New figures show prison overcrowding crisis getting worse The Liberal Democrats are calling for an end to short prison sentences, as new figures show the number of overcrowded prisons is rising. The latest prison population statistics, published today by the Ministry of Justice, show that 73 of the 117 prisons in England and Wales were overcapacity at the end of September - up from 69 at the end of August. Nine prisons are overcapacity by more than 50%. Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Christine Jardine said: Prisons are in crisis. They are stuffed full of people on short sentences, which ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on Liberal Democrat Voice

The blurb on YouTube explains: Well, here's an oddity! An unsold pilot for a proposed 1967 sci-fi actioner out of the UK. Eye-popping costumes and sets belie an overall cheesy but charming tone. Cast of familiar but un-nameable Brit character actors, only Bond-Girl Martine Beswick and a very young Derek Fowlds stand out.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

And it looks like it's going to be a treat. Catch all-new #HIGNFY, hosted by Martin Clunes, with panellists @sarapascoe and @LaylaMoran. Tonight at 9pm – Only on BBC One. pic.twitter.com/KsM3CpHvUi — Have I Got News For You (@haveigotnews) October 11, 2019 BBC1 – 9 pm. Or iPlayer later. She's a bit of a fan. I hate to think how long I have been watching this programme. I remember when it was shiny and new. Good to see Layla taking part. I'm looking forward to watching. * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice

Derby bus station yesterday It may have been a quiet day over at Derbyshire Live, but it has still won our Headline of the Day Award.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Nick Rushton, the Conservative leader of Leicestershire County Council, has not abandoned his dreams of empire. Today his council published what its press release describes as both a 'detailed road map' and a 'draft ... blueprint' for the abolition of all Leicestershire's district councils. Some of the benefits claimed sound positively Soviet: 'fewer councillors and fewer elections';'unity of purpose and a single strategic direction'.In reply, the county's seven district councils have issued a joint statement: The seven district councils in Leicestershire continue to work collaboratively to deliver highly-effective and efficient services to residents.Proposed changes to the structure of local government ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

More than 1,500 children – a quarter of whom were aged under 16 – were taken to court last year after being caught with cannabis by police, new figures show. And almost 200 were prosecuted for possession with intent to supply of which 24 were aged under 16. Norman Lamb, the LibDem chair of the Commons science and technology committee, who uncovered the figures, said such children were being unnecessarily criminalised by drug possession, leaving them with criminal records that could "haunt them for the rest of their lives." In a paper for the think tank Radix and drugs advocacy ...

Posted by Joe Zammit-Lucia on Radix Think Tank

Second paragraph of third chapter of third section:In the green dark of another morning, Annot rose. She laid aside her mantle and her gown of black for petticoats of green, May mourning; mirrorless, she combed her leaf-red hair, and as she braided it all down her back, she sang beneath her breath. " ... and a thought come in her head to run in the wood ... " She left my lord's ring and my lady's baubles—though she traced the earrings with a finger, half-regretfully: her chains became her well. She left her needle in her work, too nearly done: ...

Mark has a wisdom, experience and detailed knowledge about the Party. He knows the party at all levels: federal, state, regional and local. He understands the different issues facing Wales, Scotland, England – he gets devolution and is hungry to support local government across the UK. I know Mark will understand the need to listen to members and not assume he knows best. I'm am invariably involved running campaigns, advising on strategy, mentoring candidates as well as delivering leaflets and knocking on doors. In by-elections over ten, twenty years and in every General Election since 1992 Mark has also been ...

Posted by Ed Fordham on Liberal Democrat Voice

I'm sure Stewart and Bailey will have an interesting battle for finishing somewhere between 3rd and 5th. Meanwhile, polling and recent election results (like May's European elections) suggest the fight's more likely to be between Khan and the Liberal Democrats' Siobhan Benita.

Posted by Nick Barlow on Stories by Nick Barlow on Medium

Years ago, I thought the idea of a four-day working week was an unrealistic socialist policy, however over the past 18 months I've come around to the idea. After work, most people would like to relax (or canvass for the Liberal Democrats!), but many of us find that there is scarcely the time, especially those who commute and have dependents. After housework and life administration, there is sometimes little time to do anything else besides get ready for bed. I still study for professional qualifications and a day off work to study, rather than trying to only squeeze it in ...

Posted by Eddie Sammon on Liberal Democrat Voice
YouGov

One of the huge successes of Blairism (as opposed to Tony Blair) was in creating an ecosystem of thinkers and commentators around new Labour that set the tone for political debate throughout the 90s and beyond. The IPPR was amongst the first on the scene, founded as an independent think tank but rapidly becoming - in effect – an arms length policy unit for New Labour prior to 1997, under Patricia Hewitt. The recommendations of its Commission on Social Justice not only formed the basis of much of Blair's agenda in office but became a model for how think tankery ...

Posted by Ben Rich on Radix Think Tank
Fri 11th
11:52

Why revoke!

[IMG: Revoke and put a stop to it] In an ideal world a referendum result would be annulled by a subsequent referendum, the symmetry is undeniable. This is why it has been and is Liberal Democrat policy to support a referendum in which the electorate can choose between a realistic Brexit agreement and revoking Article 50 to remain in the EU. Unfortunately. there is little chance this can happen for the simple reason that there is no Brexit agreement that Brexiters agree upon, nor anything they are likely to agree upon. Nonetheless if Johnson and his inner circle settle on ...

Posted by Martin Bennett on Liberal Democrat Voice

Bootle Town Hall Sefton Council are presently consulting on changes to how Council tax is levied on empty houses and uninhabitable houses – you can access the on-line consultation via the link below:- Sefton Council Logo

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

After the party comes the hangover. Following all of yesterday's hype about "light at the end of the tunnel" and taking Leo Varadkar's very guarded words about the possibility of a deal being reached between the EU and the UK next week as being confirmation that "Boris has done it" by certain sections of the British press, we get today. The Barclay-Barnier summit ended early; Tusk came out and said that "we are still in a situation in which the UK has not come forward with a workable, realistic proposal." What is actually going on? Why did the Irish feel ...

Posted by Nick on nicktyrone.com
Fri 11th
11:00

My tweets

Thu, 12:56: Coleen Rooney has shown how social media makes us all stalkers https://t.co/bGIUJ6MNSB Perspective from @SarahManavis @NewStatesman. Thu, 13:18: RT @NobelPrize: The #NobelPrize in Literature for 2019 is awarded to the Austrian author Peter Handke "for an influential work that with li... Thu, 13:18: RT @NobelPrize: The #NobelPrize in Literature for 2018 is awarded to the Polish author Olga Tokarczuk "for a narrative imagination that wit... Thu, 13:29: Key MEPs reject Sylvie Goulard after second hearing https://t.co/6DcJ2IUSe7 Thu, 13:40: RT @JoshHalliday: NEW: Nissan Europe chairman Gianluca de Ficchy has said a no-deal Brexit would put its entire business model ...

A striking sign of how ambitious the Liberal Democrats are being in expanding the range of seats the party is contesting seriously, going deep into territory that is Remain-leaning but with high profile Leave MPs. In this case, a seat which the best estimates put at voting 61% Remain but has high-profile Leave supporter Graham Bady as its MP. It's going to be fought by Angela Smith: EXCL: I understand Labour defector MP (now Lib Dem) @angelasmithmp will attempt to unseat former 1922 ctte chair Sir Graham Brady in Altrincham and Sale West at the next election. She will NOT ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Yesterday, the Office of National Statistics held an event to discuss the social impact on climate change. Lib Dem Peer Shas Sheehan spoke at the event, comparing the Extinction Rebellion protesters to the Suffragettes. She spoke about how the impact of climate change would be felt most acutely by the most marginalised. Here is her speech in full: In 1989 I cut short my career in advertising to do a masters in Environmental Technology, at Imperial College. I wanted to get back to my science roots and study for myself the evidence for environmental degradation. Climate change wasn't a big ...

Posted by The Voice on Liberal Democrat Voice

The elections are now underway for the next President of the Liberal Democrats, as well as key federal party committees and other posts.

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Yesterday was World Mental Health Day. Three of our MPs wrote articles on different aspects of mental health. Vince Cable wrote for Times Red Box (£) about his mother's post natal depression and the impact on their family. When I was aged ten, shortly after my brother was born, my mother had a breakdown. She had to go into a mental health unit for the best part of a year. My brother was fostered. When she returned from hospital a year later, she was somewhat better, but her confidence had been shattered. Today it is still young mothers, or children ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice

To be honest, nothing about the Brexit Party surprises me anymore, bur it does seem as if they are no longer even trying to win over the majority of the UK electorate who failed to vote for them in May's European Elections. It isn't that I believe they can convince people who have never supported them that their view on Brexit is the correct one. That would be absurd, they are completely bonkers when it comes to championing UK interests at home or abroad. It is just that, on other issues, they might make the effort every now and again ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black
eUKhost

Residents may recall the recent Courier article about the very unfortunate accident that Mr Stephen Muir had in Step Row on an uneven pavement. At the time, I promised to raise the issue of the state of the footpath with the City Council's Roads Maintenance Partnership and I have now been updated as follows : "An order has been raised by the Road Maintenance inspector for a repair to be done at the kerb."

Lawers have been trying in a Scottish court to get some sort of "order" to force Mr Johnson to comply with the Benn Act "come what may." The court as so far refused, on the grounds that Johnson has already agreed to comply with the act so a further order is unnecessary - they have to believe him. In his appeal against this decisions Aidan O'Neil QC told the judges: "One shouldn't be taken in by the kind of shtick that the prime minister is simply an overgrown schoolboy playing at being prime minister, as if he was Just William ...

Posted by Peter Wrigley on Keynesian Liberal
Fri 11th
01:26

Change The Tune

I normally wake to Radio 5 Live news each morning. The volume is set to maximum to ensure a response. Imagine my surprise earlier this week when I awoke to a rather good, very loud, rendition of the Russian National Anthem. All was explained a while later when it was clear that normal programming had been replaced by a Rugby World Cup match between Russia and Scotland. Thankfully Scotland won 61-0. Russia may be crap at rugby, and drug-cheating baa-lambs at most other sports. But you can't deny the brilliance of their National Anthem. Some versions give me goosebumps. I'm ...

Posted by Steve Rose on An Independent Liberal