The direct line from to York to Hull closed in 1965 and this film shows the line and its fittings being removed for scrapped. Today it appear high in most people's list of lines that should have been kept open.
Newark Liberal Democrats have now launched their own You Tube Channel. This will feature a series of videos on different issues. The first two are on Climate Change and on Brexit. You can see the videos here.
I am delighted by the discovery that some hitherto unpublished Uncle stories by the Revd J.P. Martin have appeared in print. You will find 50 pages of them in the biography J.P. Martin: Father of Uncle, which was written by his daughter, the playwright Stella Currey, back in the 1980s and published last year. If you are not familiar with the Uncle stories, this post of mine will explain their attraction.
The battle against Boris Johnsons disastrous Brexit deal rumbles on. On Saturday, as more than a million people marched to call for a peoples vote, MP's defeated the governments plans to railroad this deal through, and so they should. Johnsons deal is nothing more than no deal Brexit by the back door and not something that any right minded MP should be voting for. Just because this is "a deal" does not mean that it is a good deal and it most certainly is not. It will make people poorer and no MP should willingly vote for this to happen ...
Norman Baker, the former Liberal Democrat minister and MP for Lewes, has just published another book. The Biteback website bills ... And What Do You Do? as: a provocative and hard-hitting analysis of the royal family, exposing its extravagant use of public money and the highly dubious behaviour of some among its ranks, while remaining critical of the knee-jerk sycophancy shown by press and politicians alike.It also reminds us that Norman is a privy counsellor.
On Saturday I was in London for the People's Vote Rally. I was one of those tiny specks in a vast, one million strong, crowd of people that snaked its way from Hyde Park to the Houses of Parliament. I joined the Lib Dem contingent and, as usual, took along my cameras. You can see my full set of photos this link.
Mon 21st
19:58
LibLink: Chuka Umunna: Dark and dangerous threats against MPs like me are a sign that No 10 and Cumm...
The Government is reportedly investigating MPs who have had dialogue with representatives of foreign governments. It also intends to introduce legislation to stop MPs talking to foreign governments. In an article for the Independent, Chuka Umunna said that this had a whiff of the 1930s about it. However, the right-wing nationalists running the government are now taking things to an altogether different level - this is quite frightening, particularly if they were to get a majority at the general election whenever it comes. They are seeking to persecute and harass MPs by falsely accusing them of colluding with EU governments ...
Last week The Economist published a special report on the world economy by Henry Curr, who took as his subject the strange behaviour of inflation statistics. This is a worthy topic, but, all too typically of that news magazine, he retreats from saying anything too radical. And yet radical thoughts are warranted. This is because, ... Continue reading The inflation condundrum: orthodox economics under challenge
Earlier this month was the first meeting of Bury's 'Strategic Commissioning Board'. This is a completely new meeting which brings together Bury Council and NHS Bury in one decision making structure to make sure that the work that both organisations are doing in Bury is fully integrated. Significant steps have already been taken to achieve this, for example we now share a single Chief Executive and single Director of Finance, and there are more joint workings to follow. The meeting is made up of the CCG (NHS Bury Clinical Commissioning Group) with 50% of the votes with the remaining 50% ...
Just to let residents know of some changes to parking at the start of St Margaret's Road (the Bury Old Road end). In response to concerns from residents we have worked with the Council to reduce the amount of short-stay parking, to allow a little more parking for residents. Short stay parking is useful to businesses, and although there are still some (great) businesses in the area, without the bank and the post office probably less short-stay parking is needed. The change will provide a new area of un-restricted parking towards the Church.
Greater Manchester fire and police services have issued this joint advice: If you are going 'trick or treating' please respect and consider others and follow these top tips to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable time: DON'T Go alone – 'trick or treating' is more fun and safer if you go in a small group with friends and familyGo into houses – stay on the doorstep where the responsible adult can see youPlay pranks that may damage property – this could result in arrest and a criminal recordDemand money or intimidate people – Halloween can be a night that ...
Mon 21st
14:22
New tests made available to Bury GPs will ensure low risk cancer patients receive a faster diagnosis
Two new cancer investigative tests have been made available to GPs across Bury to help them provide a faster diagnosis to patients presenting with low risk symptoms of pancreatic or colorectal (bowel) cancer. GPs will now be able to refer patients at low risk of suspected pancreatic cancer for a direct access computerised tomography (CT) abdomen scan. A CT scan is a more sensitive diagnostic test than an ultrasound scan (which until now has been the available diagnostic) for investigating suspected pancreatic cancer. As the early signs of pancreatic cancer are vague and very similar to many other conditions, referring ...
BURY & Rochdale Care Organisation is inviting local people and Trust members to come for a free talk to find out more about Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) on Tuesday 5 November, from 2 to 3pm, at Fairfield General Hospital. IBD is a complex and incurable condition that has a major impact on patients' lives. More than 300,000 people in the UK have ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, which are the most common forms, and which are both becoming more common. Symptoms usually include pain, cramps or swelling in the stomach, recurring or bloody diarrhoea, weight loss and extreme tiredness. People ...
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson has today announced an expanded Shadow Cabinet. New MPs Luciana Berger and Phillip Lee will take on Health, Wellbeing and Social Care and Justice respectively. Angela Smith has been appointed Shadow Secretary of State for International Development while Sam Gyimah will shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said: As we enter a crucial few days for the future of our country, I am delighted to announce the new Liberal Democrat shadow cabinet. This team will take the fight to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, and offer ...
Just a reminder that the deadline for applications for the 2019-20 Holyrood Ward Community Grants is 31 October 2019. All councillors in Bury get a small amount of money to spend in their local community. Here in Holyrood Ward your local Councillors Tim Pickstone, Cristina Tegolo and Steve Wright have pooled our budgets to create a fund to give to community grants and projects. We'll give all the money over in grants following the application process which ends this month. Apply here.
In my training as a Reader (lay preacher) in the Church of England more than thirty years ago I was taught that "the Kingdom of heaven is now, but not yet." There's a similar ambiguity about last Saturday's vote on Brexit in the House of Commons. The government's withdrawal deal was not exactly defeated, so it's still with us now, but may only be implemented if and when all the necessary legislation is in place to ensure that a "no deal" Brexit cannot be engineered by the back door - something which the Johnson-Cummings team are thought to be quite ...
The relationship between liberty and inequality is one of the central tensions in liberal philosophy - and one of the defining lines between economic and social liberalism. So it's highly appropriate that the Social Liberal Forum have published a collection of essays on this theme (edited by Paul Hindley and Gordon Lishman), taking its title from Lloyd George's promise when presenting his 'People's Budget' that there would be a time when 'poverty...will be as remote to the people of this country as the wolves which once infested its forests.' Peter Hain contributes a sharply-worded essay on the Liberal Democrat record ...
Liberal Democrats love delivering leaflets. If you've shared that love, chances are you've delivered ones that use one of our favourite strap lines: 'A record of action... a promise of more'.
Liberal Democrat party leader Jo Swinson has updated and expanded her Shadow Cabinet line-up, adding roles for new MPs Luciana Berger, Sam Gyimah, Phillip Lee and Angela Smith along with some changes in the responsibilities of the others. Here is the new Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet line-up: Jo Swinson Leader Ed Davey Chancellor of the Exchequer Deputy Leader Chuka Umunna Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs International Trade and President of the Board of Trade Christine Jardine Home Department Women and Equalities Deputy Chief Whip Tom Brake Exiting the European Union Duchy of Lancaster Phillip Lee Justice Jamie Stone Defence Scotland Luciana ...
There was a very interesting report in yesterday's Observer, which revealed the findings of thinktank, Demos, that almost three-quarters of companies who have been given major government contracts have operations based in tax havens: Value Added, published on Sunday by the thinktank Demos, reveals that 25 of the government's 34 strategic suppliers - organisations that receive £100m or more in revenue from the government - operate in offshore centres. According to estimates, they account for about a fifth of total central government procurement spend. Of these, 19 had operations in jurisdictions included on the EU's "blacklist" or "greylist" of countries ...
Sun, 12:47: RT @Gilesyb: My view: there's an optimistic interpretation of yesterday from HMG Pov: - it revealed the numbers are there for a deal - Letw... Sun, 12:56: John Bercow declares trans rights are human rights in passionate speech https://t.co/0SsaqmYZxq Wow. Sun, 13:57: RT @davidallengreen: A thread on Johnson's request for an extension under the Benn Act 1. Sun, 14:05: RT @KayBurley: Raab: workers rights are so important that we took them out of the legally binding agreement to discuss separately #marr Sun, 14:48: Ben Lowry: Middle England hadn't before been asked if it saw Northern Ireland as fully ...
Mon 21st
10:25Super Lib Dem Lords on Super Saturday: Sarah Ludford - No progressive politician could vote for this...
Sarah Ludford is very much in our thoughts at the moment. It's only three weeks since her husband, Steve Hitchins died. On Saturday she was in her place in the House of Lords pulling apart this appalling Brexit deal. She reminded peers that it was being sold to the Tory right wing as a delayed no deal. She talked about how it would mean more bureaucracy for businesses in Northern Ireland and all of us as we lose things like our pet passports and seamless access to healthcare. She warned of the effect on workers' rights, saying that no progressive ...
Things are moving very fast in British politics at the moment, so this article may become redundant quickly. But it looks from here like the following is going to happen: Bercow will disallow MV2 on the Boris Withdrawal Agreement; Johnson will shrug and move the bill that enacts it, the problem with this being it will be amendable; Labour will try and attach a customs union amendment to the bill, meaning any future actual withdrawal from the EU must involve staying in a customs union with the European Union (or at least, this is what I understand the Labour amendment ...
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson has today announced an expanded Shadow Cabinet.New MPs Luciana Berger and Phillip Lee will take on Health, Wellbeing and Social Care and Justice respectively. Angela Smith has been appointed Shadow Secretary of State for International Development while Sam Gyimah will shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Leader of the Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson said: "As we enter a crucial few days for the future of our country, I am delighted to announce the new Liberal Democrat shadow cabinet. "This team will take the fight to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn, and offer a ...
The House of Lords also sat on Saturday. We'll be publishing or Lib Dem Lords' s speeches in full. First up is Lib Dem Lords leader Dick Newby who said that the Government was trying to avoid scrutiny of a deal which would have a detrimental effect on our economy and the union. My Lords, your Lordships' House is sitting on a Saturday for the first time since 1983 and for only the fourth time in 80 years. These occasions have typically been to debate a serious foreign threat to the vital interests of the United Kingdom: the outbreak of ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 21 OCTOBER 2019 SSEN Pitfour Area Cable Renewal - Phase 2: City Road (Pentland Avenue to Scott Street) closed southbound for up to 4 weeks. Westfield Lane - closed from Tuesday 22 October for 5 weeks for building repair works.
