V.S. Pritchett (1900-97) was still reviewing for the New Statesman in his late seventies when I started buying it in the sixth form. Here he is back in 1938, welcoming the publication of T.H. White's The Sword of the Stone in his review for The Bystander: The Sword in the Stone, by T. H. White (Collins 8s. 6 d.), is mixed, but, on the whole successful, fantasy about anachronisms and it contains two chapters at least which are the funniest things I have read for a long time. Mr. White's game is to tell the adventures of a boy called ...
The Conservative Group proposed a motion on HMOs at the 3rd November 2025 Council meeting. I spoke on the motion highlighting that the need for HMOs had been driven by the UK's broken housing market. My speech was as follows: To start with, let us be cautious to not stigmatise the people who live in HMOs. Because HMOs do meet a need: They provide independence for young adults, maybe saving to buy their first home. They can often be student accommodation. They might be the only option for a divorcee now having to support two homes. When used as temporary ...
I put forward a motion to this council entitled Helping Residents Through Hard Times. The motion was seconded by my ward colleague and Deputy Leader of the Council, Sam Martin. My speech on this motion was as follows: There are two messages that I want to get across through this motion. To our residents: we know many of you are struggling, but help is available. If you are not sure where to turn, contact the council. If it can't help then it can direct you to organisations that can. And to the Government: stop dithering and deliver the reforms to ...
GB News's new show broadcast live from the US features non-stop praise for Donald Trump and the channel's co-owner Paul Marshall begging MAGA politicians to "save the UK", reports Josiah Mortimer. Mills Dyer, who spent several years working in the Liberal Democrats' membership department, gives three reasons why they membership surges like the one the Greens are currently experiencing matter - and three why they're completely irrelevant. Tayo Bero is worried by the explosion in online content promoting the use of antidepressants: "Antidepressant use can be messy, stressful, confusing and seemingly interminable (don't even get me started on my experience ...
Let us travel all the way back to 2010, a year in which a jubilant "Cleggmania" contrasted with a dire backdrop. The economy was in bad shape following the 2008 financial crash. We had just failed to reach an agreement with Gordon Brown's Labour Party (the maths wasn't 'mathing'), and as a result went into a coalition with the Conservatives. Austerity was the word on everyone's lips, and for many of us, it was an inevitable devastation for our families and communities. However, there was a Liberal Democrat Minister - who is often forgotten in the re-litigation and discourse about ...
When the Day Goes Down, performed live here on the David Letterman Show, is my favourite Eurythmics song. As the recent evening devoted to her on BBC4 confirmed, Annie Lennox is an amazing talent.
As I said earlier, the party's presidential and vice presidential elections have been counted. Josh Babarinde and Victoria Collins have been elected as President and Vice President respectively. The presidential result was as follows: Josh Babarinde 3742 69% Prue Bray 1698 31% Turnout 9.1% The vice presidential race was closer Victoria Collins 2788 57% Kamran Hussain 2102 43% Turnout 8l2% Congratulations to both Josh and Victoria who take up their new roles on 1st January. The President chairs the Federal Board and is there to be the voice of the members to the leadership. The Vice President is responsible for ...
Last week I wrote that Leicestershire County Council, which is run by a Reform UK minority administration, is to pay £1.3m to consultants. That's peanuts! The Leicester Mercury reports: Documents published last week revealed that the "estimated contract value" has actually been set at "up to £30 million" as a whole, with the £1.4 million audit just phase one of that contract. A spokeswoman for the authority has stressed that no further work beyond phase one has yet been agreed. The county council currently needs to plug an expected £90 million gap in its day-to-day spending by 2029 in order ...
My term has President of the Liberal Democrats comes to an end on 31 December, and with a two-term limit I was always definitely on the way out. Members have now chosen my successor, as this news release from the party reports: Josh Babarinde, MP for Eastbourne, has been elected today as the new President of the Liberal Democrats. Josh will assume the role of Liberal Democrat President on 1 January 2026 for a three-year term, with Mark Pack remaining in post until then. Newly elected president Josh Babarinde said: "I'm so grateful to Liberal Democrat members for electing me ...
Gateshead West Lib Dem branch meeting was held last night in Winlaton. Most of the meeting was taken up with planning for the local elections next year and with reporting back on ward campaigns. Ward Focuses have been or are about to be delivered in Ryton, Whickham North and Swalwell, Whickham South and Sunniside, Dunston Hill and Whickham East, Birtley North and Lamesley and Birtley South.
Wed 12th
09:33
Presidential and Vice Presidential counts to get underway at 10 am but all committee counts postpone...
Today the counts get under way for the federal internal elections. Online voting ended at 2pm yesterday but the voting period was dominated by the changes to the diversity quotas announced the day before polling started on October 28th. On that day, presidential candidate Prue Bray wrote that she was so angry she could barely type. It is far from clear what the law is exactly at this point, but even if we are not compliant with it, the party should have to be dragged kicking and screaming to do this! If we give up without a fight, not only ...
Wed 12th
09:04
Trump's words mock those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for us all in the two World Wars
Anyone who reads my blog regularly cannot fail to be aware that I do not like Donald Trump any more than I like Nigel Farage. I believe that both men see fit to either lie or distort the truth with impunity although even I would say that that Farage is not as bad as Trump. I am also confident that there are more checks and balances in place with deeper and stronger roots to keep despotic people under control than exist in America. I vowed never to talk about Trump ever again but sometimes he says things that are so ...
From Dundee Westgait Church : "You are invited to a community meeting on Thursday 13th November at 7.15pm in the Memorial Hall of our Shaftesbury Terrace building - formerly known as Logie & St John's (Cross). The aim of the meeting is to understand what the community needs from a local church, and also to explore whether the local community is willing and able to work with us in order to keep their local church open. All welcome - we look forward to seeing you there."
Labour's first year in power has been an unmitigated disaster for them and it's all their fault. In scrapping the winter fuel allowance, making cuts to benefits, refusing to abandon the two-child allowance cap, and ignoring the very real case for compensating WASPI women, a cause they campaigned for in opposition, Labour have alienated key constituencies, while undermining their own USP amongst Labour voters. It's little wonder that the Greens, with their new socialist identity are snapping at their heels. Having realised that these betrayals are causing them irreparable harm, Labour Ministers have started to u-turn. They have reinstated some ...
