Responding to leaked plans that reveal the full extent of cuts to foreign aid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and International Development Layla Moran said: "For many vulnerable people around the world, the UK's development spending has made the difference between life and death, and it stands as a testament to the best of British values. These shocking revelations are just a preview of what's to come and tell us everything we need to know about the Government's priorities. "The Conservative Government's short-sighted budget slashing not only breaks their promise to the British people and the world's poorest, but ...
Independent councillor Frank Harwood has switched* to the Liberal Democrats in Derby: Whether Mr Harwood, who is currently Mayor of Derby until the end of May, stays as a ward councillor will be in the hands of the electorate as he is up for re-election on May 6, along with a third of the city councillors. He will stand as a Lib Dem, which is who he stood for when he was first elected to Derby City Council in 2008, representing his home area of Oakwood. He decided to leave the Lib Dems in 2010 to join the city's Conservatives ...
After rather a long coronavirus-driven break, council by-elections are starting up again. There were two contests this week, both SNP defences in Scotland. But the SNP didn't win them: Labour GAIN Fortissat (North Lanarkshire) from SNP with 38% (=) of first preference votes. SNP were 2nd on 35% (+14), CON 3rd on 23% (+12), GRN 4th on 2% (+2) & UKIP 5th on 1% (+1). No British Unionist (-23) or IND (-5) as previous. Changes w/ Sep 2017 by-election. pic.twitter.com/t665Opjch5 — Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) March 5, 2021
This is the latest post in a series I started in late 2019, anticipating the twentieth anniversary of my bookblogging which will fall in 2023. Every six-ish days I've been revisiting a month from my recent past, noting work and family developments as well as the books I read in that month. I've found it a pleasantly cathartic process, especially in recent circumstances. If you want to look back at previous entries, they are all tagged under bookblog nostalgia. My one trip in June 2010 was to a Salzburg Seminar conference in Klingenberg, near Strasbourg in Alsace. Pictures are here; ...
Current Titus Alone, by Mervyn Peake Chasm City, by Alastair Reynolds Mostly Void, Partially Stars, by Joseph Fink Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd, by Nick Mason Last books finished Goodbye To All That, by Robert Graves Science Fiction: The Great Years, eds. Carol and Frederik Pohl The Ministry for the Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson Driving Miss Daisy, by Alfred Uhry The Unstable Realities of Christopher Priest, by Paul Kincaid Next books Sandkings, by George R.R. Martin Romeinse sporen: het relaas van de Romeinen in de Benelux met 309 vindplaatsen om te bezoeken, by Herman Clerinx
Fri 5th
16:57
The Post Office says there is no threat to Ludlow's post offices despite reduced hours due to illnes...
Residents of Ludlow have been concerned for a long while about the future of our post office. Following a letter from unitary councillors and Tim Gill, Mayor of Ludlow, the Post Office has clarified it position: "After the closure of Bromfield any further closures in the Ludlow conurbation is certainly not an option. We have gained a reputation in recent years for a net gain in our Network numbers after decades of decline." That is seriously good news. Ludlow's mayor and unitary councillors wrote to the post office about the current problems with service at the Tower Street and Gravel ...
Liberal Democrats across Wales have expressed grave concerns that proposed blanket water pollution measures will cause serious damage to our local farming communities. The Party has condemned the heavy-handed and uniform policy passed by a narrow majority in the Senedd today. If approved it will apply to all farms and farmers regardless of their size and the impact of their farming practices, which the Party says will hit small family farms the hardest. The Welsh Liberal Democrats are urging for a delay in the implementation of these measures while evidence is re-evaluated. The Party is also calling for funding to ...
On first sight there seems little in Rishi Sunak's budget to scare the horses. With tax threshold increases delayed and Covid support continuing for the time being, Sunak has avoided an immediate hit to families' wallets. Look below the surface though and what becomes apparent is that those on the lowest incomes will suffer the most once the measures outlined in the budget kick in. The most glaring example of this is the cruel decision to reduce universal credit at the end of September by £20 per week, just at the time when unemployment is expected to rise. This will ...
Fri 5th
14:42
LGBT+ people across Wales need answers from Plaid over trans rights, say Welsh Lib Dems
A press release from Welsh Lib Dems. The Welsh Liberal Democrats challenged Plaid Cymru on the eve of their conference to provide clarity on their position on LGBT+ rights and equality. Last week a young trans woman of colour was removed from a hustings meeting after protesting about her inability to question a panel member and sitting Plaid Cymru Senedd Member Helen Mary Jones, over her previous comments on trans rights. The young woman has since blogged about her experience. Leena Sarah Farhat, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Diversity lead, said: "I was in the hustings. I saw a young woman ...
After a campaign by the former Lib Dem pensions minister Steve Webb, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has agreed to investigate underpayments of state pensions over the last 20 years. That could lead to back-payments averaging about £13,500. The problem is thought to affect 200,000 women who retired before 6 April 2016 and received the old state pension. Steve Webb said: "The scale of these underpayments is truly shocking. While it is good that the government is now planning to address this issue, the plan to do so over five years is simply not fast enough. It is ...
Fri 5th
11:53
Folkestone and Hythe District Council and Council Tax 2020-21: If you Need Help, Contact the Team
[IMG: Screenshot of Folkestone and Hythe DC Support calculator page] As a Folkestone and Hythe District Council press release on Council Tax in August said: https://folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/news/seek-financial-support "Due to the COVID-19 situation, the council suspended all court and bailiff actions, for any unpaid council tax from late March. Legal action to pursue any 2020-21 arrears through the courts which would normally have taken place was also halted." Court actions have not restarted since then. A limited number of bailiff actions were restarted, but only for those with a judgement already against them (which, by definition, does not include any Council Tax ...
Thu, 12:56: RT @doeantlers: A Terry Pratchett book signing was going pretty much as usual when a man in full wizard regalia asked, "You write about mag... Thu, 16:05: Why I wept at spring's arrival https://t.co/rGRO7dnXeg One of my neighbours was getting out of his car, and from our doorsteps we waved to one another. "Spring!" he called over, gesturing at everything: the blue sky, the sparrows voluble in the hedges, the yolky crocuses on the... Thu, 19:15: A Buzz in the Meadow, by Dave Goulson https://t.co/zuJ4oWSVGt #bookblog2021 Thu, 20:03: TIL that Christopher Priest was the ghost-writer of the autobiographies ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrats hold their on line conference this weekend - the last before the Senedd - Welsh Parliament - elections in May. The Party is ambitious in its aim to win seats across Wales in both urban and rural areas and the conference this weekend will focus on putting the recovery first through policies on the environment, mental health and rebuilding our economy. The party has focused on businesses and green economic growth. Wales is a nation of towns and villages, and small businesses. We know our small businesses will be the engine of our recovery from Covid, ...
i) births and deaths 5 March 1932: birth of Gertan Kauber, who played the dimly seen galley-master in the story we now call The Romans (First Doctor, 1965) and Ola in The Macra Terror (Second Doctor, 1967) 5 March 1972: birth of James Moran, writer of The Fires of Pompeii (Tenth Doctor, 2008) and the Torchwood episode Sleeper (2008); co-writer of Torchwood: Children of Earth: Day Three (2009). 5 March 1974: birth of Matt Lucas, who played Nardole in the Twelfth Doctor era. 5 March 2012: death of Philip Madoc, who was Brockley in Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD ...
Hopes that the UK Government wouold bring to an end the senseless slaughter of badgers in England have been dashed after it was revealed that thousands more of these protected animals face being shot this autumn after a dozen new applications were made for cull licences. The Mirror reports that Natural England has received "12 licence applications /expressions of interest in respect to 2021 badger control licensing":: Answering a request for information from a member of the public, it also revealed the controversial scheme could take place in 14 counties this year: Berkshire, Cornwall, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Herefordshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, ...
Our Spring Conference begins next Friday and continues across the weekend. There is, as always, a busy agenda. Among the topics on Friday are local government, Covid-19, lifting barriers to work for disabled people and a speech from Jane Dodds. Saturday there will a Q&A with Ed Davey, debates on utilities, the Russia Report, Covid-19, Brexit and a speech from Willie Rennie. Sunday will see the leader's speech and debates on autism, international development, accessibility in education and on refugees. If you have views on these topics why not write an article for Lib Dem Voice? We expect to publish ...
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made a successful career out of being the cheeky chappie who breaks the rules. As a journalist in Brussels he made up "funny" stories about the European Union; this cost him his job on at least one occasion but in the meantime a reputation had been made. Famously he [...]
Today sees the start of a very different Dundee Women's Festival this year. Due to the COVID-19 health emergency, it has gone virtual, but thanks to the ingenuity and co-operation of all involved it is able to offer an amazing programme of events. Please see full details and the programme here.
