Jo Swinson today announced her new Shadow Cabinet. I was pleased to see my friend Ed Davey has been appointed Shadow Chancellor and Business and Energy Secretary. I was also pleased to see Christine Jardine appointed as Shadow Home Secretary. Last year she spoke at the North East Lib Dem regional conference. I was impressed by her. The Shadow Cabinet in full is: Jo Swinson: Leader Ed
Time for another walk with John Rogers. This time he takes us along the Thames Path from Waterloo to Putney. You can continue the walk to Richmond in another video posted on this blog.
They move quickly in Shropshire. At the start of the month I blogged about the resignation of Jonny Keeley, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Bishop's Castle. Today I learnt that the by-election will take place on 12 September and that the Lib Dem candidate is Ruth Houghton. Judging by the this photograph, she has the makings of a first-class councillor.
I'm off to Birmingham Edgbaston this Saturday for a fundraiser to help the great local team who finished second in the European elections: Edgbaston Lib Dems are pleased to host Mark Pack at our general election fundraising event. Mark is a well known author, podcaster, blogger and election analyst. Mark's talk is titled: "Why did we do so well in the local and euro elections, and how do we repeat this?" The Lib Dems finished second in the Euro elections in Birmingham Edgbaston this year. With an autumn general election looking increasingly likely, Mark's wise words should help us deliver ...
One day last year Norman Lamb woke up in his London flat with double vision, which did not clear. According to this newspaper story, he called his sister who is a GP, and she advised him to go to A&E immediately. When he got there he was sent to the eye clinic for eye tests after which the staff told him that there was nothing wrong. But when he rang his sister again she feared a brain tumour. She told him not to leave the hospital but to go along to the neurovascular department. Once there he had an MRI ...
Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds has stated it is an honour to be named Shadow Cabinet Member for Wales and for Food and Rural Affairs in Jo Swinson's first Shadow Cabinet. In announcing her Shadow Cabinet, Jo Swinson declared she has built a team that will provide "the real alternative our country needs".The Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet is 50/50 gender balanced and has a membership of 15% BAME.Kirsty Williams is also in the Shadow Cabinet as a Spokesperson for Wales.Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds commented:It is an honour to be given two vital roles in my party's Shadow ...
Some time ago I said that Sarah Wollaston would be daft to defect to us with her personal vote, and she'd basically have a job for life in Totnes as an independent if she wanted it. I wasn't coming entirely from ignorance; [IMG: [personal profile] ] matgb grew up in the area and his parents still live there. I was so sure of this that I said I would eat my Food HellTM of lamb if she did. So of course she defected to us. Below is the result, presented in Jackie-esque photo story form. Click to embiggen. Note the ...
Haltemprice and Howden constituency has a newly selected Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC): Linda Johnson. The local paper reports: Her selection in a seat which Tory MP David Davis comfortably retained in 2017 comes as speculation continues to mount over the prospect of a snap general election later this year. She said: "I am delighted that local Lib Dem members have put their trust in me, and I look forward to campaigning with them against the sitting Conservative MP. "The next general election will almost certainly be fought just on Brexit. However, the country faces much bigger challenges like ...
Wed 21st
18:22
The Early Life of Samuel M. Wickersham, based on his writings 1819-1862, ed. E.W. Hoffman
Second paragraph of first letter from third month of correspondence with Fanny: I would, if it was consistent with the duties now dwelling upon me, have been with you this morning, but I can not, I must forgo for a while that pleasure, that duty. My second cousin once removed, Edward Wickersham "Wick" Hoffman, inherited from his mother a box which had originally contained bottles of Majorska Vodka. On closer investigation, he discovered that it contained a large number of family documents, which he has done us the great service of transcribing and publishing. In this first volume of four, ...
[IMG: Las Vegas, bucket list and my midlife] I have wanted to visit Las Vegas since my teenage years. At the age of 56, I have finally made it. The post Las Vegas, bucket list and my midlife appeared first on @ambitiousmamas.
Liberalism has a rich history of radicalism from the People's Budget, to Beveridge through to the more recent opposition to the Iraq war. The latter event had the effect of placing the Lib Dems to the left of Labour and resulting in some spectacular electoral successes at the expense of Blair's discredited administration. It was this progressive party of Liberals that attracted me in my home town where council seats were being won and where Gareth Epps pushed Labour into third place in the East constituency at the 2010 General Election. Then came coalition with the old enemy the Conservatives, ...
The Young Liberals have launched their annual recruitment campaign which will feature in universities all over the country, leading with a "Stop Brexit" campaign. The Liberal Democrat youth wing produces materials for students to launch into a year of campaigning on their campus, and to recruit new members at university Freshers Fayres. This year, the Young Liberals will be campaigning on 'Stop Brexit', 'Demand Action' [on the climate emergency], 'Demand Dignity' [on campus period poverty], and 'Teach Love' [on LGBT inclusive sex education]. The youth wing will be running the period poverty campaign on university campuses which do not already ...
At the recent Worldcon, I was asked to moderate a panel on "Using SFF as sandboxes for ideas on politics and society", with co-panellists Eyal Kless from Israel, Sam Hawke from Australia and Taiyo Fujii from Japan. It was quite an experience to run a discussion between participants with such varied backgrounds, and I am afraid that I did not keep notes from most of the discussion. Towards the end, though, I asked the panellists to share some sff that they felt explored political ideas in an interesting way, and these were the responses - not by any means an ...
Stopping Brexit requires winning at least one vote in the House of Commons. Which is why Jeremy Corbyn's plan is wrong.
Wed 21st
13:27
New Lib Dem Shadow Cabinet revealed, including substantive roles for both former leaders
Alongside key staff appointments, Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has also now revealed her first Shadow Cabinet line-up. Good to see both former leaders Tim Farron and Vince Cable take up substantive roles. Jo Swinson Leader Ed Davey Chancellor of the Exchequer Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Chuka Umunna Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs International Development International Trade Christine Jardine Home Department Justice Women and Equalities Deputy Chief Whip Tom Brake Exiting the European Union Duchy of Lancaster Jamie Stone Defence Scotland Vince Cable Health and Social Care Layla Moran Education Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Wera Hobhouse Climate Change and ...
The Evening Standard wins our Headline of the Day Award.
Jo Swinson has just announced her Shadow Cabinet. Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Jo Swinson Leader Ed Davey Chancellor of the Exchequer Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Chuka Umunna Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs International Development International Trade Christine Jardine Home Department Justice Women and Equalities Deputy Chief Whip Tom Brake Exiting the European Union Duchy of Lancaster Jamie Stone Defence Scotland Vince Cable Health and Social Care Layla Moran Education Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Wera Hobhouse Climate Change and Environment Transport Tim Farron Housing, Communities and Local Government Work and Pensions North of England (Northern Powerhouse) Alistair Carmichael Chief Whip ...
Sunniside Methodist Church are running a set of events in May next year to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of war in Europe. They had a meeting last night to which I was invited as local councillor to see how I can help them and what ideas I had to contribute to their plans. At the same time, Sunniside History Society, of which I am chairman, is launching a project to collect people's
It's a nervous time for those of us who believe the train should take the strain. Prime Minister Johnson has ordered a review of HS2. By the end of the year there needs to be a recommendation over whether or not it goes ahead. For the North East, this is a significant issue. The East Coast Line is operating at capacity. Passenger numbers are at a record high. Fast intercity passenger trains have
I missed the official opening of the Land of Oak and Iron Heritage Centre at Winlaton Mill because it clashed with something else I was doing. On Sunday I was able to make my first trip to the building. As I have written many times before, we need to boost the tourism economy in our area. We need places for people to visit so the Heritage Centre is an important addition to the tourism offer.
Tue, 12:56: RT @davidallengreen: Once central, inescapable truth about the Boris Johnson letter If he and his government had the slightest confidence... Tue, 16:05: RT @jonworth: This is a fantastically bad letter. How it articulates the UK Govt's problems with the Backstop is akin to a small child whin... Tue, 16:40: RT @AlbertoNardelli: EU response to Boris Johnson letter: "The EU regrets that the new United Kingdom government wants to replace a legal... Tue, 17:11: The Darkest Town In America https://t.co/AFJyKTZTvq Recommended long read about seeing the stars. Tue, 19:39: The two Flann O'Brian dialogues that Pádraig Ó Méalóid and ...
Nothing on the telly for the family in Kaunas, Lithuania's Got Talent has finished, And, A Lyga has yet to begin. So they dip once more Into the slowly unfolding soap, The full series box set, enthralled in us. To the terracotta streets Of Vilnius. Something stimulating in the slow-mo collapse, Something sagacious in observing such a public fall from grace. Something sad but satisfying, When at long, long last they're on their way up, And they crane their collectively concerned crowns. Bite, to steady a trembling lip as they recall darker days. Hands held in unity, so badly burned, ...
I blogged about this back in February and my posting from then is accessible via the link below:- But whilst time has marched on the potential to remove the bucket fountain still looms large. My understanding of the present situation is this:- Despite the fountain now being Grade 11 listed a developer is continuing to discuss its relocation with Liverpool City Council. It's important to say that the viewing platforms are included in the listing and it's difficult to see how those concrete platforms could be 'removed' without them being demolished. There is no public appetite for this proposal, ...
Despite all the rhetoric of wanting to engage with the EU and negotiate a withdrawal agreement, the actions of Tory Ministers scream completely the opposite intent. The Independent is reporting this morning that Boris Johnson is going to pull British officials and ministers out of most EU decision-making meetings from September. They say that civil servants and ministers will now only attend EU meetings where the UK has a significant national interest in the outcome, such as on security. The question of course is how will ministers know whether a discussion is important or not if they are not there. ...
I have written to the Council's Chief Executive asking him to give details of the contingency plans being drawn up by the Council and its partners in the City to deal with the effects of Brexit, especially in the short ... Continue reading →
The Highways Agency will be closing the bridge which crosses the M4 on the B4465 between Westerleigh and Pucklechurch for strengthening works from Tuesday 27th August to Friday 4th October. You will still be able to get to the crematorium from the Yate and Esterleigh direction, but if you're coming from elsewhere please follow the diversion signs or leave the ring road (A4174) at the Emersons Green roundabout, and come in along the Westerleigh Road.
This article was first published in Le Figaro For his first trip abroad, the new British Prime Minister is in Berlin today and goes on to Paris tomorrow. Is Boris Johnson's idea really to try to obtain a new exit agreement from the European Union (EU) different from the one Theresa May had negotiated – an Agreement that had been approved by the British government and the European Council but rejected by the House of Commons? Even if Germany and France suddenly wanted to grant a last concession to the British, they could not do so without jeopardising the concept ...
Dundee artist Pauline Lavery currently has an exhibition at Dundee Botanic Garden in the visitor centre. This exhibition focuses on her Dundee paintings and there is also craftwork, cards and calendars. Pauline creates her drawing and painting using several media and enjoys working in acrylics, watercolours and colouring pencils. She is also a skilled felt-maker and creates felted jewellery, bags and scarves. The exhibition titled "My Dundee" runs until Sunday 25th August during the normal summer opening times of the Botanic Garden.
