I think I understand where many people are coming from when they look at the news of the removal of Edward Colston's statue* and say, 'perhaps it should have been removed, but not by a crowd; it should have been done by democratic means'. He tripped and fell. We all saw it. https://t.co/9OJnBYbw9E — Rich Neville (@RichNeville) June 7, 2020 So if you don't like action-by-crowds, we need to redouble our efforts to tackle racism through democratic means. So roll up your sleeves and help our democratic system do just that. (And if you're a Liberal Democrat, joining the Lib ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Govt failing NHS staff and care workers Govt must not sleep walk into a second peak Govt failing NHS staff and care workers Responding to reports that NHS trusts were not consulted over new face coverings rule, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: This is yet another betrayal by the Government of the NHS and care staff who are putting their lives on the line every single day. Why is the Secretary of State prioritising press conference announcements over consultation with NHS staff? Now we face a situation where our stretched and under-resourced NHS is having to ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on Liberal Democrat Voice

Many war films — not least those made in Hollywood — have glorified military activity, while a few, like Francis Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now and Michael Cimino's The Deer Hunter, have dwelt on how war can really screw one's mind. But few modern cinema epics actually make you feel you are right there in the action, both [...]

Posted by jonathanfryer on Jonathan Fryer

The idea that economic growth should be the top political priority, after keeping people safe, became established in the 1950s, and has become so imbedded in political thinking that it is now taken for granted. But it's a bit like Wil E Coyote running over a cliff; we may not realise it yet, but the ... Continue reading The post-growth economy has arrived. It's time people accepted that

Posted by Matthew on thinking liberal

I am loath to contradict Lord Bonkers (not least because my rent falls due on Lady Day), but I have never understood why he is so certain that Tim Farron wants to rip the pews out of St Asquith's. Nor am I convinced that King Solomon is the source of that aperçu. Perhaps it is just as well that today's entry brings to a close our latest week at Bonkers Hall. Sunday Though St Asquith's is closed for the duration, I like to keep an eye on the old place if only to ensure that the Revd Hughes's curate Farron ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Liberal Democrat Federal Board member Joyce Onstad had a video chat with her minister in which she describes some of the realities of everyday racism that she has had to deal with in her life. She describes first becoming aware of racism in this country when she came to live here 24 years ago. She heard of black children being told that they should aim to be footballers rather than doctors. She went on to describe how she would apply for jobs in her own name – and get rejection letters. When she applied under her married name, she got ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice
Sun 7th
18:16

Six of the Best 932

"On 25 April 2020, The Spectator, located in London's Old Queen Street, just around the corner from CCHQ (Conservative Campaign Headquarters) in Matthew Parker Street carried a column by its commissioning editor, one Mary Wakefield, wife of Dominic Cummings. In it, she told the touching story of her family's brush with the deadly coronavirus - save for one now-glaring omission: not even the slightest hint of their now infamous mercy-dash to the North East." Tim Bale examines Cummings, Covid-19 and the British Establishment. Calum Macleod argues that land reform is central to a green economic recovery in Scotland. Richard Bentall ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

I haven't worn any makeup for three months. Normally I would put on some foundation and mascara whenever I go out, but I'm at home all the time so there is no real incentive. I never wear lipstick because I react badly to lanolin, which is found in almost all lipsticks as well as other cosmetics and toiletries. Since lanolin is an oil derived from sheep's wool that also explains why I can't wear wool next to my skin. In fact, my problem with lanolin led me to The Body Shop many years ago, at a time when ingredients were ...

Posted by Mary Reid on Liberal Democrat Voice

Welcome to another special edition of Never Mind The Bar Charts, this time my appearance on Democratically: 2020 with Karin Robinson. We talk about my book, Bad News, the US Presidential race and how election coverage is so often wrong. Feedback very welcome, and do share this podcast with others who you think may enjoy it. Show notes Democratically: 2020 on Apple Podcasts. (It's also on all the other standard podcast platforms. Karin Robinson on Twitter. Sign up for a free chapter from Bad News. Enjoy the show? Spread the word Follow the show on Twitter. Like the show on ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Over on the Torch website, Layla Moran explains why the Government needs to do more to support those asked to self isolate because they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. She was prompted to do so after seeing members' views on one of the many social media groups. Employees who have to self-isolate under the scheme are currently only entitled to receive Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) of £95 a week. That is around five times less than the £460 net income a week received by a worker earning the maximum of £2,500 a month ...

Posted by NewsHound on Liberal Democrat Voice
YouGov

Sleeper was the first film to win both Hugo and Nebula for Best Dramatic Presentation, for 1974 in both cases. (I am informed that the eligibility period for the 1974 Nebula was December 1973 to November 1974.) The Hugo finalists were Genesis II, which has a similar plot to Sleeper, Soylent Green, which had already won the 1973 Nebula, Westworld and The Six Million Dollar Man. The other two Nebula finalists were new to me - a Czech animated film, Divoká planeta (Fantastic Planet), and a TV version of Frankenstein. Very loosely based on the H.G. Wells novel 1910 The ...

There can be little doubt that driving standards have plunged during lockdown and that this has mainly manifested itself via excessive speeding. That's certainly been my experience travelling around Sefton and West Lancashire by car, cycle and indeed walking. We had quite a number of weeks when there was little or no traffic on our roads and this seemingly became an invitation to those who enjoy/can't resist speeding to put their clogs to the floor in both urban and rural areas regardless of pretty much anything. 'We can so we will' and they certainly have been doing! Maybe they thought ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

Work has restarted on the new multi-use sports hall being built by Yate Town Council behind Brimsham green School. Project chair, Chris Willmore commented - it was sad when work had to stop, because of COVID, but now it is leaping forward. This will be a new home for the Yate Boxing Club and other sport and dance groups, within YOSC

Sun 7th
13:35

Ruts

Locked away under blackening clouds in a darkened room with ageing bones on a tightened frame which used to march and trek and hike and wander... Deep in the pile of twisted knots that pass for my emotions, sparks catch and current flows, out of sterile ruts to joy: a moment shivers, suggestive in its subtlety, to imply there might be hope...

Posted by AL Franklin on Maintain the Advance!

The chair of Liberal Democrats for Racial Equality Roderick Lynch was on Politics England today talking about the Black Lives Matter protests taking part around England. Why are people taking to the streets in the middle of a pandemic? He talked about how inequality in housing and health and higher rates of poverty are a matter of life and death every day for black people. When you think about it like that, you can understand their need to highlight how tough life is and how much of the burden of the inequalities in our society they are being forced to ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice

When I bought Joni Mitchell's album Blue I was surprised to find that I already knew one of the tracks. Nazareth, a Scottish band who were heavy but not too heavy to alarm the charts, had a hit with This Flight Tonight in 1973. I remember it as being less upfront than this, but maybe reception on Radio Luxembourg wasn't so good. The band's vocalist was Dan McCafferty, while their lead guitarist Manny Charlton once walked to Market Harborough to further his career.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England
Sun 7th
11:00

My tweets

Sat, 12:56: RT @Pseudo_Isidore: "I never thought leopards would eat *my* face". https://t.co/xl8WNm3Q76 Sat, 15:28: RT @TheFabledAesop: Matthew Parris on Boris Johnson in The Times. Thanks to @PaddyBriggs for the screenshot. https://t.co/FBKUM9JTCm Sat, 15:46: Soylent Green (1973) and Make Room! Make Room! (1966) https://t.co/iD9GCxSdG0 Sat, 16:05: RT @DavidGauke: I've had sympathy for the Government during the CV crisis but it's hard to argue it's been a good couple of weeks for the G... Sat, 19:37: RT @britainelects: Scottish independence voting intention: Yes: 48% (+2) No: 45% (-1) -- Excl. undecideds: Yes: 52% (+2) No: 48% (-2) v... Sat, 20:48: Why ...

Christine Jardine has written for the New Statesman (£) on why the Government's Domestic Abuse Bill needs to be changed in order to make sure that migrant women get the support that they need to escape abusive relationships. Imagine this. You've moved halfway across the world with two children, leaving behind everyone you know and love, to be with your partner in a different country. But instead of starting a new life, he starts to abuse you emotionally, financially and physically. That's what happened to one of the women who now campaigns for others like her to have better rights ...

Posted by NewsHound on Liberal Democrat Voice

Tory MP David Davis has hit out at his own Home Secretary, warning that the "cruel" indefinite detention of immigrants is making the scandal of modern slavery worse. As the Independent reports, the former Conservative cabinet minister has urged the Priti Patel to stop holding people charged with no crime for months or even years - warning of its "devastating" psychological impact. Two other former Tory ministers are demanding an end to the practice, in a vote expected in July, with others expected to join them in calling for a strict 28-day limit instead: Mr Davis highlighted the case of ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

Wera Hobhouse has set out her plan for a progressive alliance on her website. She wrote: If elected leader of the Liberal Democrats, I would start working with Keir Starmer and the Green Party leadership from day one. We cannot wait to think and talk about it in 2024 when an election is imminent. Trust must be restored after a decade in which the progressive parties aimed far too much fire at each other, to the sole benefit of the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats will always be distinct from Labour. Many of us are suspicious of the Labour Party's extreme ...

Posted by NewsHound on Liberal Democrat Voice
eUKhost

At next Wednesday's meeting of the Performance Management Scrutiny Committee, Viv Parry will challenge Shropshire Council on its verge mowing policy. Until ten days ago, we had a great array of wildflowers on verges in and around Ludlow. The verges had not been mown for weeks due to the Covid-19 emergency. Wildflowers decorated verges, bringing colour to road edges and supporting biodiversity. But in the last ten days, verges around Ludlow have been mowed flat and in the warmth of late May and late June have become parched. Uninteresting to the eye. Impoverished for biodiversity. Road safety must always take ...

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington

Remember - you can enjoy this year's WestFest Big Sunday from the comfort of your own home later today! 2020 is the 10th anniversary of WestFest and a fantastic party had been planned down the Green before COVID-19 scuppered that. WestFest's great volunteers have been working behind the scenes to organise a virtual festival so tune in on Sunday for videos and live streams from lots of amazing local acts and DJs. See you d̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶g̶r̶e̶e̶n̶ online! Details at www.facebook.com/events/238391147459568.