This is gold dust. James Burke interviews Bobby Fischer on the eve of his 1972 world championship match against Boris Spassky. Despite the intermittent attempts to paint Fischer as an obsessed eccentric, he comes over as intelligent and personable. And of course he spent a lot of his time studying chess: it was his profession. Do we think top golfers are eccentric because they spend their time practising golf? Fischer's confidence turned out to be justified, yet before this match he had never beaten Spassky. They had met four times, with two of the games being won by Spassky and ...
I've known Zack since his days as a Liberal Democrat, so I was curious to read the email he sent out after he was elected leader and how he would present himself in his new role. The email he sent out (text below) was certainly polished. But it focused on bills, childcare, public ownership of water, and taking on Reform. All important issues, but none of them are why people join the Greens. It was remarkable for what it left out: not a single mention of the environment or climate change - the very issues the Green Party exists to ...
Don't say there's never any good news in the papers. The Guardian wins our Headline of the Day Award.
Speaking to Byline Times yesterday, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Lisa Smart condemned the arrest of campaigners against the government's designation of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The people arrested are members of the group Lift the Ban. Lisa said: "The arrest of these campaigners under terror laws, following hundreds of arrests under the same powers last month, is deeply alarming. If charged, they could face up to 14 years in prison simply for expressing support for Palestine Action. "The right to peaceful protest is a cornerstone of a liberal democracy - this sets a dangerous precedent and ...
It gives me great pride to stand alongside my extraordinary guide dog, Jennie, in this year's Westminster Dog of the Year competition. This event is truly one of my favourites on the parliamentary calendar and is an incredible chance to celebrate the truly unique and special bond between MPs and their furry friends, while also shining a spotlight on the vital work the Kennel Club and the Dogs Trust do to promote welfare and responsible ownership. For me, however, my bond with Jennie is more than mere companionship: she is my guide and my independence and has become an important ...
"Prayers are not enough", is the response of the Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, to the shooting in a school in his City last week. At last, a politician is talking sense about the use of guns in the USA. Basically, he said, after the massacre of children at a church service in his city that a response with prayers and sadness was not enough. He demanded that action be taken to restrict the use of guns throughout the Country. So, well done Mayor Jacob Frey. The table below is compiled from information from the British and American Governments and ...
Earlier this week, I wrote about a recent Guardian article that explored the 'traditional family' movement in the United States. I noted that the article also delved into the nature of modern conservatism in America. And I expressed my interest in coming back to this topic once I'd had the chance to give it a little more thought. And so here we are. As the Guardian article highlighted, the distinction in US political discourse has become highly polarised. It's presented as a binary choice between being a Republican (conservative and right wing) or a Democrat (a bit more centrist and ...
I was at Nick's book launch at Union Chapel in Highbury on Tuesday (2 Sep) night and managed to get a chance for a quick catch up at his book signing. Nick had recently generously donated towards my Mt Fuji climb in aid of the Paddy Ashdown Forum and I had wanted to thank him for that too. His new and rather timely book is entitled: "How to Save the Internet - The Threat to Global Connection in the Age of AI and Political Conflict". Moderated in the style of a fire-side chat by former Telegraph journalist, Kamal Ahmed, Nick ...
We are holding a Thursday street surgery tonight to speak with residents on any local issues or concerns they may have. Should you have an issue you wish to discuss with us, e-mail us at westend@dundeelibdems.org.uk or call Dundee 459378 and we will be pleased to meet you - many thanks.
You have to love Democrat Party congress members. The Guardian reports that Nigel Farage went to Washington at the invitation of Republicans to testify on what the Reform leader calls the "awful authoritarian" situation for free speech in the UK. as if it's any of their business.(Photograph: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) In other words, he once more neglected to represent his constituents in Parliament so he could go to a foreign country to talk the UK down. However, he got a bit more than he bargained for. The paper says that during the sometimes difficult appearance before the US congressional hearing ...
