Settled Status figures show need for automatic right to stay Publishing Russia report top of the list for intelligence committee Lib Dems: Consequences of Chancellor ignoring our high streets already clear Govt must foot the bill to keep TV licences free for over 75s Ministers must act to ensure public can have confidence in NHS Test and Trace As the country opens up Test and Trace is more important than ever Settled Status figures show need for automatic right to stay The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to grant EU citizens the automatic right to stay in the ...
In this BBC documentary Simon Hollis explores the darker underside of the pastoral idyll and the traditions of Folk Horror being revived by a new generation of writers, musicians and filmmakers. Contributors include fantasy writer Alan Garner, musician and composer Sharron Kraus, writer and filmmaker Adam Scovell, author Ben Myers, field folklorist Jonathan Huet, occult historian Gary Parsons, Piers Haggard the director of The Blood on Satan's Claw, and Maxine Sanders "Queen of the Witches". There's even a snatch of Steve Winwood and Traffic.
What follows is a statement from the Clinical Commissioning Group for County Durham, lead organisation in the replacement project. It has been confirmed that the delays mentioned will result in the first spade in the ground being six months later than originally planned. "Everyone at NHS County Durham Clinical Commissioning Group (the CCG) hopes that you have been keeping safe and well during the recent weeks and months. We wanted to share an update on a particular project that so many local people helped contribute to last year, as well as let you know about what will be happening moving ...
The Financial Times is the most politically liberal national newspaper - sadly, read only by a fraction of those who get the Daily Mail. Martin Wolf's 'Big Read: the New Social Contract' in the FT of 6th July laid out very clearly the links between active citizenship, stable democracy, and limits to economic inequality: Citizenship...is the tie that binds people together in a shared endeavour... In today's world, citizenship needs to have three aspects: loyalty to democratic political and legal institutions and the values of open debate and tolerance that underpin them; concern for the ability of all fellow citizens ...
When the pandemic started to seriously intrude into our daily lives, in March, my view was the it might accelerate some changes, but it was being overplayed by some commentators as a society-changing event. My view is changing. And it is changing because the virus is proving so hard either to beat or to live ... Continue reading Deadly and contagious, this virus is reshaping our society
From the Liberal Democrat website: Party Awards recognise publicly those who have given the party outstanding service and commitment in the past year. They are presented at Autumn Conference (national conditions allowing) and each winner receives a trophy to keep and a special mention. Candidates must themselves be party members, and be nominated and seconded by two party members. More details about the individual awards and who is eligible can be found here. All nominations should be completed using this nomination portal. Before you get started, please make sure you have: Your membership number; The name, contact information and membership ...
Now that Hugo voting is finally available online, I'm going to post about a few categories over the next few days. I'm involved with the administration of the awards again this year, so I won't be revealing my exact rankings; back to my normal procedure next year. Of all of this year's categories, I am most excited about Best Related Work. This was the category hit hardest by the Puppies, being No Awarded in both 2015 and 2016 (which incidentally means that if all goes well in DC next year, it will be only the second time since 2013 that ...
Liberal Democrat MPs Ed Davey and Layla Moran will be the two candidates contesting the latest Liberal Democrat leadership contest, the party has confirmed.
Current The Complete Secret Army: An Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to the Classic TV Drama Series by Andy Priestner Our Mutual Friend, by Charles Dickens The Overstory, by Richard Powers The Ruin of Kings, by Jenn Lyons The Wicked + The Divine vol 9: "Okay", by Kieron Gillen etc Last books finished City of Lies, by Sam Hawke Tooth & Claw, by Jo Walton Gaze of the Medusa, by Gordon Rennie, Emma Beeby and Brian Williamson EU Lobbying Handbook, by Andreas Geiger The Wicked + The Divine vol 8: Old is the New New, by Kieron Gillen etc TOR: Assassin ...
Liberal Democrat MPs Ed Davey and Layla Moran will be the two candidates contesting the latest Liberal Democrat leadership contest, the Party has confirmed. At the close of nominations today both Ed Davey and Layla Moran secured the support required to appear on the ballot. Voting will open on the 30th July and close on the 26th August, after which the Party will announce the next leader. Liberal Democrat Party President Mark Pack said: With two fantastic candidates, I am really excited for the contest for who will lead the Liberal Democrats and champion our vision for an outward-looking, caring ...
Even with a seemingly bottomless purse it was probably impossible for our Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, in his summer splash out to keep the economy going beyond the pandemic, to please everybody.. One disgruntled group are the airline industries, who have received no extra help at all. I welcome this. In the short run, until the pandemic is firmly under control, it is clearly vital to keep travel, and particularly international travel, down to a minimum. In the longer run, given that air travel is both a major polluter and a major conduit for spreading disease (and there ...
Liberal Democrats stand for an open society receptive to new ideas, international trade, law-law rather than war-war, cooperation amongst nations, and universal human rights. Whilst proud to be British, we oppose isolationism, nationalism, protectionism and xenophobia for political gain. We recognise the difficulties of Britain's colonial past and support making amends. How do sentiments such as these translate into practice, internationally, and how can members become involved? It's a question which is often asked in all kinds of meetups. The coordination of international activity is undertaken by the Federal International Relations Committee, (FIRC) which is one of the party's governing, ...
As well as her guest post Around Tolworth in the footsteps of Richard Jefferies Lucy Furlong sent me one of the poems from her chapbook Sward. The poem's narrow column echoes the long thin strip of central reservation. Skin of the Earth Humans don't walk here. I seedrivers stare at me throughwindshields and wound downwindows as they pass by. Oneday a woman and a girl stop tolook at me as I kneel to take aphoto of red clover. They doubletake as I double take. A horseand trap careers across the dualcarriageway at the Jubilee Wayjunction - a time warp - ...
Partners for a New Economy (P4NE) have announced that they have appointed Jo Swinson as their new Director. P4NE is a philanthropic donor organisation that makes grants to projects that support new economic thinking. As they say: At P4NE, we fund innovative projects and build communities that bring new thinking and approaches to traditional economics. These "change catalysts" play a pivotal role in helping to repurpose our economic system, and together they're helping to build a movement for an economic system that's fit for the challenges of the 21st Century. Jo says: I'm excited to join Partners for a New ...
The vast Maghull East site seen from Poverty Lane presently used for growing crops but under Sefton Council's Local Plan it is to be covered with housing. The Liverpool Echo has the article on its website – see link below:- There's every danger that you'll be shouting back at me that I'm a broken record here especially if you agree with house building on Green Belt and on high grade agricultural land which feeds us. However, if you agree with me that building on such land is very wrong indeed then read on. During my time as a Maghull ...
A reminder that support is available for those experiencing food poverty. There is a food banks in Yate for emergencies. Visit the One You South Gloucestershire website food support page for more information. Anyone in financial difficulty because of reduced income should check the information for residents page.
Liverpool Lib Dems take action on two crucial issues for the City Liverpool's Opposition Group, the Liberal Democrats have initiated decisive action on two major issues which they believe need to be scrutinised. The have submitted a requisition for an ... Continue reading →
"It was very welcome to see a centre right chancellor acting like a centre left one." You can tell there are few things to get excited about when you begin to quote...yourself! This was something I said, and of course it was about Rishi Sunak, in my most recent article. And just when I thought that the operative word for me was acting, as in acting like, what does the chancellor do, he delivers millions to theatres! So the operative word, in fact, was also centre, as in centre left. This chancellor is the most left wing since Gordon Brown! ...
Back in March, at the very outset of the crisis, the chancellor Rishi Sunak said that: "Now more than at any time in our history, we will be judged by our capacity for compassion." That was true then and it is true now. Yet the mini-budget announced yesterday regrettably showed that the government has failed that test. At a time when millions of people across the country are facing the threat of poverty and unemployment, this plan fell far short. There were some important and welcome measures, in particular, the £1,000 incentive to persuade employers to keep on furloughed staff. ...
Wed, 12:56: Inside the world of Rishi Sunak https://t.co/yV6pIKYKGC Fascinating profile of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Bor... https://t.co/ogfc6HYfnJ Wed, 16:03: RT @Keir_Starmer: The Prime Minister must apologise to care workers. #PMQs https://t.co/iRAWNybeVZ Wed, 16:05: RT @pmdfoster: 🔥🔥🏴 🥊 🏴 NEW: Edinburgh/SNP says it will fight London/Tories is they legislate to force Scotland to accept whatev... Wed, 18:07: The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov https://t.co/qh37yuc3el Wed, 22:00: RT @JonnyGeller: One of the most effective political ads I've ever seen. https://t.co/Frj4lFacDJ Thu, 04:31: RT @worldcon2021: Hugo voting for 2020 has just opened! Members of the 2020 Worldcon (CoNZealand) can access ...
Lib Dems: Yet more lies from PM as he tries to dodge blame for care homes crisis Davey: We must match the scale of the crisis with the courage to invest Lib Dems: Yet more lies from PM as he tries to dodge blame for care homes crisis Responding to Boris Johnson's comments during Prime Minister's Questions that "no one knew early on in the pandemic that the virus was being passed on asymptomatically", Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said: Yet again, we are seeing more lies from the Prime Minister. He and his Ministers knew about the asymptomatic ...
The passing on this great cricketer only days before the the West Indies and England met in a Test Match at Southampton (yesterday) led to a tribute by the players, in the form of a minutes silence and the wearing of black armbands. He was truly a great player and Wikipedia has a page which tells his life story very well:- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everton_Weekes I love the bit about how he gained the forename Everton and the amusing comment by Jim Laker about if his Dad had supported a different football team:- Weekes was named by his father after English football team ...
An email from Liz Truss to Rishi Sunak and Michael Gove outlining her concerns about what a no deal Brexit would entail has been leaked to the media. As expected, it was a big news story yesterday. Yet given all it reveals, it is amazing how relatively little attention it received. For it shines a light on just how unprepared it looks like Her Majesty's Government is for almost any Brexit scenario that is realistic at this stage. And when I say unprepared, I mean that they aren't even dealing with the most basic of basics. Truss points out in ...
i) births and deaths 9 July 1993: Death of Ron Jones, who directed the Fifth Doctor stories Black Orchid (1982), Time-Flight (1982), Arc of Infinity (1983) and Frontios (1984); and the Sixth Doctor stories Vengeance on Varos (1985) and the one most of us call Mindwarp (1986). 9 July 2007: Death of Peter Tuddenham, who was the voice of the computer in Ark in Space, the voice of the Mandragora Helix in The Masque of Mandragora, and the voice of the Brain in Time and the Rani. Blake's 7 fans remember him also as Orac, Zen and Slave. ii) broadcast ...
Further to my recent post with Jill's West End wild flowers, my many thanks to Ann for these lovely ones from Riverside!
There is an interesting article in Business Insider concerning a leaked letter from the UK's international trade secretary, Liz Truss that casts doubt on the legitimacy of the Prime Minister's post-Brexit border plans. The letter claims that the border plans could break international trading rules, risk the UK's international credibility, and lead to smuggling from the European Union. Although Britain is set to leave EU trading and customs rules at the end of the year, the government announced last month that full border controls would not be applied on goods until July 2021: Business Insider reported last week that the ...
Thu 9th
05:15
Car park charges back in Ludlow from Tuesday but no plans to reinstate park and ride service
Without any consultation with councillors, Shropshire Council is to reintroduce car parking charges across the county on Tuesday 14 July. This could not be worse timed. Ludlow is beginning to recover from lockdown but it is a long haul ahead. Social distancing is a challenge everywhere but more so in a historic town with narrow streets and pleasantly ancient pubs, restaurants and cafes. Free parking in the Galdeford and Smithfield car parks should be part of Ludlow's offer over the summer. We councillors have been told that officers are "looking at how Park and Ride may support more fully and ...
This video shows a canal journey from Berkhamsted to Aylesbury in 1965. Note that steam locomotives were still working the West Coast main line that year. I used to think our first family canal holiday took place that year, but I have a clear memory of hearing Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night playing on a taxi radio at Oxford station at the end of the trip and that dates it to 1966.
