Govt must fulfil duty to protect all Hong Kongers Clarity needed about 5-mile rule High coronavirus threat level raises questions about Govt's priorities Davey responds to furlough scheme details Govt must fulfil duty to protect all Hong Kongers Responding to reports that, if China imposes its new security law on Hong Kong, the Home Office appears ready to extend visa rights for all British Nationals (Overseas) in Hong Kong, whether or not they are current BNO passport holders, Liberal Democrat Foreign Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael said: If confirmed, this is welcome news. This move is long overdue. I introduced legislation ...
The YouTube blurb says: Trams in North London were almost entirely replaced by trolleybuses during the 1930s. So also were routes formerly operated by Bexley, Dartford and Erith Councils. The 698 was one of these. When tram replacement resumed after the Second World War it was to diesel, not electric, buses. All London's trolleybuses would be replaced by diesel ones by May 1962.
Stephen Reicher fears Dominic Cummings has undermined the sense of shared responsibility that has been crucial during the Covid-19 crisis. "I am sad to say that much of the BBC's domestic political coverage, particularly from some of its 'star names', is simply not good enough. And it is actually a betrayal of those fine journalists around the world who believe in telling the truth and holding power to account. Most of all, it is an insult to the BBC's audience, who rely on the corporation to tell them the truth." Patrick Howse says BBC journalists have been slow to react ...
Following yesterday's daily coronavirus press conference, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:"The press conference today saw the Prime Minister reach a new, sordid low in his defence of Dominic Cummings. By refusing to allow the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Officer to answer questions, and denying journalists a follow-up question, it became clear that there is little Boris Johnson will not do to try and keep Dominic Cummings in post."The fact that the police have confirmed what the public already knew - that Dominic Cummings should not have done what he did - emphasises how Ministers ...
Over the past month or so, the Young Liberals Executive and Conference Committee has been working hard putting together plans for an online conference, in the place of our regular in-person Activate/Conference. In the last 2 weeks we have started to announce some details, including opening up submissions and drafting advice for motions and constitutional amendments. The drafting deadline is quickly approaching, but there is still ample opportunity to draft a motion, and plenty of time to submit one before the final deadline! This is a fantastic opportunity for people who have not previously been directly involved in the Young ...
In the wake of the December 2010 self-immolation of the impoverished young Tunisian street vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, a wave of unrest swept across much of North Africa and the Middle East, leading to the ousting of Presidents Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt. At the time, I railed against [...]
Fri 29th
18:28
Ludlow Council votes for Shropshire Council Covid-19 signs after a deal stitched up in a shop falls ...
Last night, Shropshire Council's Representational Committee voted to accept Shropshire Council's over the top scheme for Covid-19 signage in the town centre. It seemed to me that councillors were swayed by the statement from the chairman Councillor Glen Ginger that the signs would become the property of Ludlow Town Council. They therefore could be moved at the discretion of the council. This was a meeting based on a false premise. The Covid-19 signs will be legally be traffic signs, placed in the highway and will remain the responsibility of the highway authority. If Ludlow Town Council wants to move a ...
We started August 2006 in Northern Ireland as usual (heaven knows if it will be possible this year), and I attended MeCon 9 in Belfast where the guests included Ian McDonald, Hal Duncan, Ken MacLeod, Leah Moore, and John Reppion. I thought I had pictures from it, but in fact they seem to be from the following year, and I'm not in anyone else's that I can find. I remember having a lot of fun. We also had a family excursion to the Legananny Dolmen and the Finnis Souterrain: A mid-holiday work trip to London was unexpectedly extended by a ...
The best way to support charity shops at the moment is to store your donations at home. Many of us have been using this time to sort out our cupboards and wardrobes, putting together bags of clothes and other items to go to a local charity shop. I have been hearing that thoughtless people have been leaving lots of binbags outside charity shops during lockdown. The grim truth is that most of those 'donations' will end up in landfill, at the charities' expense. The shop volunteers haven't been able to handle, clean or store the items, which will now be ...
[IMG: Money / banknotes (pounds sterling) in hand] Folkestone & Hythe District Council will be launching their COVID Discretionary Business Grant Scheme at 9am Monday 1 June 2020. This scheme draws on the Government's 5% top-up allocation to the Council for the original Small Business Grant (SBG) and Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grant (RHLG) schemes for a discretionary scheme to support small and microbusinesses that did not benefit from the earlier funding. While Government guidance has made suggestions on the types of business that should be prioritised for this funding, councils have been given discretion on some of the eligibility ...
William Beveridge listed five 'great evils' (Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor and Idleness) that he thought should be remedied by British society after World War Two, and they were addressed by the post-war government, in what has become known as a social contract between government and people. In a February article, we suggested that the modern equivalents of the 'great evils' are poverty, poor health, lack of skills and training, homelessness and unemployment. These societal ills were in existence before the current health crisis, and should not be allowed to continue after it. Just as after World War Two there was ...
Economic crises, and the C19 pandemic certainly is one, have a habit of initiating a major change in economic orthodoxy. Arguable examples include mercantilism after the collapse of the feudal system, Adam Smith after two long pan-European wars, end of the Gold Standard post-WW1, Keynes after the Great Depression and WW2, 'market reforms' after the 1973-5 recession & crash, and the 'Washington Consensus' after the collapse of communism 1989-91. Then came the 2008 financial crisis, which was still unresolved when C19 hit. To a great extent, each crisis arose from the 'flaws' in each new orthodoxy. Each of these changes ...
What makes for a successful opposition party? How much of that success is down to the leader? How much does policymaking matter in opposition? What question should be asked the Lib Dem leadership election hustings? These are just some of the topics I chewed over with opposition expert Professor Tim Bale in this episode of Never Mind The Bar Charts. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Tim Bale's previous appearance, talking about how you can persuade someone to join a political party. Tim Bale's excellent, re-arrangeable book on ...
Today's Headline of the Day Award is a home win. Well done to the Leicester Mercury.
South Glos has published a big set of proposals for new parking restrictions around the centre of Yate. Here are the proposals for Stanshawes Cres / Kennedy Way - we have been delivering a special Focus to alert residents but please will you share with people you known who might be affected , so they can comment. The S Glos deadline for comment is 15th June.Please note, that to comment officially, rather than emailing Joshua direct, you need to do it by post, OR go to the website and look for ' Yate Various roads' then register with S Glos ...
Regardless of political affiliations, we can agree that Britain must find its voice on Hong Kong. In the last article we looked at the Hong Kong Bill correcting historic irregularities on British Nationality. The Right of Abode for British Nationals (Overseas) British passport holders is UK's crucial response to protect all her people. It is also a tangible action, since it provides passage to these Isles. Yet, our diplomatic approach should be proactive and capable to respond to future threats. Therefore, we move on to the next provisions of the Hong Kong Bill. A regular report on the safety of ...
Thu, 12:56: Dominic Cummings' name blocked by Twitter anti-porn filters https://t.co/y6yXwqIbsj LOL!!! Thu, 16:05: David Tennant and Tom Baker will star together in new Doctor Who story https://t.co/UW2eBz9K35 OMG Thu, 16:58: APCO Worldwide is looking for a great Public Affairs & Communication Intern. Learn more or Jobvite a friend. https://t.co/axbUCcMmLG Thu, 17:11: RT @NYTimesCohen: Angela Merkel and brokenhearted love of country: Germany's Lessons for China and America https://t.co/v3DiA9ZAM8 Thu, 18:23: Thursday reading https://t.co/3Egs8pujja Thu, 18:28: Started Cycle with #cyclemeter at 18:28, on a new route, see https://t.co/HbAAjORp5n, Cyclemeter will speak your replies to me. Thu, 19:59: Finished Cycle with #cyclemeter, ...
Dominic Cummings' reckless behaviour has opened a rats nest that could undermine the battle against the pandemic. If we thought that all government rules were the same, we were mistaken. There are two kinds: regulations where the police can fine us if we break them. For example restrictions on our movement (see regulation 6 here). guidelines where the police can't take action. For example, the guidelines to stay at home if you are infected. Remember this when you read the following quibble from a Number 10 spokesperson: "The police have made clear they are taking no action against Mr Cummings ...
This is Layla's* vision for a better future for us all. It was published via the Independent 27th May:- 'Around the world, people are looking to their leaders for guidance. Some people will feel safe and hopeful. Others may feel uneasy and question their nation's choices. In moments like this, decent leadership can make an enormous difference to people's lives. For me, the best leadership is calm, measured and purposeful. It is open, transparent and direct. Good leaders spell out what they and their parties stand for, allowing people to grasp the ideas, embrace change and move forward together. So, ...
2 big stories Oh what a tangled web we weave... The problem with taking increasingly ludicrous positions in public is that, eventually, either you have to give up, or the contortions become so absurd that everybody knows that that's what they are, at which point the game is up. Health ministers, and the Prime Minister, trashing their own policies in order to justify Dominic Cummings' moonlight flit to Durham, Michael Gove attempting to suggest that he too would test his eyesight by going for a drive, the scientific advisors silenced. And it does begin to beg the question, what does ...
The UK Government's insistence that MPs return to the House of Commons in person next week has already started to unravel with the revelation that there is currently no safe way for voting to take place. Both Houses of Parliament have stubbornly clung to methods of working that have been in place for hundreds of years, with apparently little appetite for reform. These include maintaining the voting lobbies, where MPs file though two opposing corridors to record their vote, in a ceremony that can take over 15 minutes for each division. Now, as the Guardian reports, Public Health England have ...
