There were disgraceful scenes in central London today, as bands of far right demonstrators gathered in a show of defiance. Some physically attacked police, others made Nazi salutes in front of the Cenotaph and one was filmed urinating at the side of the memorial to slain policeman Keith Palmer. Several journalists and other media personnel [...]

Posted by jonathanfryer on Jonathan Fryer

For once, I'm not citing the second paragraph of the third chapter, because I did not get that far. It turns out to be the second book in a series where I have not read the first, and the action is so tightly connected to the previous volume that I could not make head nor tail of it, and gave up after only 16 pages. For what it's worth, the characters seemed to me to be behaving very oddly, but I was not interested enough to keep reading and find out why.

The tune of Amazing Grace has been running through my head all week. We have been singing it with the Great British Home Chorus, along with We Shall Overcome, as a tribute to Black Lives Matter. At least I think that is why Gareth Malone chose the song, assuming that it is a gospel song which can trace its origins back to black churches in the Southern States. Nothing he said suggested that he knew the real story behind the lyrics. As far as the music is concerned, he referred to "this traditional American melody", and indeed the beautiful tune ...

Posted by Mary Reid on Liberal Democrat Voice

This is the second of a series of three posts about the right to die, end of life care and its legislation. The first post can be seen here. Many rapid changes were made to prevent the NHS's urgent services being swamped by Covid-19. Whilst we wait for population immunity- preferably through a successful vaccine – and hope there is no second wave, the NHS now has to adjust to the new normal. The NHS needs to start to deliver the routine care, the scans, the operations and cancer care that are now backlogged. This will require new ways of ...

Posted by David Harding on Liberal Democrat Voice

I write this on the day that would have been Pride Edinburgh 2020. Last year, tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ Scots and Allies joined in the centre of our capital city for a march through the streets, followed by entertainment and a range of social events. To me, pride is three things; a protest, a celebration and a coming together. Since I came out over 5 years ago, I have attended every Edinburgh Pride event, each time with a group of individuals, be that my friends, the University LGBT+ group or the Scottish Liberal Democrats. It's always been a day ...

Posted by Fraser Graham on Liberal Democrat Voice
Sat 13th
12:46

Agadir

(2.0) When I first saw the misted strand (not quite a desert, nor even yet at peace), I gasped: At the endless ocean breaking from beyond,embayed within a continent-long shore in curving crashing sweeping rolling chordsdescending into echoes, undertows of thunder in its susurrating roar – heedless of the withered valley's cries for rain – pounding deep below the reddened craggy spine which buried thousands in a night; [...]

Posted by AL Franklin on Maintain the Advance!

The worldwide anger resulting from the killing in police custody of George Floyd has so far been very supportive of the Black Lives Matter and anti racist causes. In the UK it reached its apex in the toppling of the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol. A reappraisal of the teaching of history, the role of colonisation and empire and the continued of discrimination against minority ethnic groups in the UK and elsewhere are all now now firmly on the agenda. We must now move on, not by forgetting about it and turning to whatever next catches ...

Posted by Peter Wrigley on Keynesian Liberal

I've launched my new campaign video today: we need a new direction, it's time to let go of the coalition. I am standing for leader of the Liberal Democrats, and a New Direction for the party. The Lib Dems should work with other parties on the centre-left to defeat the Tories at the next general election. Here's my plan for the future of our party [IMG: 👉] https://t.co/8MERT2fmFT [IMG: 🔶] pic.twitter.com/DS5uhAAsgs — Wera Hobhouse MP [IMG: 🔶] (@Wera_Hobhouse) June 13, 2020 I was a councillor in Rochdale during the coalition — I saw its impact. But for our party, it ...

Posted by Wera Hobhouse MP on Liberal Democrat Voice

It is a book that pleases with its swish cleverness, not with pulse-quickening moments of action. It is an unconventional masterpiece.

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack
Sat 13th
11:00

My tweets

Fri, 12:24: RT @Keir_Starmer: What is it going to take for the Prime Minister to finally act on this? https://t.co/i4mOh2yPYh Fri, 12:56: RT @NaomiOhReally: "Nowhere does it say we killed 10 million Congolese, that we cut off men and women's hands to build Belgium," @SololaBie... Fri, 16:05: No time for Europe to go wobbly https://t.co/lXqUyYg3AM @NathalieTocci calls for unity vis a vis the US and China. Fri, 16:31: US presidential trivia: who was the only person to have been both the oldest living former Vice-President, *and* th... https://t.co/s1HAOAKDdv Fri, 17:05: And we have a winner!!!! Yep. Coolidge was the oldest ...

YouGov

If Boris Johnson and his advisors think that they have ridden out the Dominic Cummings affair then they need to think again. Not only has the Special Advisor, his wife and child to Durham made it more difficult to enforce the lockdown, but many people are using it as an excuse to make similar journeys of their own. And then there are the Prime Minister's scientific advisors, who appear to becoming more and more disillusioned with the government's approach to tackling COVID-19 and the one-rule-for-you-another-rule-for us approach of the inner circle. As the Independent reports, England's chief nurse was dropped ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

The Liberal Democrats find themselves lost at sea, rudderless, without sail or paddle, and devoid of compass. Famously, Odysseus spent ten years afloat after the Siege of Troy - "long adrift on shipless oceans", as Tim Buckley sang in Song To The Siren - but there's every chance that the Lib Dems will spend much longer than a decade wandering the political oceans if they don't sort themselves out, and quickly. Of course, the party does realise it's in trouble post its catastrophic performance in the December 2019 General Election, and Baroness Thornhill's after action review has addressed some of ...

Posted by Stuart Crawford on Liberal Democrat Voice

[IMG: Remembering Stuart Hall at this time] As a midlifer, I call upon other midlifers to examine our own anti-black prejudices. My appeal is to midlifers because we are probably old enough... The post Remembering Stuart Hall at this time appeared first on Ambitiousmamas.

Posted by ambitiousmamas on Ambitiousmamas

Watch out - there has been a spate of attempted burglaries and car break ins around the new development. The police are running an operation to stamp it out - which is why they are signs up around the area. Let's work together to prevent it - lock sheds, garages and houses.

When Merseyside reopened it's recycling Centres during our pandemic (4th May) some, including Sefton Meadows (Maghull) and Formby, did not open due to expected traffic congestion issues which would be caused by queuing traffic on busy roads. At the time I wondered why Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA) had not brought in a pre-booking process for their recycling centres, where queuing traffic would be a problem, as just over the county boundary Lancashire County Council had done just that when it reopened it's recycling centres. What's more I know that Burscough Recycling Centre's pre-booking process works very well because ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

It still pains me to admit it, but the reality is sinking in fast: free movement is coming to an end. Liberal Democrats (and others) fought a valiant fight, but the results of last year's general election made the majority's views crystal clear. No more free movement, tougher immigration controls. So, after a series of delays, the Government's Immigration Bill - the legislation that will legally put an end to free movement - is making its way through Parliament as we speak. With it will come a whole raft of immigration rule changes, the most well-known being the flagship 'Australian-style' ...

Posted by Daniel Callaghan on Liberal Democrat Voice

Right to the last minute, I was receiving calls, emails and messages from people worried about last night's Black Lives Matter protest. They worried about the protest being troublesome. About it being infiltrated. About the crowds spreading Covid-19. I did not share their concerns and they proved to be misplaced. I estimate 550 to 600 people turned out to the protest in Linney Riverside Park. They stood apart, alone, in family groups or in bubbles. Each three metres from the next. There were a lot of people but no crowding. All wore face masks. The protest was civilised. Passionate. And ...

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington

With grateful thanks to the resident who sent me this, a colourful display of margaritas and poppies on Riverside Drive!