Responding to the new official crime statistics, released today, which show knife crime continuing to rise to a new record high, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "These statistics are heart-breaking. Far too many young people are having their lives destroyed by knives and gangs. We urgently need to break the grip of this epidemic of serious violence. "The Conservatives' approach has clearly failed. Their huge surge in suspicion-less Stop and Search is wasting police time and undermining crucial trust in communities, while knife crime continues to rise. "Instead of the Tories' pointless headline-grabbing gestures, Liberal Democrats are ...

Posted by Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats on Aberavon & Neath Liberal Democrats

Our Headline of the Day comes from the North-West Evening Mail. The judges thank Jonathan Healey.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

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Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

It seems the Church of England wishes to replicate the Free Church of Scotland's role as backward-looking insular moral guardians of the nation - south of the border, at least. In a "pastoral statement" issued today, the House of Bishops - in supposedly addressing the issue of Civil Partnerships - not only reaffirmed traditional church teachings but actively went beyond them, essentially redefining marriage in the process. The bishops' statement read: "marriage, defined as a faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman making a public commitment to each other, is central to the stability ...

Posted by Andrew on A Scottish Liberal

My fellow editor, Paul Walter, has been doing some extensive work to regulate the trolls who sometimes emerge on Lib Dem Voice. As he reminded us last week, we ask commenters to stick to just one name. You can use a pseudonym (that's because some readers are politically restricted) but you should be consistent. We do ask for a valid email address. Recently Paul has identified a couple of individuals who each use multiple names and they have been put on permanent moderation. We also ask you to avoid personal attacks – by all means disagree with whatever is expressed ...

Posted by Mary Reid on Liberal Democrat Voice

In the latest episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts, Professor Tim Bale, one of the leading experts in political party membership, talks about who joins parties, why they join and how those who join the Liberal Democrats differ from those who join other parties. Plus he gives his top tips on how to persuade people to join a party. Show notes Footsoldiers: political party membership in the 21st century. Five Year Mission: Tim Bale's study of Ed Miliband. Tim Bale used the phrase, "That's a great question". Here's a whole other podcast episode just about that phase, from Freakonomics. ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack
Thu 23rd
17:09

November 2004 books

November 2004 was grimly dominated by the re-election of President Bush, which I honestly had not seen coming. It was an important lesson to me to avoid wishful thinking in my elections analysis in the future. The newly re-elected Bush administration immediately recognised Macedonia as Macedonia, which probably played an important role in the failure of the following week's referendum which would have reversed some elements of the post-conflict local government reform if it had passed. We presciently published a report on South Ossetia, and I had another op-ed on Moldova. My one work trip was to Geneva, where I ...

Thu 23rd
16:33

If Winter comes

When Shelley wrote 'If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?' in his celebrated poem 'Ode To The West Wind' there are some who speculate that he wasn't just talking about the seasons. The late Paul Foot attempted to claim Shelley for the left in one of his many books and there is little doubt the poet was a radical voice of his time. So taking that theme to a political interpretation, it could be argued that those of us who stand opposed to the reactionary forces of Conservatism have been through some pretty heavy weather recently. The important question ...

Posted by David Warren on Liberal Democrat Voice

Sustained success is attained not through obsessing with winning in the short term, but focusing on a higher purpose. That is the idea put forward by Simon Sinek in his recent book The Infinite Game, which looks at how institutions from tech companies like Apple to the founding of the United States itself were built on a just cause, a future vision for which we are willing to make sacrifices. This is the critical challenge I believe the Liberal Democrats need to engage with now as we search for our way forward in the new political landscape. It may be ...

Posted by Doug Buist on Liberal Democrat Voice

Usually when people compare other British politicians to Tony Blair, they mean the politician in question is presentationally slick but supposedly substance light; or that they represent centrism of some flavour; or that they are on the political centrist extreme of their party. I'm about to compare Boris Johnson and Tony Blair in a much more literal sense. The two prime ministers have a lot in common – and not in the ways most people will automatically think. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the current Boris plan = Blair + Brexit. How successfully Johnson combines ...

Posted by Nick on nicktyrone.com
YouGov
Thu 23rd
11:00

My tweets

Wed, 12:56: RT @JenniferMerode: "There are already more than 25,000 civil servants working on Brexit and that number will actually rise as we leave the... Wed, 14:03: RT @hayward_katy: It is simply not possible to state this 'emphatically' now. https://t.co/wfODtH14Nx Wed, 14:55: RT @LettersOfNote: RIP Terry Jones. I'll never forget him turning up at the launch party for the Letters of Note book in 2013 & then readin... Wed, 14:59: I never met Terry Jones, but was surprised to find myself turning up in a footnote to his book "Medieval Lives". https://t.co/GzuImDhnwS Wed, 16:05: RT @apcoworldwide: #GlobalLeadership in 2020 - ...

Some things are rather different about elections in North Islington now compared with 1969, but as this report from the 1969 Islington North by-election shows - not everything.

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

I've just been watching the BBC Newsnight broadcast of Monday 20 January 2020, which was mainly filled with debate about what the future of the BBC could or should be in this Netflix, social media platform world we live and work in today. I'm deeply concerned that Britain, while thinking of how to adjust to the 21st century mass- and social media landscape (and post-Brexit geopolitics), risks ignoring the inheritance of prestige, respect and exemplary performance the BBC has grown to acquire with all inhabitants of the EU. Now that Brexit is upon us, Britain risks losing the mobilising force ...

Posted by Bernard Aris on Liberal Democrat Voice

A while back a lady contacted me saying she had a 1930's map of Maghull which she was happy to donate for public display. I put her in touch with the Town Clerk of Maghull Town Council and the matter then passed me by so to speak. Imagine my delight then when I went into the Council Chamber of Maghull Town Hall (for a Maghull in Bloom volunteers meeting) recently and saw 3 historic maps of the Town up on the wall where there had been none before. A closer inspection made me realise that one of them was from ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

Anybody who thinks that Brexit will allow us 'to take back control' must have been disabused of that notion again this morning by two articles in the Independent. The first once more gives the lie to Boris Johnson's claim that there will be no customs checks in the Irish Sea, with the EU warning of sanctions if these checks do not take place. Stefaan De Rynck, the senior adviser to chief negotiator Michel Barnier, insisted the inspections were a joint legal agreement, as the price for Britain - but not Northern Ireland - breaking free of the single market and ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

 

A planning application has been submitted for a new micropub at 17 Tower Street, on the corner of Old Street (20/00128/FUL). If approved, and I can see no reason why it shouldn't be, it will be Ludlow's fourth micropub alongside The Dog Hangs Well on Corve Street, The Blood Bay on High Street and The Wicked Grin on Fish Street. That will help Ludlow build its reputation as a destination for good and unusual places to eat and drink compared to the often bland fare in bigger towns and cities. Current view The cellar door will be replaced What the ...

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington