The Association of Electoral Administrators have published a position paper that says: After an unprecedented year, the fragility of the electoral system is more apparent than ever, the expectations of citizens are not being met and the resilience of the electoral community to deliver is being tested.It concludes: The UK Government needs to conduct a full root and branch review of the UK electoral process. It needs to seriously consider our recommendations from this statement and our previous statements, along with those of other stakeholders. Whilst we have said this in previous statements and reports we will say it again ...
[IMG: Alexander Hamilton foretold Trump] "When a man unprincipled in private life[,] desperate in his fortune, bold in his temper . . . despotic in his ordinary demeanour — known... The post Alexander Hamilton foretold Trump appeared first on Ambitiousmamas.
At a time when fewer young people watch live TV or any TV at all, and older people are concerned about the future of their free licences, it is now time to rethink, seriously, how the BBC is funded. For people, like me, who also subscribe to a news package and can compare BBC News with a range of alternative, I now rarely, if ever, watch BBC News. Those who say the BBC News is the best in the world have probably not watched the alternatives available. Much of my other TV entertainment is through subscriptions to Netflix and Prime, ...
Current Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens Last books finished Doctor Who and the Giant Robot, by Terrance Dicks Doctor Who and the Ark in Space, by Ian Marter The Ten Thousand Doors of January, by Alix E. Harrow Doctor Who and the Sontaran Experiment, by Ian Marter The Idea of Justice, by Amartya Sen Doctor Who and the Genesis of the Daleks, by Terrance Dicks A Killing Winter, by Tom Callaghan Doctor Who and the Revenge of the Cybermen, by Terrance Dicks The Pleasant Profession of Robert A. Heinlein, by Farah Mendlesohn Next books The Critique of Pure Reason, by ...
I definitely remember watching The Ark in Space first time around - again, not sure that I caught every episode, but the setting of the space station far in humanity's future was immediately entrancing. When the show returned, this was one of the first DVDs I bought. I wrote then:Harry is a bit annoying, but it's every bit as good as I thought I remembered from when I was seven (I admit I watched the updated CGI version rather than the one with the original model shots, so the only really wobbly bit was the march of the Wirrn over ...
I first became aware of Tony Crosland in 1980 when I watched a TV documentary covering that year's election for the Labour Party leadership in which Michael Foot narrowly defeated Denis Healey. The programme profiled a Labour MP whom it said had voted for Crosland in the previous contest four years earlier. I later discovered that he came last in that poll garnering only seventeen votes from his fellow parliamentarians, I wrongly concluded from that mere statistic that Mr Crosland wasn't much of a figure in the Labour Party. How wrong I was. In fact, from his entry into politics ...
Responding to the Government's launch of a public consultation on whether failure to pay the TV licence fee should no longer be a criminal offence, Liberal Democrat Digital, Culture, Media and Sport spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: "The BBC, like the NHS, is a national treasure and this is a blatant attempt to kill it off. "These proposed changes - which could deprive the BBC of more than £200 million - would put at risk the BBC's investment in our homegrown British talent, and leave TV content at the mercy of US corporates. "Those who do pay will resent free-loaders. Vulnerable ...
Responding to reports that the govt is a facing £12bilion Brexit black hole in three years according to Financial Times analysis of Bank of England forecasting, Liberal Democrat acting leader Ed Davey said:"Boris Johnson is not fit to run the UK's economy."This grim forecast for the nation's coffers is a warning that his plan to hollow out our vital trading relationships with Europe is nothing short of reckless."Johnson's Brexit is taking Britain's public finances to the brink. He must halt his charge to a No Deal or Hard Brexit and guarantee instead the closest trading relationship possible with the EU. ...
A while back we had a discussion at a Lydiate Parish Council meeting about the dangers of vehicles on the green in the middle of Haigh Crescent when children are playing there. We discussed, together with the Park Ward Sefton Councillors, what could be done to make the green safer and putting in posts to restrict vehicle access was seen to be the best way forward if the money could be found to get the work done. Well the money has been found as the works are ongoing today:-
'Review of federal committee elections' is probably not a title guaranteed to quicken readers' pulses - but it's important to the functioning of our party's democracy, so please read on! Last year's elections to the federal party's committees - the Federal Board, Policy Committee, Conference Committee, International Relations Committee and ALDE council - broke new ground, especially in the efforts to engage as many party members as possible, and also through the management of the process online. It was also a substantial achievement to run it during what turned out to be a general election period, in October and November. ...
Tue, 12:15: RT @TomShortPR: The UK is out. Wondering what on earth happens now? Here's a helpful bit of analysis from our resident Brexperts @balgailan... Tue, 12:45: RT @balgailani: As the second phase of #Brexit kicks off, myself and @apcoworldwide colleagues in Paris and Brussels analyse the UK and EU'... Tue, 14:49: RT @mynameisearl: Shrewd Brexit-next analysis https://t.co/WB9I9jUKzG from colleagues @balgailani @nwbrux @ybertoncini Tue, 15:16: RT @morecontextEU: Brexit Phase 2: Time to Shape the Final Deal | Burhan Al-Gailani & Nicholas Whyte https://t.co/rlsArHxhu8 Tue, 17:11: British Ports Association Concerned About Brexit Comments https://t.co/YhCwCEDG2h As well they might be. Tue, 18:05: ...
This is round 2 of my summary of the Tory promises made in their election manifesto last year. Thanks for all the comments you sent me last time. I look forward to getting another batch now. Contact me at richardkemp68@yahoo.co.uk. ... Continue reading →
In the immediate wake of the general election in December, I wrote a long piece about what I thought had gone wrong for the Lib Dems in a campaign they entered with massive hopes, only to end up losing net one seat. Last week, I wrote three pieces detailing the only space I feel the Lib Dems can electorally occupy and be successful. The responses to the four articles have been extremely interesting and helped me develop my thoughts on all of this. It has led me to understand a deeper problem the Lib Dems have as a party that ...
Crossens Saturday, 8th February, St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, Crossens, from 11am to 12 noon. We will be there to meet you and discuss any local issues or problems you may have. No appointment necessary, just pop in. Churchtown We also hold a monthly advice centre in Churchtown, at Botanic gardens cafe (Settle Inn), fourth Thursday of every month (except December) from 10.30 to 11.30am. We will be there to meet and discuss any local issues or problems you may have. No appointment necessary, just pop in.
Crossens Saturday, 8th February, St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, Crossens, from 11am to 12 noon. Churchtown Thursday, 27th february, Botanic Gardens cafe (Settle Inn), from 10:30 to 11.30am. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in.
On 21January was the monthly meeting of Bury Planning Control Committee. This is the meeting made up of the 11 Councillors who represent the various wards of the borough of Bury. The committee determines planning applications for certain major developments and others where objections have been received. Councillor Cristina Tegoloreports: Prior to the Committee meeting a training for the Planning Control Committee took place. Usually the training is arranged monthly by the Planning Department. This time, following consultation with Dave Marno, Head of Development Management Planning Services Department of Resources and Regulation Bury Council, I invited Stephen Hodder to speak ...
Just two planning applications in the last month. Please just let us know if you have any queries. Prior notification of single storey rear extension 285 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2RARef. No: 65049 | Received: Mon 06 Jan 2020 | Validated: Mon 06 Jan 2020 | Status: Awaiting decisionSingle storey rear extension; Removal of garage to be replaced with two storey side extension 6 Westholme Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2RERef. No: 65030 | Received: Mon 23 Dec 2019 | Validated: Mon 06 Jan 2020 | Status: Registered
In the last few days, we have seen reports of Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson's Downing Street attempting to exclude some journalists from press reports. This is utterly disgusting behaviour by Her Majesty's Government, and I am proud to hear that the remaining journalists refused to play along and also walked out. However, the thought then dawned on me, what if this is what Cummings wants? Think about it. Downing Street wins either way. Only two outcomes would've come out of this move The chosen outlets, those likely to spin Johnson in a favourable light (I.e. the Telegraph, Daily Mail, ...
Bury Council is nearing the end of a programme to resurface some roads. The roads which have been completed in 'phase 1' (up to the end of 2020) in the Prestwich area are as follows: Mount Road Ostritch Lane Polefield Circle Butterstile Lane (2 sections) Cuckoo Lane Upper Wilton Street Heywood Road/Simister Lane (part of) Hilton Lane Woodward Road (2 sections) The total cost of these schemes was £8.5 million. A smaller amount of money is available for a 'phase 2' £4.5 million, and the Council is currently undertaking an exercise to work out which streets need to be done. ...
The Northern Care Alliance which runs our local hospitals at Oldham, Bury, Rochdale and North Manchester launch 'text reminders' for appointments from 11 February 2020. The service is already live at Salford Royal. The service will start with five specialties: OphthalmologyTrauma & OrthopaedicsENTClinical HaematologyPaediatrics Once an appointment has been booked, patients in these five specialities will receive text messages via their mobile phone to remind them about their appointment and to give them the option to re-schedule or cancel their appointment if it is no longer required. Zeph Curwen, Divisional Managing Director, Bury and Rochdale Care Organisation, said: "This is ...
Today's South Wales Evening Post contains a claim that developing the Oceana site in Swansea could bring 600 new jobs to the City. I am reminded of the saga of the Baglan Energy Park. That was launched with a near guarantee of 6,000 new jobs. In the end the final figure barely pushed double figures. Rhodri Morgan's autobiography is particularly revealing on this matter (on pages 163-164 in my edition). He relates how in 1997 Tony Blair's Government had a moratorium on new gas-fired power stations. The American multi-national behemoth GE had wanted to build their first ever H Series ...
Stena Precision at Birkenhead * The BBC has the article on its website – see link below:- www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51329176 The Mersey – Looking from Bootle over the River to the Wirral Of course, if the Port of Liverpool succeeds in gaining more trade the consequences swing back to that very knotty problem of land transport access to the Port, the over-capacity of the A5036 (Port to Switch Island road link), the lack of capacity of the rail link to the port (plus poor/limited regional rail capacity) and the new road proposed to be built through Rimrose Valley Country Park. Rimrose Valley ...
The A4117 will be closed at Far Forest between Cleobury Mortimer and Bewdley this coming Friday from 9:30am to 4:00pm. This is for emergency road repairs. That's fine because the repairs are needed. What is not fine is the suspension of the 292 bus service between Ludlow and Kidderminster from 9:30am to 3:30pm. Council transport officers said yesterday: "During the closure the service won't be able to operate due to the unsuitability of the diversion for the bus." Rubbish. The advertised diversion is perfectly suitable for the Optare buses that run along the route. The roadworks are necessary. No argument. ...
This week is Greater Manchester's Hate Crime Awareness Week. The strong message from the organisers is: "Hate crime has no place in Greater Manchester. No hate crime is acceptable. We all have a right to live without fear, hostility and intimidation from others because of who we are. We can all report hate crime as follows: – to the police by calling 101 – via the True Vision website - www.report-it.org.uk – at a hate crime reporting centre - see www.letsendhatecrime.com for details of where they are located. Details of events this week in Bury are here.
I have received residents' complaints about the state of parts of the Seafield Road pavements - north of Cherry Blossom Nursery - and I raised this with the council's Roads Maintenance Partnership. I have received the following response about repairs that will now take place : "An order has been raised to re-set six slabs in Seafield Road."
