In March 1961 the Cornish Guardian reported that Peter Bessell, the prospective Liberal candidate for the Bodmin division, had been presented with Isaac Foot's lucky black cat mascot. Isaac Foot Foot, who had died in 1960, was given the cat by an enthusiastic supporter in 1923, at the outset of his successful re-election campaign. From then on it accompanied him to all political meetings in the constituency, as well as the annual Liberal rallies at Foot's house, Pencrebar. Peter Bessell Bessell was presented with the cat by Ewart Tamblyn, the divisional chairman, acting on behalf of Mrs Foot. Bessell said ...
New polling from Redfield & Wilton shows what proportion of 2019 Conservative voters want Boris Johnson to step down before the next general election.
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. At work that month I had my first visit to my recently acquired client in Tbilisi, Georgia. His mansion overlooking the ...
Sadly comments on the result of our Batley and Spen by-election, even from the Labour Party, stress the narrowness of their win rather than the glaring failure of the Tories to take the seat, which they were widely predicted to do. Labour had two massive obstacles to overcome. First, the Conservative vote in 2019 was reduced by the presence on the ballot paper of a right wing so-called Heavy Woollen District candidate, Paul Halloran who attracted 6 439 votes (12.2%). When it was announced that Halloran had decided (been persuaded?) not to stand in the by-election "progressive" hearts sank: without ...
Tue 6th
11:05
Police Bill: The Conservative and Labour 'Tougher' Sentencing Arms Race Just Hit Peak Absurdity
The Conservative's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill passed it's third reading in the House of Commons yesterday. Labour opposed it. But how each party chose to mark the occasion was kind of interesting. It's almost laughable. I mean it's absurd really – two parties, completely straight-faced, both accusing the other of exactly the sameContinue reading "Police Bill: The Conservative and Labour 'Tougher' Sentencing Arms Race Just Hit Peak Absurdity"
Tue 6th
11:05
Volunteers needed to set the party's strategic direction on Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusio...
This opportunity has appeared on the Liberal Democrat website: Hours: 4 hours a month, this may vary. Location: working from home, occasional meetings in London. The Party is seeking committed volunteers to help set our EEDI strategic direction. The working group's inaugural Chair will be the Party's Chief Operating Officer and will work on actioning the delivery plan that has already been created. This action plan is wide ranging but includes fundamental tasks such as: Overseeing the implementation of past reviews into party EEDI matters; Finalising our EEDI policy (a draft is in place); and Developing a plan to enhance ...
Mon, 12:56: RT @dmcbfs: Have seen several tweets today repeating the falsehood that the UK was the first country with universal healthcare. Lads, Nor... Mon, 13:33: Me discussing the future of NATO last night on Egypt's @AlGhadTV with @RichardWeitzDC. https://t.co/Vm9Vs9ctJ7 https://t.co/mZ78nl7h07 Mon, 16:05: Frodo and Sam's gay romance in Lord of the Rings is more than a theory - Polygon https://t.co/6ymoWB8rjl Queer readings of The Lord of the Rings are not accidents. Mon, 17:11: Lovecraft Country Season 2 Teased By Creator Misha Green After HBO Cancellation https://t.co/WuA72hUzwO Surprising and disappointing that it was not renewed. Mon, 17:39: RT @Kattullus: @nwbrux ...
Last month a story did the rounds about how a poll shows that if Labour, Greens and the Liberal Democrats did a deal to stand only one candidate against the Conservatives, Boris Johnson would be out of power. But how good was that poll and what conclusions can really be drawn from it? Answering that question is important in its own right, but I'm also going to show the steps to the answer – showing how to approach evaluating an opinion poll finding that is in the news. (More on all that in my book, Bad News: what the headlines ...
Everyone wants restrictions caused by Covid to end as soon as possible but most of us realise that this can only be done safely by doing it in the right way at the right time. I have no doubt that, ... Continue reading →
Sarah Teather has written the following public post on Facebook: Next week marks 8 years since the Marriage (same sex) Act gained Royal Assent and became law. When the proposal for gay marriage came to parliament I tied myself up in ridiculous intellectual knots trying to find a way to navigate official Catholic teaching on marriage and my liberal instincts and campaigning history on gay rights. In the end, I voted against the bill. Wise friends said to me then that it didn't fit with what they knew of me and I would regret it. They were right. In the ...
Tue 6th
09:08
Covid Watch 149: Vote now. Is Boris Johnson right to lift coronavirus restrictions on 19 July?
"Freedom Day" has already delayed from mid-June. Last night, Boris Johnson and Sajid Javid set out plans for Step 4, England's exit from almost all restrictions. There will be no limits on gatherings. Pubs and hospitality businesses will return to normal. People will no longer be encouraged to work from home. Face masks will not be compulsory. Rules on schools are to be announced today and international travel shortly. Is this the right move? Is now the right time to lift restrictions? Or should we wait longer before easing up? Let us know your view by voting below. Boris Johnson ...
Tory MPs revolting against the government whip have been pretty rare since the 2019 General Election but there are signs that this particular breed is beginning to emerge from hibernation. The Independent reports that a fresh Conservative revolt is threatening Rishi Sunak's plans to slash £20 a week from universal credit payments in the autumn: Six former work and pensions secretaries have joined forces to urge the chancellor to think again, in an unprecedented alliance spanning both left and right wings of the Tory party. The pressure could see the government defeated on the controversy, with scores of "red wall" ...
From Sheena Wellington : Wednesday 7th July1.15pm - 1.45pmLunchtime Recital with Rosa Michaelson, fiddle For the Friends of Wighton July Lunchtime Recital, we are delighted to welcome well known musician and researcher Rosa Michaelson. Rosa will give us an illustrated talk about James S. Kerr, who published the popular fiddle collections of Merry Melodies. In the past 12 months she has been doing research on musical life in Scotland in the second half of the 19th century, focusing on Kerr and dance music. She presented this at the online North-Atlantic Fiddle Convention at the end of June. Rosa Michaelson was ...
Tue 6th
06:56
The Prime Minister has turned away from the scientific advice before and it ended in terrible conseq...
Responding to the press conference by the Prime Minister in Downing Street, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Ed Davey said: "I hope that Boris Johnson's desire to remove restrictions in a few weeks is driven by the national interest and not because his backbenchers are getting restless. "The Prime Minister has turned away from the scientific advice before and it ended in terrible consequences for our country. This time he must make it clear that the experts agree that ending restrictions on 19th July is the right move. "Everyone wants the Covid restrictions to end desperately. But lifting restrictions, then ...
Embed from Getty ImagesHere, photographed backstage at the Royal Festival Hall in 1967, are Jimi Hendrix and the then leader of the Liberal Party, Jeremy Thorpe. Other photos taken on the same occasion show Hendrix tutoring Thorpe in playing the guitar. So was Thorpe keener on rock and roll than Cyril Smith was? Judge for yourself. Here he is talking about the film Rock Around the Clock on BBC Radio in 1956: "I am a lover of music; therefore I am prejudiced and don't like jazz. Jazz to me comes from the jungle, and this is jungle music taken to ...
