Stephen Williams makes the case for abolishing Bristol's elected mayor. Samantha Rose Hill examines Hannah Arendt's writings on the links between loneliness and totalitarianism: "Arendt's argument about loneliness and totalitarianism is not an easy one to swallow, because it implies a kind of ordinariness about totalitarian tendencies that appeal to loneliness: if you are not satisfied with reality, if you forsake the good and always demand something better, if you are unwilling to come face-to-face with the world as it is, then you will be susceptible to ideological thought." With evidence for efficacy so thin, and the stakes so high, ...
Embed from Getty ImagesOne of the more principled Labour MPs in the Blair and Brown years was Andrew Mackinlay, who sat for Thurrock between 1992 and 2010. Time moves on and in 2019 he joined the Liberal Democrats. Now he is the Lib Dem candidate in a Kingston by-election on 6 May. He is hoping to be the new councillor for the Chessington South & Malden Rushett ward, which the party won the last time it was contested. It turns out that Andrews has lived in Chessington for many years and that his children attended local schools. Chessington is some ...
Another day, another call for the reopening of a stretch of East Midland railway. This time the line in question is the old Great Central between Rugby and Leicester to provide a direct service between Leicester and Northampton. The new line would also serve Broughton Astley, Lutterworth and the vast Magna Park distribution centre. It would be great to see two new stations in the Harborough district, and it takes a ridiculously long time to get from Leicester to Northampton by train, but how much demand would there be for such a service? And if there is a good demand ...
Followed the annoucement live last night due to insomnia. Going to be early this evening.Best Novel Goodreads LibraryThing reviewers av rating owners av rating Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia 109834 3.71 1254 3.79 The City We Became, N.K. Jemisin 29154 3.99 1076 4.07 Piranesi, Susanna Clarke 21310 4.32 1265 4.24 Network Effect, Martha Wells 25515 4.44 879 4.42 Black Sun, Rebecca Roanhorse 9066 4.27 393 4.07 The Midnight Bargain, C.L. Polk 3024 3.78 150 3.88 This is the tenth year that I have been tracking these figures. Last year's winner was fifth out of six; the previous year's was third out ...
The latest round-up of Electoral Commission enforcement actions includes this: Keep Our NHS Public (KONP) (unregistered non-party campaigner) and Solopress Limited (printer). Failure to include valid imprint on campaign material. £500 variable monetary penalty imposed on publisher. No sanction imposed on printer. Due for payment by 22 March 2021 Another reminder for everyone of the importance of getting the imprint right on political leaflets. Keep up with news about elections by email If you'd like to be notified by email when new posts about how are how our elections are run appear on this blog, just sign up here. (Note: ...
It is tempting to link UK government plans to restrict protests with their latest announcement to end three decades of gradual disarmament and increase the number of nuclear warheads in the country. One might think that Ministers would prefer to nuke certain protests and are only being held back by the fact that in doing so they may damage a statue or two. The plans to lift the cap on the number of the number of nuclear warheads in the UK's stockpile as reported here by the Independent, makes no sense whatsoever. The paper says that Dominic Raab has described ...
The killing in Burma continues. Send this letter to your Congressman. Dear I am writing to you regarding the situation in Myanmar/Burma. On 1st February the military held a coup, overthrowing the democratically elected government. They have introduced sweeping restrictions on freedom of expression and on the internet, arrested more than a thousand people including [...]
During our Spring Conference, this Friday (19th March, 2021), I hope you'll join the evening debate on my Motion, F9, which seeks some reforms to my role as Party Vice President. The role was created as a result of The Alderdice Review which called for a senior party figure to be given the authority to further the party's work on diversity and, specifically, in relation to ethnic minority communities. The Lib Dem Campaign for Race Equality championed this call and, together with the then Party President, Sal Brinton and the Federal Board, ensured that it came to fruition. I was ...
The United Kingdom is a funny place. We've got a royal family which controls the Crown Estates, a huge area of land, and contributes to society in a variety of ways, while getting most of its funding through the taxation system. We've got a House of Commons representing, as you would expect, the general public, and a House of Lords, which is politically appointed, scrutinising our laws. We pay people benefits to people on the basis that they are disabled rather than the fact that they may need the money and we make people who don't meet the threshold of ...
BIG NEWS – and a by-election in Hartlepool Local Labour source says – "Mike Hill has done the right thing and resigned." Background – https://t.co/RYHLoGnsSG https://t.co/9VeYC8Rgn7 — Jessica Elgot (@jessicaelgot) March 16, 2021
The Liberal Democrat Federal Spring Conference updated agenda is now out. It's an online conference again, with further innovations following our online success last autumn: Liberal-Democrat-spring-2021-federal-conference-directory-v2 The innovation with conference timings has continued. Without the need for people to have time to travel home on the Sunday, conference will now run for a full day. This makes it the longest spring conference since the epic 1990s Nottingham conference that was extended to a bank holiday Monday to get in all the procedural business. This spring will also see a new party awards slot. Previously these were presented only at ...
Mon, 12:56: EU rail passenger rights revamp falls short of disabled groups' hopes https://t.co/5r9GlhxJpC Trains are really unfriendly to people with disabilities - my old friend @jchoste is quoted. Mon, 18:05: Mostly Void, Partially Stars, by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor https://t.co/m5uQU1raXJ Mon, 19:35: Oh wow, I remember that vividly! I was ten and a half... https://t.co/uCNahM8Wjf Tue, 01:48: RT @sfwa: The #Nebulas2021 Finalists for THE ANDRE NORTON NEBULA AWARD FOR MIDDLE GRADE AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION are: (see next tweet) Tue, 01:48: RT @sfwa: -Raybearer, Jordan Ifueko (Amulet) -Elatsoe, Darcie Little Badger (Levine Querido) -A Wizard's Guide to Defensive ...
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WATCH NOW: Luisa Porritt launches her campaign for Mayor of London and her plan to Take London Forwa...
Live on Facebook, Luisa Porritt is launching her campaign for Mayor of London at 11am. Click on Luisa's Facebook page here to see the launch live. In addition, here below is Luisa's video to accompany her launch today: In her speech at 11am, Lusia will launch the Liberal Democrat plan to Take London Forward. She will say that "there's space for a new challenger" to Sadiq Khan in light of the disastrous Conservative campaign. On her plan to Take London Forward, she will say: Jobs. Homes. Clean Air. Those are three basic needs – and we're being let down on ...
Our Editor, Caron, was up with the lark this morning to appear on Good Morning Scotland, calling for a Commission to allow women to feel safe on the streets. Caron is the party's Scottish spokesperson on equality. Reflecting on the anger felt by women over the last week, Caron said that it is important to "channel that anger into something constructive". The party is proposing a commission, to report back within a year, "aimed at preventing violence against women and girls in all its forms". The hope is that all parties can get behind this – "to properly address the ...
This is the last of the seven dates of the year on which six episodes of Old Who were broadcast; it saw the demise of Adric in 1982, of the Fifth Doctor in 1984, and of Paul Darrow's credibility in 1985. i) births and deaths 16 March 1935: birth of Donald Tosh, script editor in 1965-66, author of "Bell of Doom", fourth episode of the story we now call The Massacre (First Doctor, 1966). also 16 March 1935: birth of Tristan de Vere Cole, director of The Wheel in Space (Second Doctor, 1968). 16 March 1943: birth of John Leeson, ...
Please find below a list of planning applications in our area in recent weeks. As always please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have and queries. Demolition of existing garage and outbuilding and replacement with single storey side extension; ... 19 Guest Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 3DJRef. No: 66666 | Received: Thu 04 Mar 2021 | Validated: Thu 04 Mar 2021 | Status: RegisteredSingle storey side extension 9 Droughts Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2STRef. No: 66665 | Received: Wed 03 Mar 2021 | Validated: Thu 11 Mar 2021 | Status: RegisteredSingle storey side extension and canopy above ...
The Mayor of Bury will lead an online 'thank you' next Friday to the many hundreds of unpaid carers across the borough. Councillor Tim Pickstone will be joined by council leader Eamonn O'Brien in paying tribute to their tireless work looking after the borough's most vulnerable people, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The session will be livestreamed on Friday 19 March at 5pm and will be recorded so that anyone, particularly those unable to watch live due to caring responsibilities, can view it later. The link is here: https://thankyouburycarers.vidius.co.uk/ The Bury Carers' Hub provides a single point of access for ...
We're keen to hear from parents who have experienced difficulties around school uniforms since children returned to school in recent weeks. Some schools have been very clear that they expect full school uniform policy to be in place, even through it is a long time since shops were open for things like new shoes or PE kit, and some children will have outgrown what fitted them last year. A few years ago Bury's Liberal Democrat councillors were successful in getting the Council to develop a model school uniforms policy to help ensure that uniforms are affordable (it was particularly to ...
The census is a survey that happens every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. The next census takes place on Sunday 21 March 2021. Every household should have received a letter with a code and are asked to fill the census in online. People can also request a paper questionnaire if they'd prefer to complete the census that way. The door to door census operation will begin only after Census Day, contacting those who have not responded. Field staff will never need to enter people's houses. Results will be ...
I recently have been contacted by residents who, noting recent tree and bush cutting along Perth Road near the WL Gore site, asked if this could be extended to Ninewells Avenue. As one resident pointed out : "It would be ideal to see this happen up both sides of Ninewells Avenue. The trees and bushes continue to obscure parts of the path on both sides. Some are very very overgrown." I contacted environment management at the City Council and have now been updated as follows : "This is work that our contracts team are carrying out for City Development. It ...
