This is how the Derbyshire town of Belper relieved the stress of lockdown in the spring. The townsfolk would moo from their doors and windows at 6.30 every evening. It seemed to help.

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

Four nations meeting welcome "first step" – Liberal Democrats Government urged to "lead by example" and restore hybrid Parliament Four nations meeting welcome "first step" – Liberal Democrats Responding to news that the four Governments of the UK have met to develop a UK-wide approach to restrictions for the festive period, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: People across our family of nations will be reassured to hear that efforts are at last underway to ensure everyone is subject to the same guidance as they plan for the festive period, as first called for by the Liberal Democrats. ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on Liberal Democrat Voice

There's a buzz amongst Liberals and lefties of all types: Citizens Assemblies can fix our broken democracy. Green activists think an assembly will help stop Climate Change; the exciting, rebooted Social Liberal Forum wants a "Citizens Britain" with Citizens Assemblies built in to our future democracy. So-called 'deliberative democracy' is seen as a solution to the manipulated elections and referendums of recent years. But will Citizens Assemblies improve democracy or will they simply arm populists and 'illiberal democrats' with yet another opportunity for manipulation and control? Lots of websites describe Citizens Assemblies and what they are good for. The basic ...

Posted on justLiberals

Responding to news that the four Governments of the UK have met to develop a UK-wide approach to restrictions for the festive period, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: "People across our family of nations will be reassured to hear that efforts are at last underway to ensure everyone is subject to the same guidance as they plan for the festive period, as first called for by the Liberal Democrats. "But today's meeting can only be a first step. We need to see results, not just platitudes. That means comprehensive, uniform guidance for family gatherings across the UK, ...

Posted by Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats on Aberavon & Neath Liberal Democrats

In the spring I found it very grounding to develop the discipline of writing every ten days about what has been happening under the new lockdown. Hopefully the same will be true this time round as well. There is little to be cheerful about right now. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospital passed the April peak on Thursday; the number of patients in intensive care will pass the April peak tomorrow. The death rate remains mercifully lower; perhaps those who were most vulnerable to the virus in March are already dead. There are some signs of deceleration. Today the ...

The system is broken. We all know it - voters and politicians alike. And as liberals we must make the acknowledgement of this failure a key part of our message. Liberals have long argued that the system robs people of their natural rights as citizens. We are against concentrations of power in the hands of vested interests – whether in the private or public sector. And yet these concentrations of power are everywhere we look - whether it's multinationals or public life. We want an equitable and accountable political class, but the one we have is elected under a shady ...

Posted by Max Wilkinson on Liberal Democrat Voice

Magna Carta has been trending on Twitter today because some people have decided that it gives them the right to ignore the new Covid-19 lockdown. It doesn't. As the leading lights of legal Twitter never tire of telling us, Magna Carta was repudiated by King John the year after he signed it and very little of it is to be found in English law today. Besides, even in 1215 its provisions applied only to a tiny minority of the population. But as this interesting video from Greg Jenner of Horrible Histories tells us, there is more to it than that. ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

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. Sefton Council has the article on its website – see link below:- Quote from Sefton website article – 'Application (a) (reference DC/2017/01532) proposed the following:- Hybrid application seeking full planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings and the erection of 841 residential dwellings (C3), new vehicular accesses off Poverty Lane, public open space and ancillary infrastructure and outline planning permission for an older persons housing scheme (C2, C3) and ancillary infrastructure ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

There has been a great amount of robust debate on all aspects of coronavirus response. This is, of course, healthy – within the bounds of the available science, politicians have had to pick from many possible actions. We don't have perfect knowledge of this pandemic (we don't have perfect knowledge of anything) – people have had to make decisions, and these are open to criticism. This debate has also had another side – a deluge of dangerous misinformation. Misinformation has been linked to hundreds of deaths, as well as protests against public health measures and even the deliberate arson of ...

Posted by Kylie Belchamber on Liberal Democrat Voice

Last Wednesday, 28th October, the Guardian ran one of its rare single topic double column Leaders devoted to an excoriating denunciation of Donald Trump and his Presidency. Here's a selection of the words and phrases used: leader least equipped; divided country; not...a fit and proper person; brazen disregard for legal norms; propagated lies and ignorance; cruel and mean; agenda of corporate deregulation; tax giveaways for the rich; narcissist; devastating lack of empathy; growing gap between the level of competence required... and... ability; cronies whose mob-like fealty to their boss; post shame politician; one rule for wealthy elites and another for ...

Posted by Peter Wrigley on Liberal Democrat Voice
YouGov
Mon 2nd
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My tweets

Sun, 13:55: Atonement, by Ian McEwan I was a bit less convinced by the very last section, which left me wondering to an extent what I had been getting worked up about. Still, much recommended. #nwbooks https://t.co/tyn4mXXj8I https://t.co/EuI3eLl9tL https://t.co/T0X2NEN6gq Sun, 14:29: The Scheme for Full Employment, by Magnus Mills I didn't really get it; who exactly is being satirised? Academics? The NHS? The pre-Thatcher nationalised industries? #nwbooks https://t.co/LetHgZsc5E https://t.co/b3XZs58hRs https://t.co/oYNg43mfhG Sun, 15:03: Waterloo, by Andrew Roberts Roberts is excellent on the details (and there are two very good maps) but very annoying in his description of the context. #nwbooks https://t.co/bdoOyv9EWm ...

AHMADIYYA MUSLIM COMMUNITY Cheam Chapter PRESS & MEDIA DESK PRESS RELEASE THURSDAY 29 OCTOBER 2020 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Condemns Terrorist Attacks in France The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Cheam chapter is deeply saddened and shocked at the news of the terrorist attacks that took place in France in Paris and Nice. His Holiness [...]

Posted by jaynemccoy on Diary of a Sutton Councillor

Those of a nervous disposition look away now. TRUMP DECLARES VICTORY AS EARLY VOTE COUNTS FAVOUR HIM -That could well be the headline you wake up to on Wednesday morning. Donald Trump is preparing a podium to walk up to and say that he has won the US Presidential election, after a few votes are counted in swing states. And he may well have some evidence to support him, to a small extent. The way the votes are being cast in the USA, and the ways in which they will be counted, verified and challenged, is like no other American ...

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice

If we are to move away from constant lockdowns then the key must surely lie in fast diagnosis through an efficacious testing regime, and prompt tracking and tracing of contacts. That is the holy grail of disease control and on every count the UK government has failed to get it right despite throwing billions of pounds at the problem. It is this incompetence along with an inability to take expert advice that has plunged England into a four-week lockdown, and unless Tory Ministers get their act together they will find themselves having to repeat the exercise many times in months ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

Central government is looking to make mass testing available and is belatedly considering how to work with local government to deliver a successful and effective service. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Local Government Association (LGA) has stressed the ... Continue reading →

Posted by richardkemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?

i) births and deaths 2 November 1936: birth of Andrew Staines, who played Benik's sergeant in The Enemy of the World (Second Doctor, 1968), Goodge in Terror of the Autons (Third Doctor, 1971), the Captain in Carnival of Monsters (Third Doctor, 1973) and Keaver in Planet of the Spiders (1974). He was a nephew of Barry Letts, the show's producer for the Pertwee years. 2 November 1952: birth of Michael Kerrigan, who directed Battlefield (Seventh Doctor, 1989) and also the 2008 Sarah Jane Adventures stories The Day of the Clown and Secrets of the Stars. 2 November 1977: birth of ...

Thanks to a nomination from a Liberal Democrat insider, the American publication The Cut wins our Headline of the Day Award. Photo by Plume at Morguefile.com

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 2 NOVEMBER 2020 Hawkhill - lane closures for 3 weeks for street lighting columns installation works. Pentland Avenue (City Road to Scott Street) - closed westbound from Monday 2 November for 6 days to facilitate road safety works. Forthcoming Roadworks Glamis Drive - closed from Monday 9 November for 2 weeks for carriageway surfacing.