We seem to have had a technical glitch on Lib Dem Voice this week. All comments were being put into moderation, which must have been as frustrating for our readers as it was for us on the the editorial team. I'm pleased to report that the problem has now been fixed, so you normally won't have to wait to see your comment published. There are two exceptions to this, of course. Some comments contain trigger words which place a comment into the pending folder for manual approval. Sometimes we set up posts deliberately with pre-moderation of comments. We do this ...
Disappointing news this evening: Layla Moran's cat Murphy ("The most Experienced, Character-filled and Determined cat in the race" - L. Moran) finished runner up in the contest to find Parliament's Top Cat. According to a news report from the organisers, Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, the contest was won by Mr Speaker's cat Attlee by only 40 votes. Now, I'm not saying that Attlee used his occupancy of Speaker's House to pull strings, but shouldn't he come forward and clear this up once and for all?
"Al-Fayed died before he could face justice but imagine how many women's lives would not have been ruined if anti-SLAPP legislation had been in place and journalists had been able to report freely on the case," Labour MP Joe Powell tells Gareth Davies et al. from The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Aaron Rabinowitz says we need to talk about men: "Trump has doubled his share of Black male voters, and across all racial demographics his gains were highest among younger men. As always, problems like this are intersectional and multifaceted, but one of the crucial facets we need to discuss ...
Where are the voters spending their time? On WhatsApp: [IMG: Ofcom data on smartphone app usage] Hat-tip: Andrew Chadwick As this new data from Ofcom shows, it's the dominant app across age and gender. Note too how widespread email is, with just the one email app, Gmail, on its own appearing in the top ten. Politicians using WhatsApp isn't new, but I think it is fair also to say that many are still greatly underusing it, even after the introduction of features such as Business Accounts and Communities, which make it much more suitable for political use than the core ...
Nation Cymru reports that the leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies has been asked to step down amid criticism from within his own group. They say that a series of controversial "gaffes" by the most senior Tory in Wales has caused MSs to become "nervous" about the direction he was taking the party, leading to Davies bring informed on Wednesday evening that more than half of his group have asked for him to resign from his leadership role: Pressure has been mounting on Davies since the Senedd's summer recess when a number of senior Tory figures and members ...
Jennie, of course, is Steve Darling's guide dog. A sketchwriter suggested yesterday that hers is the best approach to prime minister's questions: "She has taken to wandering along the Lib Dem front bench, getting strokes from everyone, before curling up and going to sleep." Wednesday Despite my hiding behind a tree, I am accosted by Freddie and Fiona in Westminster. "Just the man!", says one. "We need you to talk to the parliamentary party about our new campaigns: supporting private education and landowners," says the other. I reply that if they're after someone to say obliging things about schoolmasters then ...
Newbury's MP, Lee Dillon, has written constituents an open letter about his position on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which receives its second reading vote in the House of Commons tomorrow (Friday). The Bill, which proposes allowing terminally ill adults to choose to end their life under strict safeguards, has generated significant public debate. Lee Dillon has expressed his gratitude to the many constituents who have shared their views, noting the thoughtful and respectful nature of the discussions. In his open letter, Mr Dillon explains his decision to vote in favour of the Bill's second reading, highlighting ...
Michael's surgeries take place today and are as follows : Thursdays at 5.45pm prompt - West End Campus (come to reception area of St Joseph's RC and Victoria Park Primary Schools) Thursdays at 6.30pm prompt - Harris Academy reception area All welcome - no appointment necessary!
