Embed from Getty ImagesCricket fans of a certain age will be amused to learn that there is a promising young player on the books of Leicester City called Dempsey Arlott-John. Young person's voice: I don't get it. Liberal England replies: Listen to this programme about the great John Arlott.
Tue 2nd
18:33
I was appalled by the Conservatives disrupting an 'independent' scrutiny meeting to announce their h...
Why are the Tories running so scared on highways that they need to leak their own manifesto? But that was what happened in a scrutiny committee today. In breach of every understanding of how 'independent' scrutiny committees work, the deputy leader of the council launched the Tory manifesto for highways mid meeting. We are of course gearing up for elections in May. But manifestos are not council business. The Conservatives don't understand that. Today was appalling and at least two formal complaints have been lodged. But why are the Tories so scared they needed to launch their highways manifesto in ...
Thank you for the lovely feedback so many people have for my emails about the Liberal Democrats, polling and politics: "Thank you for the latest instalment. It has been enlightening reading." "Thank you. It's a great resource." Readership has been up sharply in the last few months, and is now at its highest since the excitement of the Lib Dem vote share topping the opinion polls. I've got plans to build on that this year with expanded coverage each month of what the opinion polls and focus groups say – crucial information to understand what is going on in politics ...
On Friday, which is one year on from the day that the first known Covid death was recorded in the UK, there has been a call for a minute's silence to commemorate and honour those who have died in our ... Continue reading →
A worrying surge in the Belgian COVID numbers last week, though it seems to be tailing off and we're still below the levels reached at the end of December Also continuing to work through the Best Ever Indian Cookbook and did the spicy lamb and potato stew recipe, which was very nice indeed. My menhir expedition last week went a little more thoroughly than I had anticipated, covering a dozen menhirs and dolmens, and a tumulus that you can actually walk inside. This week is one of those moments when you can see the planet Mercury if you have a ...
The Liberal Democrats should be commended for their principled opposition to The Covert Human Intelligence Sources (criminal conduct) Bill, which is better known as the "spycops" bill. Yet, they have much work to do in securing the civil liberties of their fellow citizens. What has gone on with undercover policing for decades is a threat to hard won political liberty and social progress. Liberals have to learn lessons of undercover policing gone wrong from the Undercover Policing Inquiry. With all due respect to Baron Paddick, who wrote the article The 'spy powers' bill is a step too far, he needs ...
Another eFocus from the Low Fell team. Issues covered in this edition (no. 84) include:Council increases Council Tax by 4.99%Plans to remove Low Fell's recycling facilitiesDemanding better for Kells Lane ParkNews in briefTrip hazardsYou can read eFocus on this link.
The BBC has the article on its website – see link below:- www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56215352 Well if you've stopped by this blog site previously you will probably know that I'm no fan of elected mayors of any type, indeed my view is that they are a backwards step not least because they concentrate powers in the hands of one person and this, together with the related City Regions, ends up with big cities being favoured to the detriment of surrounding towns. And no, of course more elected mayors are not the solution to the north – south divide. We need serious devolution ...
Once again the Shamima Begum case is doing the rounds, with people pontificating on whether or not she is - in turn - deserving of citizenship, repatriation, or sympathy. Most people can't muster the game face to pretend the woman - now largely waiting out her fate in a Syrian refugee camp - would be a serious threat to the British people if she were repatriated and arrested (although that doesn't seem to have stopped the Supreme Court from being swayed by the fantasy). Instead, the conversation has focused on moral hazard - "If we repatriated her, what's the punishment ...
Here we go again. The Guardian reports that a PR firm owned by Matthew Freud, who was closely associated with the Conservatives during David Cameron's time as prime minister, has been awarded a contract to provide "strategic communications", including "reputation management", for England's beleaguered coronavirus test-and-trace system without a tender process. They say the contract with Freud Communications Limited was for services to be carried out between 1 November last year and 15 January this year but it only came to light after details were published on a government website on 19 February. They appeared on the same day as ...
Mon, 12:10: RT @bagatsen: @nwbrux How could I not click through with a teaser like that? Mon, 12:36: It's exactly a year since my last pre-pandemic trip: two days in London and a weekend party in Cambridge, coming back on the 1104 Sunday Eurostar on 1 March 2020. Hope to see you all again soon. Mon, 12:56: Rock of ages: how chalk made England https://t.co/899mjQl983 Lovely long read. Mon, 12:58: RT @Cygie: Vandaag zien we grote impact op de COVID-19 cijfers vanuit de woonzorgcentra. Via een overzicht kunnen we vaststellen dat de v... Mon, 16:10: RT @KeohaneDan: This was a ...
History appears to be repeating itself in Myanmar with the military unwilling to relinquish control. Will thousands be killed again, as massive numbers of people nationwide protest in the streets and are engaged in civil disobedience? Following independence from British colonial rule in 1948, disagreements amongst political elites, the civil wars with ethnic-based groups and anxieties over communist influence led to General Ne Win forming a caretaker government in 1958. An election was held in 1960, but when minority groups pushed for a loose federal structure, which were seen by the military as separatist movements, General Ne Win took over ...
This month in my Etsy shop I have added a new design, based on oak leaves collected from our little oak tree last Autumn. These new fridge magnets are lightweight, slim & ideal for popping in an envelope along with a card for posting as a thoughtful gift for someone special. Click on the images below to go straight to my Etsy shop to browse. Oak Leaf Fridge Magnet Oak Leaf Blank Greetings Card in pale mint with recycled envelope.All my items are designed and made by myself and, where possible, I use locally or UK sourced materials.
Woking Council is making it sound like additional ID requirements are in place for postal vote applications, even though they are not.
I welcome guest posts on Liberal England and I'm happy to publish posts on subjects far beyond the Lib Dems and politics. If you would like to write a guest post for this blog, please send me an email so we can discuss your idea. Unionism is making the Scottish Lib Dems irrelevant - Mark StephensWith Valour and Distinction: The 2nd Battalion Leicestershire Regiment in the First World War - Nigel AtterBelloc, Chesterton and the Distributist League - David BoyleLiberal Democrats for the Heart of England - Michael MullaneyTime for the Lib Dems to learn from social democracy - George ...
It's been a while since I last wrote about one of these calls, but as previous posts seemed to help quite a few people, here's information about a call I had today... If you've been called by 020 3966 0062 with an automated voice claiming that you are about to be taken to court over taxes, you can breathe easy. These are dodgy calls, being made blind to large numbers of people. The people running these calls don't really know something about you and your taxes. If you receive such as message, it's always a good move to lodge a ...
Tue 2nd
09:16
Event: Liam MacArthur MSP to take part in Question Time on tackling global poverty and climate justi...
Voters in Scotland are being given the chance to quiz politicians - including Scottish LibDem MSP Liam McArthur – and make their voices heard on Scotland's role in building a greener, fairer world. Scotland's International Development Alliance (The Alliance), which represents over 200 diverse organisations operating in over 100 countries, is hosting an online Question Time event to encourage Scottish political parties to include commitments to global sustainable development in their manifestos ahead of the forthcoming Scottish Parliament elections in May. Scotland for a Fairer World: Question Time will be held on Thursday 11 March from 6.30 to 8pm, chaired ...
i) Births and deaths 2 March 1935: birth of Stephen Thorne, who played Azal in The D&ealig;mons (Third Doctor, 1971), Omega in The Three Doctors (Third Doctor plus First and Second, 1972-73), the First Ogron in Frontier in Space (Third Doctor, 1973) and the male version of Eldrad in The Hand of Fear (Fourth Doctor, 1976). Heavily disguised in all of them, so no photos here. 2 March 1939: birth of Hugh Walters, who played three different roles in three different decades of Old Who: William Shakespeare in the story we now call The Chase (First Doctor, 1965), Runcible in ...
From Sheena Wellington : We have a very special online Lunchtime Recital starting at 1.15pm on Wednesday 3rd March. Medieval Harp virtuoso Simon Chadwick needs no introduction to the Wighton audience! As Musician in Residence, harp tutor and hard working secretary he was a mainstay of Friends of Wighton for many years. Since he moved to Armagh in 2018 though we have kept in touch he has been sorely missed so it is a particular delight to welcome him on the 3rd.A Chadwick recital is always a treat and an adventure. During the last year's lockdowns, Simon has been working ...
Responding to the announcement that the Government is cutting UK aid spending to Yemen, Layla Moran MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and International Development, said: "It is appalling and heartless that the Government has cut UK aid to conflict-ridden Yemen."Yemen is facing the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. Children are being denied an education due to the conflict. The coronavirus pandemic is spreading in the country."UK Aid has helped millions and stands as a testament to the best of British values. Now is not the time to reduce our commitment to support the world's most vulnerable."
