Chancellor must answer for black hole in the country's finances Responding to news that part of Corporation Tax revenue has been double-counted by HMRC, revising down the take for 2018-2019 by more than £4bn, Liberal Democrat shadow Chancellor Ed Davey said: Today's data from HMRC reveals a concerning black hole in the country's public finances. Since this Conservative Government took office, an astounding £12.86 billion was mistakenly accounted for in the exchequer's books - money that was never actually there. This is a potentially dangerous oversight for which the Conservative Chancellor is responsible. Moreover, this highlights the Government's irresponsibility in ...
Today I visited 78 Derngate, Northampton, a narrow, early 19th-century town house that was home to W.J. Bassett-Lowke and his wife Florence for a few years after their marriage in 1916. It is famous today because of the identity of the architect they employed to turn it into a thoroughly modern house. It was Charles Rennie Mackintosh, and 78 Derngate was his last major commission and the only house he designed outside Scotland. As it remains largely unaltered from century ago, the house today attracts visitors from around the world.
"Brexit is presented as some sort of triumph of popular will. But in actuality it has involved a relentless attempt to massively strengthen the executive and dismiss other forms of democratic legitimacy," Ian Dunt on today's Supreme Court's judgment. John Preston explains what the government is really saying with its 'Get Ready for Brexit' campaign. David Boyle is right on education: "The trouble with nationalised education is that it assumes that all children are the same, that they require identical education. The voluntary sector education sector has largely been subsumed, the experimental sector - so influential in the 1960s and ...
We are in hugely exciting times for the party. Our membership is higher than ever before. We need a President who is capable of meeting the challenge of valuing each and every one of our members and ensuring that whatever their reason for joining, we meet their expectations and encourage them to play an active role in our party. As an employer, I understand the importance of valuing people. I often work with voluntary organisation and always encourage them to value their volunteers more. As a volunteer myself, I know how important it is to be valued. Members join the ...
There were a number of spurious claims made during and since the EU referendum of which one of the most bonkers that we were no longer an independent sovereign country. "We want British Laws made in the UK Parliament decided ... Continue reading →
Current Cloud and Ashes, by Greer Gilman The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens Last books finished Cycling in Victorian Ireland, by Brian Griffin In Ethiopia with a Mule, by Dervla Murphy A Local Habitation, by Seanan McGuire Paper Girls Volume 1, by Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang Paper Girls Volume 2, by Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang Paper Girls Volume 3, by Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang Paper Girls Volume 4, by Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang Paper Girls Volume 5, by Brian K Vaughan and Cliff Chiang Next books Be ...
Britain's constitution endured a major earthquake today when the Supreme Court voided the prime minister Boris Johnson's lengthy prorogation of parliament. This shocking result shows how the country's polarisation is putting its institutions under strain by making a middle ground untenable. There are many ironies (or paradoxes, perhaps) on display as the country wrestles with ... Continue reading The government's aggression has got it into trouble
I know, some of you may think that an old troublemaker like me must have had a Johnsonesque exercise - write both a 'for' and an 'against' piece and then see which one to print, But no, it's much simpler than that. I want to pick the winner and ensure he carries the full message and excels in the role. Comms - Some people may find Mark a bit too ubiquitous, but he is the consummate communicator? Complaining you hear too much from Mark Pack is like saying we deliver too many leaflets in a by election! Strategy - It ...
[IMG: D. P. I.] It is important that all Councillors follow the rules regarding declaring their Pecuniary Interests for the councils they sit on. By doing so, it allows the public, councillors and officers to be clear if the decisions they are taking part in are likely to have more impact on them than others in their area. So for example, you would expect a Councillor to leave the room and not speak or vote on a planning appliation next to a property they own or live in for example, as the impact would be potentially disproprtionately felt by them ...
Tue 24th
16:01
What the hell does Boris Johnson do now? Here are his only real options after the Supreme Court ruli...
What was so amazing about the Supreme Court ruling today, the one that declared Johnson's prorogation of parliament null and void, for me at least, wasn't the ruling itself but the fact that the decision was unanimous. It was a thumping defeat for the government. Interviewed from New York, the prime minister was bullish in saying that it didn't matter, we're still leaving on October 31st no matter what. The reality is somewhat different. It will be interesting to see if a vote of no confidence takes place before October 31st. It is looking less and less likely due to ...
One of the Laws of the Universe is that, just when you think the Home Office can't get any worse, any less humane, it does. This weekend, Pink News reported on the appalling treatment of LGBT Christian asylum seekers. One respondent said Home Office officials asked her questions including: "How can you be lesbian and Christian?," "Isn't the Bible against being gay?", and "Doesn't that contradict with your Christian belief or your belief?" The report was based on 33 interviews with LGBT+ asylum seekers - 31 of these came from a Christian background and two were Muslims. Another participant said: ...
Lydiate in Flower volunteers have recently been discussing how the part of Lambshear Lane Park where the 96 trees were planted by Lydiate Parish Council in memory of the fallen Liverpool fans at Hillsborough can be tidied up. I recalled the trees being planted and searched my back catalogue of blog postings. I found this from 2014:- I then went back to Dave Russell who as Chairperson of the Parish Council back in 2014 proposed that they be planted. Here's what Dave had to say:- 'The trees were planted in 2014 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough ...
This is as huge a constitutional crisis as anyone could imagine. A Prime Minister without a parliamentary majority has attempted to avoid parliamentary scrutiny by closing Parliament for all but the last two weeks before we are due to leave the EU, with or without a deal. The Supreme Court has defended the sovereignty of Parliament against a Prime Minister who lacks a parliamentary majority. Lady Hale's judgement was very firm: 'the effect [of this unlawful prorogation] on the fundamental democracy of our country is extreme'. Parliamentary accountability - the continuing process of dialogue and scrutiny of government policy - ...
Courtesy of the Supreme Court ruling that Boris Johnson broke the law, we've learnt something new about Brexiters: Turns out Brexiters aren't so keen on British judges enforcing British laws after all. — Mark Pack [IMG: 🔶] (@markpack) September 24, 2019
Responding to the Supreme Court ruling that Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks was unlawful, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said: The court have found what we all knew all along, Boris Johnson has again proven he is not fit to be Prime Minister. This shutdown was an unlawful act designed to stop Parliament doing its job and holding the Government to account. Given this verdict, Parliament should be sitting so that we can continue to question the Conservative Government on their disastrous Brexit plans. This verdict has been unanimously agreed by experienced judges who ...
A stunning judgment, with huge constitutional importance, which is a massive rebuke to Boris Johnson. Johnson has only succeeded in stirring up a hornets' nest! The Guardian reports: The supreme court has ruled that Boris Johnson's advice to the Queen that parliament should be prorogued for five weeks at the height of the Brexit crisis was unlawful. The judgment from 11 justices on the UK's highest court follows an emergency three-day hearing last week that exposed fundamental legal differences over interpreting the country's unwritten constitution. * Paul Walter is a Liberal Democrat activist. He is one of the Liberal Democrat ...
Mon, 12:56: RT @JayHulmePoet: I'm aware people are sharing the "Giles was nice to a trans guy" story again, and yes, many people who tagged me, it is m... Mon, 14:14: Read it (bought cheap, remaindered) and enjoyed it! https://t.co/4s5Bu2izLQ https://t.co/QK4pcgMKNv Mon, 16:05: Inside the pilot Universal Credit town doubling the size of its foodbank https://t.co/iu7Sa93uv1 The Warrington foo... https://t.co/8DjxHedAeX Mon, 18:06: De Bourgondi�rs, by Bart Van Loo https://t.co/cLPfCMB81M Mon, 20:15: RT @tom_watson: Irony is not dead. https://t.co/5NZz591J9R Mon, 20:48: Could it BE any funnier? The 25 best Friends episodes https://t.co/FDl0esMnQC Difficult to dispute the conclusion t... https://t.co/WhUr28rRKg Tue, 08:54: ...
Welcome to the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts, a variation of the usual format in which I interview Paula Surridge about her research into the British electorate. She's been one of the pioneers in understanding how there is more than left versus right to modern British politics. Listen to hear what she has to say about what this means for the Liberal Democrats... Show notes A good introduction to some of Paula Surridge's work. Paula Surridge on Twitter. Paula Surridge on Medium. Find Never Mind The Bar Charts on social media Like the show? Do follow on ...
The Supreme Court has just ruled the government broke the law and prorogation of Parliament was illegal. Wow! I did not expect that. Parliament is therefore continuing to sit. Johnson's coup has failed. These are unprecedented times.
Over the weekend, the Tanfield Steam Railway, in my ward and only 15 minutes walk from my house, held a 1940s weekend. I paid them a visit on Sunday. A great afternoon and I thoroughly enjoyed the talk given about food rationing and "make do and mend" (useful lessons as we move towards crashing out of the EU!)
I am writing this with half an hour to go before the Supreme Court announces its verdict of the proroguing of Parliament. I am not hopeful that the judges will find against the Prime Minister, simply because the matters being considered are part of the nebulous unwritten part of our constitution. I could, of course, be wrong and we could have the spectacular situation of the PM being found to
[IMG: Christ's Hospital Dining Hall] Christ's Hospital school, Sussex, which has been admitting mainly pupils from less privileged backgrounds since 1552 There has been much debate following the Labour conference's motion to "abolish private schools". When explaining the rules of cricket to the average American, one sees their eyes glazing over even before one reaches mention of "deep square leg". It's the same when you try to explain to them that, in the UK, public schools are private schools. You may reach the point when you feel further explanation is pointless. Why not, instead, try explaining to them that Scotch ...
At the last full meeting of Bury Council the team of Liberal Democrat councillors asked a number of formal written questions. Here are the answers to three of them: Councillor Michael Powell asked about congestion on the A56 through Prestwich: Now that the A56 works in Prestwich are complete, could the Leader inform members what work, if any, is being undertaken to assess the long term impact of the scheme on other roads through Prestwich, or if a study to assess such any such impact is planned? Answer: As part of the design of the Prestwich High Street scheme, extensive ...
The collapse of Thomas Cook is going to have a huge impact on our high streets, with the closure of hundreds of their outlets adding to the shrinking offer available to shoppers. On-line banking, out-of-town shopping malls and repressed consumer spending has already badly hit shopping centres, with an increase in empty shop units and a growth in pop-ups and charity shops. These in turn hit other retail outlets due to reduced footfall. It is a downward spiral with few solutions on offer. Adding to this malaise is the systematic closure of bank branches, as more people rely on on-line ...
I used to live around the corner from Dulwich College, and watched with horror the poor middle class children, weighed down and dwarfed by their satchels on their backs. I'm not just saying this because it was Nigel Farage's alma mater - it played the same role for P. G. Wodehouse after all. I'm saying it because it convinced me that my own children would be better served by another education sector. Even so, I don't believe that other sector - state or voluntary - would be well-served by Labour's new policy to abolish the independent schools. Even if they ...
I think the Lib Dems need to declare the cost of staging Labour Conference as an election expense So said a Labour friend of mine on Twitter in deep frustration at his party's failure to unequivocally back Remain in chaotic scenes yesterday. I genuinely feel for my friends in Labour who are horrified at what their party is doing. Some, like Alastair Campbell, voted Lib Dem in the European elections. I hope that they will feel able to do so at the forthcoming General Election, even if they don't want to say so out loud. When a party gets 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 the Dundee Pensioners Forum Parade HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in: 1 Johnston's Lane2 West Port (Johnston's Lane to South Tay Street)3 South Tay Street4 Nethergate (at DCA) This notice comes into effect on Saturday 28 September 2019 from 12:00hrs to 12:30hrs. Closures will be enforced by Police Scotland officers. No diversion routes will be available. For further information contact 433275. Head of Roads & ...
