To bring an end to the financial insecurity faced by the most vulnerable, the Liberal Democrats have today agreed plans to campaign for a Universal Basic Income. Ahead of a debate at the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference, the Party's new Economy spokesperson Christine Jardine challenged her Party to "fulfil Beveridge's legacy" by tackling the injustice of too many people being "caught between low-paid work and a punitive benefits system." In demanding reform, the Liberal Democrats have pointed to the estimated 8.5 million adults and 4.5 million children living in poverty in the UK, as well as the people that society ...
A report in Nation Cymru begins: Reopening the Aberystwyth-Carmarthen railway would cost significantly less than thought, a report by campaign group Traws Link Cymru has claimed. They claim that the cost of reopening the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen railway could be reduced to around £620 million, 20% less than the Wesh Government's £775m price tag. The report, entitled A Strategic Rail Corridor for west Wales comes two years after the Welsh Government published their own feasibility study. It found that 97 per cent of the original trackbed was clear and that reopening was a realistic prospect. And on Twitter Jane Dodds, ...
Our first ever virtual Liberal Democrat federal conference kicked off today. Here are some of the highlights from what went down on day one.
Three weeks ago, word came out that "us slackers working for the Government should return to the office and get some work done" - I paraphrase somewhat here - as a means of encouraging people back into our town and city centres. I was, it must be said, unimpressed. And now, lo and behold, we're kind of back where we started, being encouraged to work from home in order to reduce the risk of catching, and spreading, the Covid-19 virus. Mind you, given that my office is currently being prepared to be emptied, I did wonder where I was going ...
This post first appeared on the Radix blog... Charles Zylstra was the man who first introduced Stamp Scrip - the negative interest local currency - to the USA around 1932/3. He used to tell this story: "A travelling salesman stopped at a hotel and handed the clerk a hundred dollar bill to be put in the safe, saying he would call for it in twenty-four hours. The clerk, whose name was A, owed $100 to B and clandestinely he used this bill for the liquidation of his debt, thinking that before the expiration of 24 hours he could collect $100 ...
Second paragraph of third chapter:Sure enough there was the slip in the corner of the basin; and at the top of it two nice-looking lads in boating clothes. The Arethusa addressed himself to these. One of them said there would be no difficulty about a night's lodging for our boats; and the other, taking a cigarette from his lips, inquired if they were made by Searle and Son. The name was quite an introduction. Half-a-dozen other young men came out of a boat-house bearing the superscription ROYAL SPORT NAUTIQUE, and joined in the talk. They were all very polite, voluble, ...
On Lib Dem Voice: Reportage | Contribute On the official party website: Conference home Party President, Mark Pack, opened the Conference this afternoon, paying tribute to members who had lost their lives, or the lives of people dear to them, through the pandemic. Before that Geoff Payne, the Chair of Federal Conference Committee, introduced us to the studio set at HQ, and I must say that it had all the feel of a real-life Conference, if in miniature, and is far removed from our all-too-familiar Zoom experience. This was followed by a scene setting video showing places all over the ...
In the rather unlikely event that anyone is reading this, then this is the last post. I have decided to restart my blogging at Wordpress.I have also decided to split my cricket blogging to another Wordpress blog, and technical blogging out to dev.to.And for the duration of the Pestilence Of 2020 I am keeping yet another Wordpress blog.
The Liberal Democrats' Autumn Conference got underway this afternoon and will run through till Monday. It was originally scheduled to take place in Brighton — always a favourite venue — but COVID-19 meant it had to go online. Unlike Labour's conference last week, when members were merely able to watch what their political leaders had [...]
[IMG: Napier Barracks, Folkestone] Folkestone and Hythe District Council have hosted a question time session on Friday 25th September with many of the people involved in the Napier Barracks migrant processing camp, including the Home Office. Speakers included: Although it certainly did not answer all the questions that I and other residents have asked regarding the centre, it did answer some of them. A Q&A paper following on from the session will be posted soon on the District Council website. The session was Chaired by David Monk as Leader of Folkestone & Hythe District Council and contributors included: Damian Collins ...
Today, we have published a new report with the Social Liberal Forum "Winning for Britain: Rebuilding the Lib Dems to change the course of our country". We have done so because we passionately believe the Lib Dems must learn from last year's catastrophic election defeat, not only for the good of the party and Liberalism, but because if we don't the Conservative will rule for another decade. We present evidence of the scale of what went wrong last December and ideas on what needs to change. Some of this is about data collection, analysis and improved message testing. But our ...
Liberator is now a free online publication, but Lord Bonkers is carrying on regardless. Monday Did you know the new leader of the Liberal Democrats is a man who serves in a chip shop in Stockport? Extraordinary, isn't it? I was in that town today to buy a new fedora and decided to treat myself to a fish supper before turning in for the night. So there I was ordering haddock and chips (hold the mushy peas) when the fellow introduced himself. As he was wearing a visor it was hard to make out everything he said even with my ...
On Lib Dem Voice: Reportage | Contribute On the official party website: Conference home Well, I've done it, and it works! If you have registered for our very first Virtual Conference then you will have been sent an email with the subject line "Your ticket to Lib Dem Conference". Click on the link and our Virtual Conference is revealed in all its glory. It's very easy to navigate. Over on the right you can edit your profile and upload a photo. As I write 296 people have logged in already. You can see who is there under People, and if ...
Liberator's first online issue is out and available for free download at: www.liberatormagazine.org.uk Alongside Radical Bulletin, Letters, Reviews and Lord Bonkers' Diary, Liberator 403 includes: The coffee smells off Ed Davey's listening tour is all very well, but have the Lib Dems any idea what they want people to think about them, wonders David Grace. Generous Gesture Julian Huppert explains the origin of The Generous Society,Tom King's new booklet on the meaning of liberal values. Will Russia rescue Trump again? Tell a big lie often enough and people will believe it; that is presidential politics in the age of Trump, ...
Thu, 12:56: JPMorgan (JPM) to Move $230 Billion Assets to Germany in Brexit Shift https://t.co/7NA6XwBufG "Only a considerable upside." Thu, 13:07: RT @lowflyingrocks: 2020 ST3, 3m-7m in diameter, just passed the Earth at 5km/s, missing by 927,000km. https://t.co/vFckZje0k0 Thu, 13:13: A close one! https://t.co/KW0t0X8tAv Thu, 16:05: Boris Johnson's autumn of discontent https://t.co/IlNFIurx5U "Some who loudly sponsored Johnson over the more stable and conservative Jeremy Hunt have worked out that Johnson, when he does anything at all, does not seem to know what he is doing." Thu, 17:11: RT @hhesterm: Dmitry is right. Maybe it has not been explained often and ...
Is it any wonder that people do not trust the COVID regulations being imposed by the UK Government. First of all the Prime Minister fails to punish a key aide who broke the rules by travelling to Barnard Castle, then they add little exemptions that only really apply to their own narrow class, such as exempting grouse shooting and hunting .with guns in England from outdoor activities where the "rule of six" coronavirus regulations apply. And they are at it again. The Independent reports that new face mask rules for taxi passengers will not apply to those in chauffeur-driven cars. ...
...or so some people in this government want you to think Everyone needs to ensure they get a good pension at the end of the day. So join Lib Dems Overseas Fringe Event: Frozen Pensions to Lost Pensions at the autumn conference 1pm on Sunday 27 September to update yourselves on the politics of pensions and campaign to safeguard your future! For decades the UK state pension lagged seriously behind the growth in average earnings. In 2011 the coalition government introduced a formula to protect pensions against the vagaries of inflation. It introduced a mechanism to guaranteeing that the state ...
As the Committee Stage of the Agriculture Bill progressed, Ros's past experience as a local councillor and as Chair of an EU select committee came into play. Can the power imbalance between farmers and supermarkets be reduced and, if farmers want public money, then it is not unreasonable to ask what the public get in return. And, if farmers claim to be stewards of the land, who are they stewarding it for? Baroness Scott of Needham Market (LD) [V] My Lords, in 2016, I chaired an EU sub-committee inquiry into building a more resilient agricultural sector. We took evidence on ...
broadcast anniversaries 25 September 1965: broadcast of "Air Lock", third episode of the story we now call Galaxy 4. Vicki is captured by the Rills, but persuades the Doctor to help them; Steven is threatened with asphyxiation by the Drahvins. This may be the one episode of Old Who that I have not actually seen since its recovery in 2011. 25 September 1976: broadcast of fourth episode of The Masque of Mandragora. The brotherhood attempt to infiltrate the masque at the gathering of Renaissance savants, but the Doctor and Sarah foil their plan.
I am grateful to the residents who have brought to my attention a water leak on Perth Road, opposite River Crescent. This is continually leaking all over the pavement and down the road. Residents advise it is exceedingly slippy to walk there. I have reported the matter to Scottish Water who has confirmed it will investigate the issue and get it resolved.
