I had two meetings this evening. The first, at 5.30pm, was at Whickham Library. The monthly meeting of the trustees was over quicker than usual. There were no big agenda items. Instead, lots of small issues were handled. I then headed to the executive meeting of Sunniside History Society at Sunniside Club. The two big items on the agenda were the society's forthcoming trip to Bamburgh Castle
Growing up in Eccles, on the western outreaches of Salford, a few years after the Second World War, I was very conscious how drab and grey much of Greater Manchester was. Whereas the 19th century had seen an extraordinary industrial boom, propelling the city from a certain obscurity to global importance, the 20th century had [...]
Geoff Boycott bowling at the death in a world cup match? It really did happen. I once blogged my memories of the occasion - I was there - and recently posted a video of it. Here's how Mike Brearley remembers the day: It was in the final group match that Geoff Boycott's bowling became invaluable. We had always planned that he would bowl - it was not an off-the-cuff gamble, and he had already taken two wickets against Australia. But against Pakistan he took the decisive last two just as they looked capable of winning. In the past, Geoffrey has ...
Good news from Harborough FM, which is the best source of local news these days. Arts Fresco, Market Harborough's street theatre festival, will be held this year. It takes place on Sunday 15 September.
Dr Phillip Lee (Photo: The Wokingham Paper) A Conservative MP seems likely to defect to the Liberal Democrats...and I have to say it worries me. The member for Bracknell, Dr Phillip Lee, has been an outspoken supporter of a "People's Vote" on any Brexit deal and has consistently supported parliamentary sovereignty. He was the first minister to resign from the government (in June 2018) over its Brexit strategy and, last month, his local party passed a motion of no-confidence in him on the basis of his Brexit views. Last week Dr Lee gave an interview to LBC's Iain Dale in ...
Sky News says Philip Lee, the Conservative MP for Bracknell, was asked on an unnamed podcast whether he could quit the Tories and join the Liberal Democrats. It quotes his reply: "At the moment I'm increasingly feeling politically homeless. "The party I joined was the party of John Major and John Major, I think, is probably feeling like this judging by his contributions in recent weeks." "I'm really not comfortable about my party pushing for no-deal Brexit without proper consent of the public. "Purely on the national interest, I think it's wrong to do this. But party politically I think ...
Great to be out on the eve of poll with @mark4ceredigion talking to residents. We've got @WelshLibDems teams out across #BreconandRadnorshire and there's a real buzz in the air. In just over a days time we'll know the results, so make sure you vote tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/fGMDE6hbRL — Jane Dodds [IMG: 🏴] [IMG: 🇪🇺] [IMG: 🔶] (@DoddsJane) July 31, 2019 I'm enjoying camping just outside Llandrindod Wells in beautiful surroundings. The photo below shows the first tent I have erected since I took my Duke of Edinburgh award training some 45 years ago! My "yellow peril" vehicle is just on the ...
I have enjoyed being back in the editor's chair today. My role on LDV these days is to provide cover when members of the team are away, unwell, or, as today, busy fighting by-elections. I have been dealing with around eight submissions, some of which were more fully formed than others. Plus a few of those bizarre emails offering us guest posts on subjects ranging from setting up powers of attorney to tyre maintenance for car fleets. But one thing struck me quite forcibly: ignoring the SEO chancers – not one of those eight submissions was put forward by a ...
Here are my handy Twitter lists for all the Liberal Democrat MPs, MEPs and all the Lib Dem members of the House of Lords.
Non-fiction: 10 (YTD 29) Stepping Stones: Interviews with Seamus Heaney, by Dennis O'Driscoll Becoming, by Michelle Obama First Generation, by Mary Tamm The Making and Remaking of the Good Friday Agreement, by Paul Bew Better Than Sex, by Hunter S. Thompson 1913: The World Before the Great War, by Charles Emmerson For the Love of a Mother: The Black Children of Ulster, by Annie Yellowe Palma The Secret Lives of a Secret Agent, by Tim Crook Under the Molehill: An Elizabethan Spy Story, by John Bossy Small Wonder, by Barbara Kingsolver Fiction (non-sf): 3 (YTD 19) Gigi, by Colette The ...
The Guardian is much too partial to Jeremy Corbyn and the Labour party. It has no "known" regular Liberal contributor but it has completely partisan Labour columnists, such as Owen Jones and Polly Toynbee. I do what I can by way of letters but more of us need to put pressure on the paper. Last week the paper carried a completely one-sided diatribe on the Liberal Democrat role in the 2010 Coalition government. I immediately sent a letter in reply. A number of letters were published, some vaguely supportive of Liberal Democrats but there was no full rebuttal. Liberal Democrat ...
Lib Dem Voice is currently full of excited speculation about the timing and possibilities of an election. It is worth standing back a little. Who else really secretly wants an election? Certainly not Labour - it is difficult to think of an opposition in a less credible state. But Boris Johnson does. By tacking to the hard right he can destroy the Brexit party while the collapse of Labour means he has nothing to fear from that direction. His only care is a working parliamentary majority. He could not care less whether the Liberal Democrats get 50 seats or 150 ...
One week into Boris Johnson’s premiership, and Britain’s already looking more ridiculous.
Wed 31st
13:48
Why the Lib Dems need to attack Labour if they want to win big - and how they can do that effectivel...
One thing Jo Swinson got very right when she became leader of the Liberal Democrats was saying that, while she was more than willing to work with pro-Remain Labour MPs, she would not prop up a Jeremy Corbyn premiership. This is a key message for several reasons, not least of which is that taking Labour on is vital to securing electoral success for the Lib Dems. Many Lib Dem activists feel instinctively more comfortable attacking the Tories than going after Labour. In some ways this is understandable. Yet the next general election, and that could be mere weeks away, will ...
With a new leader comes a new beginning. Here are some thoughts. Liberal Democrats need to make a more positive case for staying in the European Union and address the fears of those who backed Brexit. We should argue for a real end to "austerity" which involves being honest about the government borrowing more and taxing more. We need to make the polluters pay for the damage they are causing to the environment. And we should re-invigorate local government, and local services, by returning to a realistic level of council tax. Yes, some of these suggestions will be unpopular but ...
Tue, 12:56: RT @pnh: New to Worldcon? This is 15 years old, but still good advice: https://t.co/dDl44TcXAa Tue, 16:05: RT @PVynckier: Leading by example. Cybersecurity Tech Accord welcomes new signatories and agrees to implement vulnerability disclosure poli... Tue, 16:28: RT @Dublin2019: Voting for the 2019 #HugoAwards and 1944 Retro Hugos will be closing soon! Remember to get your votes in before 8 a.m. (GMT... Tue, 16:49: RT @pmdfoster: The tune from 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly now playing in my head' https://t.co/ZYtk2jr89M https://t.co/Y2BoVwiHWu Tue, 17:00: 40 hours left to vote in the 2019 Hugo Awards and 1944 Retro ...
As vice chair of the Federal Policy Committee, I'm proud of the substantial policy papers that FPC is bringing for debate at this conference. The future of the NHS and care system (including the many threats to them from Brexit), making a serious effort to support the least well off in society, tackling knife crime and other crime, and a real actual plan for tackling climate change, are all major issues where our answers can really help us in communicating Liberal Democrat values to voters. They, and the many other motions, are the real work of conference and I hope ...
Liberal Democrat Voice team members Kirsten Johnson and Paul Walter in the Llandrindod Wells HQ office yesterdayRain. And more rain. That was the hallmark of yesterday. After a tentside Porridge Pot, I descended on the Llandrindod Wells HQ to find the place humming with activity. Liberal Democrat Voice was well represented. Team member and North Devon PPC, Kirsten Johnson was energetically canvassing. I ventured out into the rain-soaked Welsh hills with regular contributor Katharine Pindar and frequent commenter David Beckett was hard at work at the clerical desk. And we bumped into frequent commenter Mick Taylor later on. Christine Jardine ...
Have you joined the Liberal Democrats in the last few years? If so, it'd be great if you could do this survey on your experience of what it's like joining the party. And if you're a longer-standing member, if you can share this with newer members you know, that would be great – thanks! (If the embedded survey doesn't appear below or work properly, you can use this web link instead.) Create your own user feedback survey
Just when they thought they were home and dry with a no-deal Brexit and a US trade deal to back it up, members of Boris Johnson's inner circle must have hung their heads in despair at the latest obstacle to stand in their way. As the Guardian reports, the US congressional leaders and diplomats have warned that any future US-UK trade deal would almost certainly be blocked by the US Congress if Brexit affects the Irish border and jeopardises peace in Northern Ireland. The paper says that Boris Johnson has presented a trade deal with the US as a way ...
This Tuesday, July 30, Morocco celebrates twenty years of the reign of Mohammed VI. His father Hassan II had a turbulent reign, narrowly escaping several conspiracies and assassination attempts. He was a cultured, self-confident, joyful, cruel, instinctively ruling despot, admired for his "baraka" throughout the Arab world. Following the death of Hassan II, few people [...] The post Why Morocco needs to stay exceptional appeared first on Radix.
Following concerns from residents about graffiti at the top of Benvie Road, I am very grateful to the City Council's Rapid Response Team for its prompt response to my request to remove it - as you can see the fencing in question is now in a far more acceptable state : I have also raised with a landowner the need to tidy up the very overgrown ground opposite this fencing :
