The Guardian goes to what it calls 'genteel' Cheltenham where the sitting Conservative MP Alex Chalk and his 'rather contorted position on Brexit' has upset some voters. Cheltenham is a prime Liberal Democrat target and the paper interviews our prospective candidate Max Wilkinson. He says of Chalk: "First he was a Eurosceptic. Then he pivoted to reluctant Remainer. Then he voted for all of the Brexit legislation the government set out. Now he stands outside his constituency office telling everyone he's against no deal and prorogation, while taking a job as private secretary for Dominic Raab, who is one of ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Following the Daily Telegraph, now we have the Mail on Sunday also cooking up a Leaver majority in a news story that doesn't actually exist in the accompanying opinion poll. Time, then, for another complaint to the regulator, IPSO (the Independent Press Standards Organisation): I would like to make a complaint about a story produced by the Mail on Sunday in print and online. The online version is at and states in its large headline: "Boris Johnson's gamble is paying off: Tory lead over Labour nearly DOUBLES in three weeks and most voters think the Queen was RIGHT to ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

I left the democracy protest at 12.30pm today so I could go to the Whinnies Community Garden in Sunniside. They were hosting a birds of prey day. It was a successful event. Lots of cash raised for the garden.

Posted by Jonathan Wallace on Jonathan Wallace

The next generation, we hope, of Lib Dem MPs have been out and about speaking at Stop the Coup rallies today. Daisy Cooper spoke in St Albans, Laura Gordon in Sheffield Hallam and, courtesy of the wonderful Steve Jolly, we have video of North Cornwall's Danny Chambers at the event in Bodmin. As an added bonus, London Mayoral candidate Siobhan Benita was down there visiting her parents and she went along and the two of them did a video together. Wherever you are, now is the time to stand up to this reckless Government and their bid to shut down ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice
Sat 31st
20:35

Protest at the Monument

There was a sweet irony at the protest against the suspending of Parliament at the Monument in Newcastle today. Lord Grey's statue looked out over over 3000 protesters who were demanding greater democracy. Lord Grey was, arguably, the person who set in train the modernisation of the UK Parliamentary system by engineering the first Reform Act. The bizarre circumstances of modern Britain has

Posted by Jonathan Wallace on Jonathan Wallace

The range of large protests across the country today is incredible. It is particularly heartening to see Lib Dems marching alongside those from other parties and none. #PlymouthLibDems parliamentary candidate @SimaDavarian gave a passionate & positively received speech in Plymouth today. Hundreds of us, from different groups & parties, were demonstrating against the suspension of Parliament & several speakers addressed the crowds. #StopTheCoup pic.twitter.com/0ICjCx2ynY — Plymouth Lib Dems [IMG: 🔶] (@PlymouthLibDems) August 31, 2019 * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist. He is one of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice

#StopTheCoup demo in Oxford Speakers from Greens, Labour, Lib Dems and even Tories, coming together to defend democracy. @LaylaMoran pic.twitter.com/WL6v33s4Na — Dr Helen Salisbury (@HelenRSalisbury) August 31, 2019 * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist. He is one of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice

Here are a selection of photos from Lib Dems joining #StopTheCoup protests across the country today: @murphy_simon 250 people from Lancashire and Ribble Valley joined together in Clitheroe to protest against the affront to our democracy, including the Rochdale Cowboy @HardingMike!! #StopTheCoup pic.twitter.com/8kUcMbbdMi — [IMG: 🔶] Chantelle Seddon #StopTheCoup (@LibDemLou) August 31, 2019 * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist. He is one of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice
Sat 31st
15:03

August Books

Non-fiction: 6 (YTD 35) Kate Bush: Under the Ivy, by Graeme Thompson John De Courcy, Prince of Ulster, by Steve Flanders Adventures in Kate Bush and Theory, by Deborah M. Withers Second Generations, by Mary Tamm The Early Life of Samuel M. Wickersham, based on his writings 1819-1862, edited by Edward Wickersham Hoffman Bloody Sunday: Truth, Lies and the Saville Inquiry, by Douglas Murray Fiction (non-sf): 2 (YTD 21) Ben-Hur, by Lee Wallace Alina, by Jason Johnson sf (non-Who): 5 (YTD 61) Grimm Tales for Young and Old, by Philip Pullman The Time Ships, by Stephen Baxter The Dispossessed, by ...

Sat 31st
11:00

My tweets

Fri, 12:29: Is Brexit A Rerun of the 1930s? https://t.co/4ygpfRVhYN via @sluggerotoole Fri, 12:56: RT @JP_Biz: EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier is coming to Belfast on 9 Sept to deliver a lecture on 'Brexit and the Future of Europe' at... Fri, 16:05: The Tinder Hacker https://t.co/MItZuREOJa Not as funny as the writer thinks. Fri, 17:11: Net Results: Sci-fi, spandex and the wonders of WorldCon https://t.co/aFlvpi5Ru8 Great @irishtimes write-up of @Dublin2019. Fri, 17:26: RT @MSmithsonPB: BJohnson's great achievement this week has been to make Corbyn look electable Fri, 19:37: True Stories, ed. Xanna Eve Chown https://t.co/KlQwxV5yw5 Fri, 19:55: How to colossally ...

YouGov

The Welsh women's football team may just have hammered the Faroe Islands six-nil in an international game but surely there is a case to ban these islands from any and all international sport, and impose sanctions upon them until they stop the so-called traditional hunt and slaughter of pilot whales, an endangered species. The Independent reports that a total of 94 long finned pilot whales, including four calves and at least five pregnant mothers, were dragged ashore and killed on the beach at the town of Vestmanna: According to marine conservation charity Sea Shepherd, which has documented the slaughter, the ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

* Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist. He is one of the Liberal Democrat Voice team. He blogs at Liberal Burblings.

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice

[IMG: Should Malaysia be celebrating?] It's 62 years today since Malaysia gained independence from British Rule. Happy Merdeka/Happy Independence Day fellow Malaysians but is it? Yes, we may have self-rule and autonomy over our own present and future but how... The post Should Malaysia be celebrating? appeared first on @ambitiousmamas.

Posted by ambitiousmamas on @ambitiousmamas

Flooding under the railway bridge is now almost a constant problem and we have not even reached autumn and winter My recollection is that it was this bad some years ago but that some drainage work was done which seemed to solve the problem except in the worst of weather conditions. Time to get on to Lancashire County Council me thinks to see what they are doing about it.......

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

 

Doom and gloom have surrounded the rural bus network for many years as services are relentlessly cut back or axed altogether. But every now and again, there a glimmer of hope. With thanks to work by Bus Users Shropshire, Lugg Valley Motors will be introducing an improved 490 bus service between Ludlow and Leominster and onwards to Hereford from next Monday, 2 September. The service calls at Overton Touring Park, Richard's Castle, Orleton and Luston. The new timetable adds additional services to and from Ludlow on weekdays and Saturdays, and the bus will call at Ludlow School on schooldays. The ...

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington