed 19th
12:32
Press release: Cross-party legal claim against Met Police for stalling on Leave campaign investigati...
Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake has joined a cross-party group of MPs in taking crowdfunded legal action against the Metropolitan Police in regards to electoral offences committed during the June 2016 EU referendum. Following revelations by whistleblowers, the Electoral Commission found three individuals and three campaign groups had committed electoral offences for which the highest fines permitted by statute were imposed. In line with its Enforcement Policy, the Electoral Commission referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police Service. In September of last year, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it had received over 2,000 documents and a full explanation from ...
A press release from the Liberal Democrats brings the news: Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesperson Tom Brake has joined a cross-party group of MPs in taking crowdfunded legal action against the Metropolitan Police in regards to electoral offences committed during the June 2016 EU referendum. Following revelations by whistleblowers, the Electoral Commission found three individuals and three campaign groups had committed electoral offences for which the highest fines permitted by statute were imposed. In line with its Enforcement Policy, the Electoral Commission referred the matter to the Metropolitan Police Service. In September of last year, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it ...
We've never seen this in Hong Kong before. Neither during the time of British colonization (1841-1997), nor in the current period of the 'One Country Two Systems' connection to China (HK with its own judicial, economic and political system; Beijing looking after defence and foreign affairs). The population took to the streets on a massive [...] The post Xi was right to back down. This is why. appeared first on Radix.
Happy birthday, B - you are 22 today. Your brother and I took you out for a walk on Sunday to one of your favourite places, the ruined Paterskerk in Tienen (named appropriately enough for Father's Day). You love the weird geometry of the church walls, and you enjoyed the sunshine and our company. As usual, it wasn't easy to catch your smile, but I managed it a couple of times. We can't do much for you, but we do what we can, and we are lucky to live in a country that makes it possible for you to live ...
Now that my selection as Northumbria PCC candidate has been sorted, I can announce my three main policies: Scrap the PCC role. It has been an expensive experiment that has failed (£3 million to pay for the by-election is just one example of the costs). The PCC role can be taken over by a joint body of local councils. I will make neighbourhood policing and addressing anti social behaviour my
Tue, 12:30: Just passed David Miliband in the street #BrusselsLife Tue, 12:56: RT @edwardlucas: Please read this if you would be in the least bothered by losing your Google drive, email etc. https://t.co/BlfRqOaUmh Tue, 13:40: RT @damonwake: The enlargement talks are going so well they've decided to have some more later. https://t.co/rEZOjwzwKC Tue, 14:35: RT @MSmithsonPB: Exactly 49 years ago today Ted Heath's Tories led CON to victory in the 1970 general election. This remains the only elect... Tue, 16:05: Read this and shudder. https://t.co/SEBkyxEx7b Tue, 17:12: RT @naijama: @nwbrux @Telegraph @JamesCrisp6 Actually, Mr. Raab lost me at: 'Who knew ...
Wed 19th
09:57
Here's the real reason that so many on the Right don't want Rory Stewart in the final two versus Joh...
Despite Boris Johnson's poor record as Foreign Secretary, having voted for May's deal, and a number of things we'll take this opportunity to gloss over here, he is the favourite to be the next Tory leader. Why? Because he's supposedly able to reach parts of the electorate other Tory MPs can't get to. Forget about the fact that BoJo blew this in 2016 when he went all Brexit on us, consider this point from the perspective of Rory Stewart. He is currently reaching other parts of the electorate that none of the other candidates are. In Johnson this is good, ...
Reflecting on yesterday evening's post, perhaps the more interesting story is that around 30% of Tory members are prepared to stop Brexit if they thought it would damage the country. It's only one data point,...Continue Reading The post On reflection perhaps unicornism is dying in the Tory party appeared first on ten pence piece.
Britain is still a world power with significant international obligations and a major player on the European scene – irrespective of whether she considers herself part of it or not. A clarification of how "European" Great Britain considers itself would be paramount for future relations with her neighbours. The British are often confused as to whether they are geographically part of Europe or not. A possible way out could be found when one looks at the scenario in post-war Germany in 1948/49. Germany in its bid for world power status had been decisively defeated, its territory reduced, divided and destroyed. ...
The Guardian has the article on its website – see link below:- And what makes this mind boggling situation, which the UK has put itself in, even more bizarre is that Brexit has the backing of the majority of the leadership of the Labour Party. A no deal Brexit would be 'economic lunacy' certainly but any form of Brexit will be worse than the deal the UK has with the EU now! My thanks to Roy Connell for the lead to this posting
It was long overdue, but at last the Electoral Commission has asked Nigel Farage's Brexit party to check the £2.5 million it has received in donations to ensure the money has come from legitimate sources. They will apparently oversee checks carried out by the party after criticising the way the party accepts gifts through online payment systems such as PayPal. And they have stipulated that any money that cannot be traced should be returned to the donor or given to the Treasury. The Guardian says that the request follows a report released by the commission last Wednesday, which said the ...
Vagrancy report shows why we need to scrap the Act Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran will today urge the Government to repeal the Vagrancy Act at the launch of Crisis' report into the case for repealing. The MP for Oxford West and Abingdon held a debate in the House of Commons in January on her campaign to repeal the Vagrancy Act, which criminalises rough sleeping in England and Wales. Ms Moran also introduced a Bill to repeal it in February 2018. The report says that the Act "does not tackle the problems people have, and there is evidence that it ...
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 Scottish Water ironwork repair works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Shepherds Loan (at its junction with Perth Road), Dundee. This notice comes into effect on Sunday 23 June 2019 for 1 day. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes are available via Magdalen Yard Road / Windsor Street / Perth Road. For further information contact 433082. Head of Roads and ...
Chuka Umunna is no stranger to holding the government to account. He spent four years opposing the Business Secretary, one Vincent Cable. The effect of that seems to have been the formation of a close friendship. Today he asked his first question as a Lib Dem on a touchstone liberal issue – the benefits of immigration and the awfulness of the Tory Government's policies: The King's Fund says that the earnings threshold in the Government's immigration proposals, which was mentioned earlier, will definitely impact on the ability to retain and attract NHS staff. The proposals for a transition period during ...
