Ready meal entrepreneur Charlie Bigham and former President of the CBI Sir Michael Rake are among a raft of business leaders who are supporting the Liberal Democrats.In addition, entrepreneurs and founders of some of modern Britain's best brands, including Superdry, Lovefilm, Zoopla, New Covent Garden Soup, Big Yellow Group, and eBookers, are among more than 60 business leaders who have written a letter naming the Liberal Democrats as the 'only party who have set out a credible plan for future prosperity'.Charlie Bigham, founder of the eponymous ready-meal brand, said:"I know a thing or two about oven-ready, and it's clear that ...
I am, on the whole, a glass half-full sort of person. I have a worrying tendency to assume that people are acting for the best of motives unless there is evidence to the contrary. Most people are, after all, broadly honest, kind to animals and want the best for those around them. But, and let's be honest here, this election campaign has been to truth what Attila the Hun was to good neighbour schemes. And it's not just politicians who should carry the blame - the media have their share of responsibility too. Today's incident when Laura Kuenssberg tweeted that ...
Apologies to our regular readers for the temporary disappearance of this regular feature – I was away and had some surprisingly poor internet access. Anyway, on with the show... Liberal Democrats set out ambitious spending plans to tackle the climate emergency Lib Dems: Brexit leak on Northern Ireland checks shows Johnson is lying to the public Lib Dems: Johnson refusing to look at picture of sick child shows mask has slipped Question Time debate shows Jo Swinson is a next generation leader Liberal Democrats set out ambitious spending plans to tackle the climate emergency The Liberal Democrats have set out ...
Photo: Harry Arnold Time for another photograph from my patchy collection of old Bulletins from the Inland Waterways Association. We are on to May 1970 and this picture of an unidentified lift bridge on the Montgomery Canal.
Jen Yockney says that Labour, by expending so much of its energy on attacking the Liberal Democrats, is repeating a battle plan that leads it to defeat. "The whole language of general elections is about what alternative governments can do for people. It assumes a widespread and somewhat hopeless passivity. There is no obvious election language to draw down in praise of the idea of people doing things for themselves." David Boyle wonders if that narwhal horn might have slowed the Johnson juggernaut. Tim Ellis reminds us that Nancy Astor wasn't the first woman MP. Aishwarya Kumar explains why grandmasters ...
From the Independent: Television historian Dan Snow has endorsed the Liberal Democrats after calling Boris Johnson "profoundly incompetent" and claiming that Jeremy Corbyn is "economically illiterate" The BBC presenter said he supported the party's position of opposing Brexit and praised Jo Swinson as "a really engaging, exciting young leader".Those are all excellent reasons for voting Liberal Democrat. But, though the report goes on to say that Snow describes himself as a "floating voter", we should not be too surprised that he is voting that way. You see, it runs in the family. Because Dan Snow is the great great grandson ...
Channel 4 held an "everything but Brexit" debate last night. Jo represented us. Labour sent Angela Rayner, the SNP Philippa Whitford and both of them basically decided to gang up on Jo over the coalition rather than defend their own policies. Moderator Cathy Newman seemed to join in the pile-on at times. The Conservatives and Brexit Party couldn't even be bothered to turn up. It was quite bizarre when she read out bits of the Conservative and Brexit manifestos when they were not represented and able to be properly scrutinised. Here are some of Jo's best bits. Our NHS has ...
It's a bit scruffy, there's always something that needs a coat of paint, and there seem to be muddy Labradors everywhere. Continue reading →
Mon 9th
17:48
Publishing exit polls in advance is banned - and that covers retweeting how someone voted
Section 66 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 bans the publication of exit polls before the close of polls in an election - and that can cover retweeting how someone else has voted.
Responding to a leaked document from the Department for Exiting the EU on potential goods checks between Northern Ireland and Britain after Brexit, Liberal Democrat Shadow Brexit Secretary Tom Brake said:"These documents show Boris Johnson is hiding the truth about the damage his Brexit plans would do to our family of nations."He has lied to the Queen, lied to Parliament and now he's lying to the public."If Boris Johnson gets a majority, the Brexit chaos will drag on for years to come as it's clear major issues like the Irish Border will remain unsolved."Every vote for the Liberal Democrats is ...
After six long, long weeks the 2019 General Election will be coming to an end at 22.00 on Thursday. Given the reliability of exit polls we will have a reasonable idea very shortly after that about what the new Parliament ... Continue reading →
Responding to the footage of Boris Johnson refusing to look at a picture of a sick child lying on a hospital floor, Liberal Democrat Welfare Spokesperson Tim Farron said:"This is the moment the mask slipped. When confronted with the human impact of his government's failure to properly fund our NHS, Boris Johnson chose to look away."This shocking lack of empathy shows why Johnson is not fit be prime minister. He simply doesn't care about patients or their families being catastrophically let down by this Conservative government. It is unacceptable that hospitals are under so much pressure that they don't have ...
Second frame of third story ("Dreamers of Death", by Steve Moore and Dave Gibbons): The second volume of Fourth Doctor strips from Doctor Who Magazine, in between those published in the collections The Iron Legion and The Tides of Time. These are all solid stories, with the two standouts for me being "The Life Bringer" also by Moore and Gibbons, which brings the Doctor into the Prometheus legend, and the grim "End of the Line" by Steve Parkhouse and Dave Gibbons, in which there is no happy ending. I enjoyed them a lot when I first read them almost forty ...
Once upon a time Fred was a member of a golf club. He got all the benefits of membership, subsidised meals, cheap golf, discounts in the club shop, parking closer to the clubhouse and access to changing rooms etc. One year he thought, it's costing me money every year to be a member, I think I'll leave and save the membership money. After he left he went to his old club for a game of golf. He had to park further away from the clubhouse, but that was no problem. He had to pay full non members rate for a ...
My General Election is officially over. My vote has been cast and posted. Lib Dem it had to be in the end. All I have to do now is sit back and await whichever nightmare scenario comes to pass. Johnson's extreme right bull in a china shop approach, Trump-lite. Or Corbyn's Venezuela-modelled economy. Or yet another hung Parliament where no-one makes any decisions. One thing is for sure, everyone is thoroughly sick of Brexit. Johnson can't get it "done" because even with a majority and exit at the end of January, that is only the start of a very long ...
It is Liberal Democrat Party policy to bring forward legislation to create overseas constituencies and votes for life for the British diaspora abroad. The Election Manifestos of 2017 and 2019 are explicit on this matter. Currently, British citizens living outside the UK loose their right to vote in Parliamentary elections and referenda after 15 years of absence; their enfranchisement ceases. After BREXIT, Britons living in the European Union will loose their local voting rights (European Parliamentary and Municipal Elections) and as they pass the 15 year threshold, they become completely disenfranchised for life. Is this democratic? No, this is an ...
I know we have still have three days until it's all over, but I don't see what's going to change in that time that will give us any more clarity on what will happen. It is now in the hands of fate. The polls over the weekend have the Tories going up a little and Labour either flatlining or decreasing slightly. The Lib Dem numbers are dire. The poll lead is around about ten for the Conservative party, and given the Lib Dems look like they will to struggle to get over the line in most of their target seats ...
Sun, 14:22: RT @RobinSwannUUP: @nwbrux @geraldinemcg @MLAsAndTheLike @BBCMarkSimpson @markdevenport and instead of barcharts... https://t.co/bTVINBz0QU Sun, 14:22: RT @MLAsAndTheLike: @nwbrux @geraldinemcg @BBCMarkSimpson @markdevenport There's the walk-in music sorted. Maybe term yourselves the VoteB... Sun, 14:48: RT @KarlreMarks: How many Lebanese politicians does it take to change a light bulb? They will just extend the old light bulb's mandate. Sun, 15:20: Life in 2020, as portrayed in science fiction https://t.co/vvYiOTmBkq Sun, 17:08: RT @gerrylynch: This Strangely Misfiring Tory Campaign Just Makes Me Wonder https://t.co/U0AQChM6hp My latest on @SluggerOToole: the Tories... Sun, 17:31: A thread about books, films and TV stories set in ...
If you haven't seen this clip, it's worth watching. Jo is on brilliant form as she responds to an LBC caller who criticised boys wearing skirts. As Nick Ferrari wades in about "national security" and risks for British citizens in Saudi Arabia, Jo is passionate and concludes: There's a hang-up that people have about this. Some people don't identify as male or female. It's not a massive deal. It's not stopping anyone else getting on with their lives. Can we just be respectful to one another and treat people as the individuals that they are, recognising that this group of ...
Branch Line Society charter train at the new Maghull North Station 08 12 19 To follow up my posting of yesterday (linked below) here are two videos which have been published on You Tube of the special train on the Ormskirk and Southport lines:- www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZdtJOZZ1o8 www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB9wn8pel8Q
Commenting on Labour's plans for its first 100 days, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Ed Davey, said: "Labour's plans for its first 100 days are built on a fallacy. They cannot invest vast sums in our public services while also subjecting our country to greater uncertainty as they pursue a new Brexit deal. "Their wish-list for Government grows ever longer and longer, but we know that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said their plans aren't credible and would simply take our country backwards. "The Liberal Democrats would stop Brexit and use the money from the £50bn Remain Bonus to properly ...
It is only a few days since the Sunday Times reported that NHS patient data may be exploited by US technology companies under a trade deal with America. They quoted leading trade economist, Alan Winters, who is director of the Trade Policy Observatory at Sussex University, that clauses on data sharing and algorithms US negotiators want inserted into a deal could be used to capture the value in NHS patient records, estimated at £10 billion a year. It is disturbing therefore to find the UK Government roll over so quickly on this sort of provision by agreeing to a deal ...
Tactical voting was essential in helping me to win four Parliamentary elections in a row, and its absence led to the defeat of so many of my colleagues along with myself in 2015. The danger in this election is that a simple 'let's unite to kick out the Tories' could well end up with a hung Parliament that has more Leavers than Remainers in it. Those who advocate such a simple solution to change the Government need to examine precisely whom it is they are helping to elect. My first preference is for a Liberal Democrat majority Government. If I ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 9 DECEMBER 2019 Blackness Road (at Oxford Street) - temporary traffic lights from Monday 9 December for one week for BT work.
The bin collection dates over the Christmas and New Year period will be altered for some people If your usual collection day is Monday or Tuesday then there is no change For other days the collection day is put back. Put your postcode into the following grid to find out when your collection will be Northumberland Bin Collections
Liberal Democrats have urged people to vote for them to "stop Boris and stop Brexit", as they unveil ready-to-go legislation for a People's Vote as soon as Parliament returns after the election. The Liberal Democrat plans would introduce two draft bills that together would pave the way to a People's Vote on Brexit. First, a 'Paving Bill' which would enable the Electoral Commission to start the necessary consultation around a referendum question and lead campaign designation. Secondly, a full Bill which would provide for a referendum on the deal versus staying in the European Union.The Liberal Democrats have laid amendments ...
