Refusal to publish Russian interference shows Johnson morphing into Trump Gyimah: Labour plans fail meet the needs of working people Lib Dems set out plans to strengthen support for survivors of violence and abuse Lib Dems: Johnson's speech shows he is misleading voters again Lib Dems: Selection of Chris Davies shows Tories' contempt for voters Refusal to publish Russian interference shows Johnson morphing into Trump Following the reports that Hillary Clinton has said it is "inexplicable and shameful" that the UK government has not yet published a report on alleged Russian interference in British politics, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary ...
Boris Johnson looks set to achieve a landslide victory in the general election. With just four weeks to go the Tories are on 35% or more in the most recent opinion polls, enough in our fraudulent first past the post electoral system to secure a Commons majority for both Tony Blair in 2005 and David [...]
Outspoken anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray will stand as a Liberal Democrat candidate in Cynon Valley, Wales at the general election.
Current Two Brothers, by Ben Elton A Close Run Thing, by Allan Mallinson Halo: The Thursday War, by Karen Traviss Last books finished The Highgate Horror, by Mark Wright, David A. Roach, Mike Collins, Jacqueline Rayner and Martin Geraghty "Catch That Zeppelin!", by Fritz Leiber In Black and White, and Other Stories, by Jan Mark Tom Jones, by Henry Fielding Next books One of the 28th: A tale of Waterloo, by G. A. Henty Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikowsky
When I blogged about the tram shelter at Humberstone Park I wrote that there are several more such shelters scattered across Leicester. I also said there was one that had been put up to serve a tram route that was never built. Here is that shelter. It stands above the canal on Western Boulevard, deep in De Montfort University country, An old Leicester Mercury article explains the history of the shelters. They were given to the city by the hosiery manufacturer Robert Rowley. That article also says that someone was given planning permission to sell coffee from the Western Boulevard ...
Could this be the first sign of tension between Lord Bonkers and the party's new leader? Thursday Back to events in Bournemouth. Really, Jo might have told me that the Tory MPs she was after had to want to join the Liberal Democrats. Such a change in policy to something altogether softer should have been debated amongst the membership before it was enacted. I do hope this will not prove typical of her leadership. My plans fell flat in any case: when I returned to my hotel room to fetch the aforementioned Tory MP so I could drag him on ...
Have you ever had candidatitis? Many people will catch it over the next few weeks.
Second to fourth paragraphs of third chapter:You should study English, says Marianne. Do you think I should, or are you joking? I think you should. It's the only subject you really enjoy in school. And you spend all your free time reading.I had missed all the hype around this book, which won the Irish Book Awards Novel of the Year, the Costa Award for Best Novel and was the Waterstone's Book of the year 2018 as well as being on the Mann Booker Prize longlist. The two protagonists grow up in the same County Sligo town and end up both ...
All reading this will have read about the tragedy of those who died in the lorry on the way to the UK. These deaths have made the headlines because so many people died, all at once. But there are deaths connected with trafficking every day that we don't hear about. This report from "Missing Migrants" shows the figures from around the world. It gives the facts about the tragedies of desperate people trying to reach Europe bringing the total this year to 1090 deaths, out of 2063 worldwide this year. There are also those who are trafficked here, and are ...
Following the decision of Catherine Bearder to stand down as leader of the Lib Dem MEPs, Caroline Voaden has been elected her successor.
It's simply a way of living our lives in an ethical way, making the most of our time on this planet, and treating people nicely. Continue reading →
Liberal Democrats pledge to invest in flood defences Jane Dodds to Unveil Lib Dem Plan for a Brighter Future Corbyn can't afford lifelong learning if he doesn't stop Brexit Liberal Democrats pledge to invest in flood defences The Liberal Democrats have announced plans to create a £5bn flood prevention and adaptation fund. As the world grapples with a climate emergency, the Tories are turning their backs on communities most at risk by failing to provide adequate flood defences. The Tory's Brexit agenda risks the UK losing access to vital EU funds for improving flood defences and flood relief. This would ...
The NHS needs more money. No-one should be any doubt about that. The NHS cannot operate without staff from ward orderlies to Consultants. It needs huge numbers of supplies from drugs to loo rolls; from blankets to bed pans; from ... Continue reading →
140,000 patriotic Chinese volunteered to go to the Western Front in World War 1 to help the British and the French dig trenches and perform other manual work. This was because they thought that Western democracies would appreciate their sacrifices and reward China justly after the war for her contribution. China had been the richest and most powerful nation on earth for many centuries. However, by the time of the later Qing Dynasty China had lost two Opium wars against the British, leading to a downhill slide into semi-colonialism for the country. This period saw China being carved up like ...
[IMG: BLOODHOUND SSC, supersonic car powered by both a jet engine and a rocket.] We all know that having the correct insurance for your motor vehicle (car / bike / van) is a legal necessity, but what is the impact on your insurance of modifications made to your vehicle? Could they have left you effectively uninsured...? The British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) have published a report on modified vehicles and insurance, which should hopefully be of use to specialist motor enthusiasts and others. They say: "This new guide from BIBA is designed to help customers and brokers understand more about ...
Image from #Islington From the Sun: [Emily] Thornberry is trailing behind the Lib Dems in her north London seat of Islington South and Finsbury.A senior Labour source said local internal polling conducted by the party found that Mr Corbyn's chaotic Brexit policy has led the constituency's voters to switch to the Lib Dems due to their unequivocal pledge to reverse the 2016 referendum result.This may sound fanciful, given that Thornberry had a majority of more than 20,000 over the Conservatives, with the Liberal Democrats further back in third place. But in 2005 we came within 500 votes of winning this ...
Lib Dems: Gwynne's comments reveal Labour's hand on Brexit British Steel takeover an 'alarm bell' for Tories' Brexit Britain Lib Dems: Brexit to blame for 'anaemic' economic growth Davey: Conservatives and Brexit party are now one and the same Lib Dems file proceedings at High Court for judicial review of ITV debate ERG and Brexit Party talks show Farage is now pulling the strings Lib Dems: Gwynne's comments reveal Labour's hand on Brexit Responding to comments by Labour's Campaign Coordinator, Andrew Gwynne, that Labour would seek to create "reciprocal agreements with the EU27 that allow British citizens to enjoy some ...
Mon, 12:26: Boris Johnson pledges to change law and put end to prosecution of Northern Ireland Troubles veterans... https://t.co/C3U1qicjTP Mon, 12:56: Mystery of Napoleon's missing general solved in Russian discovery https://t.co/pQ52HTeD9k Wow. Mon, 15:05: November 2003 books https://t.co/woXUqDvmZf Mon, 16:05: Yup. https://t.co/Wvh3MShF6S Mon, 17:11: RT @Winter: (log on) The term Cancel Culture is a bad faith fallacy. There's only Consequence Culture, it's long overdue and most of the ex... Mon, 20:48: RT @garethharding: At a session on 'selling heavy topics' at #EuropCom. After 25 years doing this in Brussels, here are my tips: - Assume... Tue, 10:08: RT @DmitryOpines: Farage ...
Following the reports that Hillary Clinton has said it is "inexplicable and shameful" that the UK government has not yet published a report on alleged Russian interference in British politics, Liberal Democrat Shadow Foreign Secretary Chuka Umunna said:"No-one knows the extent to which Russian interference can have on an election quite like Hillary Clinton. "The decision by Boris Johnson to suppress the publication of this intelligence report until after the election undermines our democracy. Boris Johnson is morphing into Donald Trump more and more, day by day."Failing to publish the report in advance of people going to the polls implies ...
I came across these rather lovely art-worked totems on the Cheshire Lines Path/Trans Pennine Trail behind Sefton Drive on one of my bike rides the other day:- The totems have been there for some time and I'm guessing that they have been painted up by the same volunteers who installed them. Very nice. The 2nd photo is amongst my Flickr shots at:-
Today, the Liberal Democrats have set out how a Liberal Democrat government will strengthen support for survivors of violence against women and girls and domestic abuse.A Liberal Democrat government will expand the number of refuges and rape crisis centres and ensure sustainable funding for specialist support services, having passed the policy in a motion at Autumn Conference.The Liberal Democrats will also provide local authorities with the necessary funding to provide accommodation for survivors of abuse, making it a duty for councils to do so. These are vital measures to strengthen support available to survivors of violence and domestic abuse.Christine Jardine, ...
Tue 12th
10:46
The Brexit party has stood down in Tory seats - is this a good or bad thing for the Conservatives? H...
The big news from yesterday is that Nigel Farage will be standing down Brexit party candidates in all 317 seats the Conservatives won in the 2017 general election. Put aside the oddness of this criteria – the Brexit party won't be standing in Anna Soubry's seat, who is no longer a Tory MP and a seat where the Tory PPC voted Remain in 2016 – and let's get down to the real question. Is this is a good or bad thing for the Tories? The answer that some of you will have immediately is: well, duh, of course it's good ...
A Red Squirrel – What could be more symbolic of Formby and Little Altcar The Liverpool Echo has the article on its website – see link below:- Extract from Echo article – 'Contentious plans to build toilets, pay and display machines and security fencing at one of Merseyside's most beautiful spots are set to get the green light this week – but not everyone is happy about them. Formby beach boasts sweeping sand dunes as well as picturesque pine forests and grasslands nearby and when the weather is nice, daytrippers come from near and far.'
Adding to the Unite for Remain seat arrangements, along with the Lib Dems standing down for three independents, now comes news of a further arrangement: BREAKING: WE are thrilled to announce that the @LibDems have adopted our key policies on ending #abuse in their manifesto. Following this, WE will be standing down in Cities of London & Westminster and Sheffield Hallam to help them campaign against #Brexithttps://t.co/gHmJTBBi0y — WomensEqualityUK (@WEP_UK) November 12, 2019 Candidates for the Women's Equality party (WEP) are to step aside in two constituencies where they were standing to highlight the treatment of women, as part of ...
This chart from the IMF shows the UK has been at the bottom of the G7 growth rates (remains true today in 2019). Remain is the best pathway to sustainable growth and resumption of "fiscal space" for both a rise in current expenditure (wages & salaries) and capital expenditure. 2. The UK's economy is approx. £2.5 trillion (£2500 bn). A clear REMAIN decision or revocation of Article 50 would have the following macroeconomic effects: A fall in country risk for the UK, even cheaper borrowing costs and a stronger pound Higher GDP both in the short and medium-terms by at ...
Tue 12th
08:12
Bashed Belisha Beacon is just the latest instance of street furniture wrecking in Ludlow
Ludlow seems to have more than its fair share of street furniture bashing. I have lost track of how often street furniture in the town centre is bashed and broken. Signs on Castle Street, bollards at Bodenhams and on Old Street. It's an expensive business. A coach company that demolished the Bodenhams bollard was sent a bill of £1,000 by Shropshire Council for a replacement. And it is not so long ago that Ludford Bridge was battered by a truck delivering tarmac for resurfacing at Tesco. Now, a Belisha Beacon on Foldgate Lane outside the Co-op has been demolished. It ...
Responding to reports that Clintons is considering shop closures and rent cuts as part of survival talks, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Sam Gyimah, said:"With Clintons shutting stores across the UK as part of its restructuring talks, it's clearer than ever the inaction by the Conservatives is leaving our high streets in the lurch whilst the odds are stacked against them. The Tories have dragged us into this Brexit mess whilst the biggest issues facing businesses and local communities are being ignored, if not made worse."Of course we cannot halt the march of technological progress, ...
Responding to the reports that Jacob Rees-Mogg's so-called European Research Group has been in talks with the Brexit Party over Nigel Farage's decision to stand down candidates in Conservative-held seats, Liberal Democrat Shadow Brexit Secretary Tom Brake said: "These talks show that Nigel Farage is pulling the strings behind the scenes. He is the puppet master in Boris Johnson's Brexit horror show. "Every vote for the Conservatives is a vote for an extreme Brexit agenda backed by Nigel Farage. "The Liberal Democrats are the only party this election that can defeat Boris Johnson, stop Brexit and build a brighter future." ...
Lib Dems to create ambitious £10,000 Skills Wallet for every adult Lib Dems: Tories making social care crisis even worse Lib Dems to create ambitious £10,000 Skills Wallet for every adult The Liberal Democrats have set out their vision for a "new era of learning throughout life" with the creation of an ambitious Skills Wallet. This will give every adult £10,000 to spend on education and training throughout their lives. A Liberal Democrat Government will put £4,000 into people's 'Skills Wallet' at 25, £3,000 at 40 and another £3,000 at 55. The grants have been designed to encourage saving towards ...
In many ways it was inevitable that Nigel Farage would bow to all the pressure and make a deal with the Tory Party. After all Boris Johnson was his favoured candidate for Tory leader, while the dysfunctional deal the Prime Minister negotiated with the EU is much closer to the Brexit Party leader's position than that secured by Theresa May. Nevertheless, the announcement that the Brexit Party would stand down in the 317 seats the Tories won in 2017 was a surprise, if only because of Farage's gung-ho insistence that this election was an all or nothing endeavour for his ...
The world of planning is often bizarre. That's the case with Linney House where a series of applications for houses in the grounds have met objections from residents and planners. But the developer, Linney House Developments, did gain planning permission in 2014 and 2017. Planning law says that developers must start work within three years on planning permission being granted. The current planning application for eight homes on the site has run into trouble with strong objections from Shropshire Council's planning team. Yesterday, contractors moved onto the site to begin work. Alerted by concerned residents, I went to the site ...
The Community Council meets this evening at Logie St John's (Cross) Church Hall at 7pm - all residents welcome! Here's the agenda : WEST END COMMUNITY COUNCIL MEETINGTUESDAY 12th NOVEMBER 2019, 7.00PMLOGIE AND ST JOHN`S CROSS PARISH CHURCH HALL(ENTER FROM SHAFTESBURY TERRACE - OFF BLACKNESS AVENUE) 1. Welcome and Apologies 2. Community Council Elections- nominations, roles & responsibilities of Community Councillors, priorities 3. Planning Update 4. 8pm - Speaker- Catherine Conroy, Low Emissions Zone, Dundee City Council 5. AOCB 6. Date of Next Meeting - Tuesday 10th December 2019 Light refreshments will be provided.
