I'm not used to Tuesday elections but we've had a number of them in recent weeks. Anyway, there was a by-election in Wales yesterday, for Fishguard North East in Pembrokeshire. A high turnout of 49% (higher than many Parliamentary contests) delivered the ward to Plaid Cymru with 34%. Second were the Lib Dems on 18% and Reform were 3rd on 13%. None of these parties stood when the seat was last
All 66 seats on Gateshead Council are up for election in May local elections, in place of the usual elections by thirds. Each of the 22 wards will therefore elect three councillors. The political parties will have to find three times the usual number of candidates. Even in normal years when only one councillor per ward is elected, finding 22 candidates can be something of a challenge. So
Sunderland's newest Councillor has today quit the Reform Party. Ian McKinley was only elected in November in a byelection that saw Labour lose Hetton to Reform. Cllr McKinley's time as a Reform Councillor was rather short. It seems he had differences with the various Reform branch chairmen. The resignation from Reform and his self-identification as an Independent means Reform no longer have any
Wed 11th
18:31
GUEST POST Lib Dems must be "Tough on billionaires, tough on the causes of billionaires"
Anselm Anon says Liberal Democrats should be concerned about concentrations of economic power as well as about concentrations of political power. It is axiomatic for liberals that power ought to be dispersed and accountable. The Liberal Democrats tends to be fairly good at articulating this when it comes to political structures - supporting an elected House of Lords, empowering local government, opposing mayors and PCCs who have "dubious democratic mandates and little scrutiny". In contrast, the party's approach to concentrated and unaccountable power that derives from wealth, as distinct from politics, is much more patchy. Ed Davey should be credited ...
Leicester Cathedral held a service on Sunday to commemorate the 450th anniversary of a wedding there in which sign language was employed. A document found in the Leicestershire Record Office shows that the language was used in a marriage ceremony at St Martin's Church - now Leicester Cathedral - on 6 February 1576. The BBC News report helpfully transcribes part of it: Thomas Tillsye and Ursula Russel were marryed: and because the sayde Thomas was and is naturally deafe and also dumbe, so that the order of the forme of marriage used usually amongst others which can heare and speake ...
Last week, the Restoration and Renewal Client Board published its costed proposals for saving the Palace of Westminster. The options have been narrowed to two: a full decant costing up to £15.6 billion over 20 to 25 years, or a semi-decant that could take 60 years and cost approaching £40 billion. A £3 billion first phase of works would begin this year. The debate that follows will focus, as it always does, on where to put MPs while the building is fixed. Richmond House? The QEII Conference Centre? How big should the temporary chamber be? But there is a more ...
Embed from Getty ImagesOn Monday there was a Westminster Hall debate on Russian influence on UK politics and democracy, occasioned by a public petition that gained the required 100,000 signatures. Allowing such petitions to trigger debates seems a worthwhile experiment, though the one demanding that MPs who change parties should be forced to resign and fight a by-election seems to me misconceived. Don't party whips have enough power as it is? But it's worth reading the transcript of the debate on Russian interference. Several Liberal Democrats MPs took part - here's Cameron Thomas: The breadth and depth of Russian influence ...
In a major speech in the City of London this morning, Daisy Cooper has announced Liberal Democrat plans to break up the Treasury and move it to Birmingham. A new Department for Growth would include the Department of Business and Trade's responsibilities and would have a mandate to boost long term sustainable growth. It would be a single point of contact for business and investment. A smaller department for public expenditure would control departmental spending Stronger economic growth would be recognised as the only sustainable solution to the country's problems. This would come alongside a better relationship with Europe. This ...
It took 40 years for the Zombies' Odessey and Oracle to be recognised as one of the great albums of the Sixties, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that its opening track wasn't a hit as single. But Care of Cell 44 sounds like 1967 sunshine in a bottle now: Mellotron, harmonies and a great bass part.
Reform's success in last year's local council elections was very much built around their claims that huge amounts of public money is being wasted in the public sector and that their special unit, modelled on Elon Musk's DOGE shitshow in the United States, would sort it all out. The reality though is that all the promised savings have failed to materialise, while the expected freezing of council tax has proved to be just a pipe dream. The Independent reports that Reform-led Worcestershire County Council will issue the biggest council tax rise in England this April after the government gave it ...
