Responding to Lord Frost's confirmation that the UK rejected the EU's offer of a visa waiver system for touring arts and culture workers, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport Jamie Stone MP said: "Lord Frost's admission today confirms to us exactly what we have always suspected - that this Conservative Government puts their political ideology above people's jobs. "With live events and foreign travel banned, touring performing artists have been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. Now, as restrictions finally ease, they should be looking forward to finally getting the show back on the road. But this Government's ...
Responding to the latest unemployment figures, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Treasury Christine Jardine MP said: "This is still a sharp reminder that there is a lot of work to be done to repair the damage done by the pandemic. "We must not be lulled into any false sense of security by the furlough scheme, which has protected millions of jobs but is due to end in September. It's possible that then we will see the real impact of the pandemic on jobs. "To support people we need to see the furlough scheme maintained at least until the end of ...
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. Much travel and confusion in June 2011. We had a family trip to Sint Truiden on the 2nd, which was very ...
Right now, as events unfold in Gaza, a test case is emerging for British Liberalism, and European Liberalism more broadly, the response to which will say a lot about the state it is in within Western Europe. That test case is the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict. For too long, some liberals have been indifferent to the persecution of Palestinians by the Israeli state, with the honourable exception of the Liberal Democrats. A lack of forceful criticism or forbidding expression of objection to the actions of the Israeli state, in the case of Emmanuel Macron, is to the disgrace of the noble cause ...
Mon, 12:56: Just re-upping this sage advice from @neilhimself. https://t.co/OoHalWWNfp Mon, 13:35: RT @tconnellyRTE: European Commission responds to @DavidGHFrost article in the @DailyMailUK on Sunday on the NI Protocol, in which he repea... Mon, 16:05: DIARY: Shouts, a hurried evacuation, and then the bombs came https://t.co/Ywe30d8Vn1 At the sharp end in Gaza. Mon, 17:11: RT @AlampayDavis: This is fucking insane https://t.co/06yszEyNFz https://t.co/S3vIMtKuOl Mon, 17:53: Am a bit late to this party, but I have just read Ivan Rogers' reflections on the Brexit process. https://t.co/UeC2WRHq4P Mon, 18:14: The Consuming Fire, by John Scalzi https://t.co/boZgbl4Unc Mon, 20:48: Dirty Linen: a personal history ...
A letter in the Guardian four days ago from Home Office Permanent Secretary, Matthew Rycroft sought to deal with some of the bad publicity being experienced by his department as a result of the inhumane and cruel policies being advocated by his political masters. Mr Rycroft argued that those working under him are committed to public service, determined to have a positive impact and are focused on doing the right thing. I have no argument with that statement. His staff are non-political public servants carrying out the policies of an elected government. Where I do take issue is over the ...
On Sunday we had a visit from a relative in the garden at a two metre distance. On Monday they kindly returned and we hugged several times. The difference between the two days? A date ordained, probably wrongly, by the UK government related to private behaviour in our home (and garden). I can't say that I particularly resented this. It was kind of the relative to return on Monday. I generally support the pandemic rules – if not the tardy application of them, PPE, Track and trace, border control etc etc. But if, a few years ago, someone had outlined ...
Throughout my childhood and teenage years, a common theme was that often the background to whatever I was doing at home was the playing of a piano by my Dad George Robertson and sometimes by my Mum Sheila Robertson. It's probably because of that playing that I am often drawn towards someone tinkling the ivories. I'm into smooth jazz and David Benoit playing 'You read my mind' (try the link below) is probably top of my list of favourites although I also love the playing of Bob James, Keiko Matsui, Joe Sample etc.... www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrBYBffdG5g Mum liked Charlie Kunz and Russ ...
I will apologise right off the bat – none of this is going to be positive. Even if you're a Tory, none of this is going to be positive. The reason for this is that for all of the usual hysterics surrounding the aftermath of May 6th, if anything people haven't gone far enough in talking about how much of a sea change we've experienced due to the Hartlepool by-election and the set of English local elections that occurred on the same day. I think it all but locks in another decade of Tory government, barring a miracle. Most Tories ...
i) births and deaths 18 May 1928: birth of John Abineri, who played van Lutyens in Fury from the Deep (Second Doctor, 1967), Carrington in The Ambassadors of Death (Third Doctor, 1970), Railton in Death to the Daleks (Third Doctor, 1974) and Ranquin in The Power of Kroll (Fourth Doctor, 1978-79) ii) broadcast anniversaries 18 May 1968: broadcast of fourth episode of The Wheel in Space. The Cybermen emerge and start to take over the Wheel. 18 May 1974: broadcast of third epsiode of Planet of the Spiders. While exploring the meditation centre, Sarah is transported to Metebelis Three, and ...
In recent weeks, I have had repeated concerns from residents about the full bins and extent of litter on Riverside Drive, particularly the stretch from the Bridgeview Station restaurant in the west to the V&A in the east. I raised this again with environment management at the City Council and have received the following helpful response : "As you know this area has saw a dramatic increase in footfall over the last year, particularly during periods of lock down. At the weekend the bins and litter picking would traditionally be on a route which covers quite a number of areas ...
Back in the 1970s my mother and I would visit one of her aunts in Wealdstone by getting off the coach from Market Harborough to London at Hendon and then catching a bus. That bus went through Belmont and I always looked for the old railway when we passed over it. I think there was more to seen then than there is today. Anyway, enjoy the second video in Geoff Marshall's series on London's lost lines.
