Leicestershire County Council is run by a minority Reform UK administration. And like Reform up and down the country, it took power with no policy agenda beyond banning the flying of the Pride and Ukrainian flags. So, reports BBC News, Leicestershire is to spend £1.3m on consultants to carry out a review of council spending. The council leader claims the consultants will find savings worth many times their fee. That sounds like sheer guesswork to me. Michael Mullaney, the leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, sounds more authoritative: "£1.4m is a lot of money to spend on ...
A lovely walk in autumn sunshine. John Rogers describes it thus in his YouTube blurb: Starting at Hampton Court Station in East Molesey we walk one of the most beautiful sections of the wonderful Thames Path. We pass through Hurst Park, look across the river at Taggs Island, Garrick's Temple, pass by Molesey Reservoirs with its WW2 tank defences, stop for lunch at Walton Marina and cross the river at Walton Bridge. Our walk is guided by Donald Maxwell's 1932 book A Pilgrimage of the Thames and takes us to the ancient St Nicholas church at Shepperton. A church has ...
What exactly do we Liberal Democrats want from out campaign against the "Family Farm Tax"? It's important we know, because The Agri Brigade column in the latest Private Eye suggests the government may be about to make some concessions on the issue. These concessions, the Eye suggests, would raise the Inheritance Tax threshold on farmland from £1m to £5m (so, £10m for a married couple). This would mean that the tax would not be levied at all on anything that can sensible be called a family farm. At the same time, technical changes would see a higher tax take from ...
It's been a difficult time in this party recently. I'll admit that. Those of us who are trans and non-binary have been vilified not just in the media, but within our own party too. I understand why some people want to leave or resign. It's not easy to stay. But if there's one thing I've learned from being on the exec for Plus, it's that the majority of our members, MPs, and activists support our rights. Most of this party fundamentally disagrees with the Supreme Court ruling. And let's be honest, if you do agree with it, you're in the ...
Warning: There are mentions made to studies referencing suicidal ideation in the trans community later on in this piece. If this topic causes you discomfort or concern, you may wish to avoid reading this article. We are now a week removed from our party's announcement of adherence to the Supreme Court's ruling on gender identity in reference to our internal election diversity quotas. During that time, we have heard from many people, including, but not limited to, Prue, Josh, Caron, Rebecca, Iain, Chris and me. There is, however, one person we haven't heard from: Ed Davey. Now, of course, there ...
Matthew Pennell on an art exhibition that's hosted and inspired by Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. The notion of an artist or poet in residence at a large stately home conjures up images from a bygone age, but the concept has been revived by two arts organisations to provide a shot in the arm to the Midlands arts scene. Painter and ex-professional skateboarder Nick Jensen swapped his London studio for Belvoir Castle last month, the experience culminating in a two-day exhibition opening today (4 November). A project spokesperson says: "The Dot Project and HeritageXplore (@heritagexplore) are reawakening three extraordinary heritage homes ...
Our joint weekly ward surgeries take place tonight. This week they are as follows : Blackness Library (Tuesdays 5pm - every week during school term time) Ancrum Road Primary School (1st Tuesday of each month at 5.45pm during school term time) All welcome - no appointment necessary!
The 'This is Money' website reports that the Government has axed a public list that named and shamed companies hit by major shareholder revolts in what one campaign group decried as 'another nail in the coffin' for high boardroom standards. The site says that the axing comes following pressure from corporate lobbyists who objected to leading companies and their directors being put on the 'naughty step' over issues such as ballooning executive pay because it harmed their reputation: In 2017, Prime Minister Theresa May ordered the Investment Association (IA), a trade body that represents fund managers, to keep track of ...
