So, I'm home after a pleasantly restful visit to the US, but despite the fact that I hold only one minor post, I'm surprisingly busy with Returning Officer stuff. I've got meetings to go to, paperwork to organise, and even a ruling to make. And that's fine, I guess, because a bureaucrat's work is never done, is it?...
I think that here are only three meetings scheduled for January. They are:- Tuesday 7th January Governance Committee Thursday 16th January, Full Council (* ) Thursday 30th January, Environment Committee All meetings are at Arms Evertyne Huse, and start at 6:30 pm (*) Preceded by Question Time
Welcome to the first episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts's second season, featuring for the first special guest former Liberal Democrat MP Lynne Featherstone. Show notes Lynne Featherstone's book on legalising same-sex marriage. The Guardian story which chose to highlight a coffee shop in the headline rather than a library. Lynne Featherstone and a pothole. An example of the sort of local campaigning that was so central to Lynne Featherstone's electoral successes. Find Never Mind The Bar Charts on social media Like the show? Do follow on Twitter or Facebook. It's a great way to hear more about the ...
While most of us are enjoying a bit of rest and recuperation following the election, spare a thought for our agents. After ensuring that a "thank you" leaflet went out, most of them are having to knuckle down to sort out the expenses. They are over-shadowed by a huge pile of receipts and facing a form, the complexity of which makes an HMRC Self-assessment form look simple. Added to that, they face legal penalties if they don't do it all correctly and on time. No pressure then... So this is a big "thank you" to all our agents for the ...
A Man for All Seasons won the Oscar for Best Picture of 1966, and picked up another five: Best Director (Fred Zinnemann), Best Actor (Paul Scofield), Best Adapted Screenplay (Robert Bolt), Best Cinematography - Color and Best Costume Design - Color. Robert Shaw was nominated as Best Supporting Actor for Henry VIII, and Wendy Hiller as Best Supporting Actress for Alice More, but were beaten by Walter Matthau and Sandy Dennis respectively. The other Best Picture nominees were Alfie, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Sand Pebbles and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? - I have seen ...
I suppose that it is very easy to get into the mindset that politics is everything in life. But it turns out that there is life outside of Westminster. I read the other day that former Labour Deputy Leader, Tom Watson, is training to become a gym instructor. That started me thinking about what had happened to our vast number of MPs from before the election in 2015. Stephen Gilbert, former MP for St Austell and Newquay, for example. Whatever happened to him after he posted a "Gone Surfing" post-it note on his Twitter account in 2015? Well, it turns ...
Having read Tim Shipman's account of the 2016 EU referendum it was already clear to me that Boris Johnson's SpAd, Dominic Cummings does not think much of the civil service nor of the way that we are governed. It is no surprise therefore that he has already put in motion calls to recruit his sort of people to take some of the key positions in the new Tory Government, blogging in particular that he is keen to work with "weirdos and misfits with odd skills". Johnson is also proposing changes to the way that the civil service operates, including making ...
If I had been in a coma for the last month and when I awoke could only judge by Labour/FBPE/Lib Dem Twitter what the result of the general election had been, I would assume that we'd had a hung parliament and that the Tories had caved in and opted for a second EU referendum to keep the show on the road. To call what is happening in left-wing and liberal circles complacency gives complacent people a bad name. I sense no urgency whatsoever. The Tories under Boris Johnson have an 80-seat majority after taking a slew of northern seats that ...
Fri, 12:56: RT @MattSingh_: THREAD ON BOUNDARY CHANGES: Guido Fawkes is reporting that boundary changes will not now involve cutting the number of seat... Fri, 18:09: Western Sahara: War, Nationalism and Conflict Irresolution, by Stephen Zunes and Jacob Mundy https://t.co/eOsUt5k1nf Fri, 20:41: RT @bbcdoctorwho: On this day 50 years ago we first met the Third Doctor. Hai! 👋 #DoctorWho https://t.co/dgzCa1hdLu
The assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani at Baghdad international airport, on the specific orders of US President Donald Trump, risks enflaming the whole Persian Gulf region and maybe beyond. I am no supporter of what the deceased General's Al Quds brigade has been up to in Iraq and Syria, but the extrajudicial killing of a such a senior Iranian figure is reckless beyond words. And counter-productive. Only last week, many thousands of ordinary Iranians were demonstrating against fuel price rises and for democratic reform. But today larger numbers have been out on the streets of Iranian streets chanting "Death ...
Firstly let me say that I'm delighted that Sefton Council is, together with Knowsley Council, creating a safe cycle route from Melling to Kirkby, but, there's always a but........ Have a look at this photo:- What you can see is the end of the brand new cycle path where it crosses over the dual carriageway to continue on the other side of the road in the Kirkby direction. From where it ends the narrower original pavement can be made out. Beyond that is the junction with Prescot Road. My question is what are cyclists supposed to do if they are ...
Interested in finding out more about D&A College? Then come along to its 2020 Open Days ... From Tuesday 14th January to Thursday 16th January, there will be the opportunity to visit Dundee & Angus College at each of its campuses, chat to teaching staff about courses, get a copy of our new prospectus, see the campus facilities and get advice about funding, course options, additional support from the Student Services team. Full details are here - all welcome!
