An open letter has been circulating, which has a range of over fifty signatories from across the party from ordinary members to federal committee members and a number of PPCs, calling for the suspension of the Liberal Democrat whip from Stephen Lloyd, MP for Eastbourne. I was the author of the text of the letter, [...]
Lib Dems in 'call to action' to stop Brexit Liberal Democrat Brexit Spokesperson Tom Brake MP has today written to Remain MPs from all political parties, urging them to back the Liberal Democrat's campaign for a People's Vote in the fight against Brexit. Tom Brake said: The Liberal Democrats have been consistently fighting for the last two years, but we know that now is the time for every single MP to make their decision on the most important matter facing the UK. That is why I have written to Remain MPs urging them to join us in this fight. This ...
Writing about Malcolm Saville and Lydd Airport a few years ago, I said: I have a guide book to Rye, the relic of a family holiday in a caravan on Winchelsea Beach in 1967 - yes, readers, I remember the Summer of Love. In it there is a British United Air Ferries advertisement featuring return trips to Ostend and Le Touquet for 71/-.And here is that very ad. There's more about British United Air Ferries on Wikipedia.
City Insider in the Financial Times points out that Nick Clegg is old enough to remember the 1970s television series about a former astronaut-turned-secret agent called Colonel Steve Austin. Austin had had various body parts replaced by 'bionic' implants, giving him superhuman speed and vision. Insider continues: The title of the show was The Six Million Dollar Man. That's what others approached as contenders for the Facebook role of head of global affairs told City Insider was on offer: $1m as basic pay plus at least $5m in stock.Nice work if you can get it. Me? I voted for Brian ...
Second paragraph of third chapter: "For the laws I have a certain respect," he says. "For mercenaries I have none." Bought this in the run-up to last year's Worldcon where the author was a GoH, but didn't get around to reading it until now. It's one of the early cyberpunk texts, characters struggling with evil human overlords and the rise of new technology. Cyberpunk doesn't really do all that much for me, and I got really rather lost in the plot, but I liked the characterisation and appreciate the homage to Zelazny's Damnation Alley. You can get it here. This ...
Four by elections took place on an eventful day for politics as a whole in the UK, with Lib Dem candidates standing in all four seats. Oxfordshire CC, Grove & Wantage LD Jane Hanna 1925 [47.9%; +4.6%] Con 1447 [36.0%; +0.7%] Lab 459 [11.4%; -2.0%] Green 185 [4.6%; -3.3%] Turnout 27.85% LD Hold Percentage change from 2017 The outstanding result from the night came in the Grove & Wantage by-election for Oxfordshire County Council. Jane Hanna and the Oxfordshire Lib Dems put on a great campaign and increased their vote by 4.6% increasing their majority to strengthen their hold on ...
Each issue of Liberator contains Radical Bulletin. Named after a defunct publication that we absorbed long ago, it contains news about the Liberal Democrats you will not find anywhere else. Radical Bulletin in the new issue of Liberator tells you more about the hole that has appeared in the party's finances and about the party's reaction to Vince Cable's ideas for reforming it. You will also find some light relief: The annual Pink News awards saw Vince Cable give a heartfelt speech on the appalling treatment LGBT asylum seekers experience in the UK. He then went on to present the ...
Anger over Sefton Labour's rejection of 'People's Vote' The decision of the controlling Labour Group to block a request for a People's Vote over Brexit left campaigners dismayed when they attended Thursday night's Sefton Council meeting held at Southport Town Hall. Seaforth resident and NHS worker Carla Burns addressed the Council meeting in support of a petition, signed by over 600 people. In it she called for Sefton Council to support a People's Vote on the final Brexit Deal which includes an option to remain in the EU. Lib Dem councillor Daniel Lewis, supported by his Lib Dem colleagues, proposed ...
So, after 28 months of wrangling, excitement, two dedicated secretaries of state to accomplish it, resignations, new appointments, secret briefings, an extra umpteen thousand civil servants at an estimated extra cost of £500 a week, thousands of hours of mostly ill-informed speculation on the media, and gallons of printed ink: we finally have the Brexit deal "on the table." And, of course, it is entirely what was to be expected, and could have been predicted the day after Mrs May promised that "the referendum result will be respected," come what may (no pun intended) no "ifs" no "buts". Mrs May's ...
Have you ever wanted to attend our federal party conferences but been discouraged because of financial or access issues? The Federal Conference Committee (of which I am a member) wants to enable everyone to attend, so some years ago we set up an Access Fund to provide support. This is how it works: Everyone who registers for conference is asked if they would like to contribute to the Fund. Anyone with relevant needs can apply to the Access Fund for support. In short, it can cover childcare, accommodation and travel for anyone who could not otherwise afford it, plus specific ...
I am one of the signatories to this, which is a request to our beloved chief whip to consider suspending the whip from Stephen Lloyd, who keeps saying on the radio that he's going to vote in favour of TMay's brexit deal because he promised he would respect the result of the referendum at hustingses. I, personally, do not think that voting for TMay's specific deal is a necessary part of respecting the result of the referendum. I further think, to slightly rephrase James Baillie, that even the broadest of churches has to have some walls, and a mechanism for ...
The wind was stronger than expected, at 22 and gusting – it ran along the ridge, watering my eyes, finding each crevice in my jacket, as I walked a mile or two along a distance trail. Expecting to stoop, a hawk rode almost still above the scarp; sliding, scanning, seeking prey that shrank in the shivering grass. Then a [...]
The Festive Doctor Who this year will be on New Year's Day instead of on Christmas Day. This has prompted the usual prophecies of doom and horror from the usual corners of the internet, but I was pretty relaxed about it:Christmas is a family day, with all the inherent stresses that involves; New Year's Eve we have friends over and generally get drunk and swear at the hootenannnnnnaaaaaaay and relax and have a good time. New Year's Day generally involves my house being full of good-natured and slightly hung over friendly faces, pretty much all of whom are Doctor Who ...
Fri 16th
11:55
Friendship, addiction and Brexit: Alastair Campbell's poignant and frank Charles Kennedy Memorial Le...
In the last 3.5 years, so many people have wondered what Charles Kennedy would have had to say about Brexit and our fight against it. A European to his core, he would have been such a strong and credible voice for Remain in the referendum. Our politics is so much the poorer for his absence and in this party, his loss is particularly acute. People across politics and outside politics had so much time for him. We didn't find out until after he died how close he was to Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's Chief spin doctor. This was a relationship ...
Men with beards are more attractive, scientists claimWhile it's nice to see science catching up with me, I think in reality this is as cyclical as "are beards trendy" and may well be, as my friend said on twitter, linked to socio-economic anxieties in the way hemlines are. I forced a bot to watch over 1,000 hours of stand-up comedy and then asked it to write stand-up comedy of its own.Here is the first page.... Why do some schools still ban girls from playing football?tl;dr because they are reinforcing the patriarchy. I reacted as I usually react to unfolding chaos ...
Thu, 12:04: RT @MaryCreaghMP: Chief whip staring at phone with face like thunder. 5 ministers gone in 3 hours. Thu, 12:04: RT @annietrev: It is with sadness that I have submitted my letter of resignation as PPS to the Education Ministers to the Prime Minister. I... Thu, 12:56: Flipping the Funnel: Three Takeaways for Being Heard in the Digital World https://t.co/Y8lYeCQCV6 Short and clear,... https://t.co/ZNRmqPRDKm Thu, 13:31: RT @IanDunt: Leavers, I'm not sure this argument that Raab didn't negotiate the Brexit deal is as strong as you think it is. Thu, 14:37: RT @TeamRanil: https://t.co/v3m1BhIMAN Thu, 16:05: I was raised ...
It really hit the fan yesterday, huh? We all sort of knew it was coming, yet that didn't stop it being somehow spectacular when it finally unfolded. There has been a massive amount of comment on what happened yesterday with the various resignations and so forth; here, I'm only going to try and cover the stuff I'm still unclear about or that hasn't been covered extensively elsewhere (at least to my knowledge): This one first: why the hell did May offer Gove the DexEU job? I realise it seems at this point not to have ended disastrously, what with Gove ...
Britain is a United Kingdom again. After more than two years of divisive vitriolic debate it has emerged upon the sunny upland plain of total agreement. Soon the British public will be treated to the sight of former bitter enemies Boris Johnson, Vince Cable and Jacob Rees-Mogg joining hands to skip gaily into the Commons division lobby. Nigel Farage and Bob Geldof may soon embrace on the banks of the Thames. Fathers and sons who have scowled at each other for two years will again smile across the breakfast table. Mothers and daughters will cheerfully gossip over a steaming cuppa ...
Coming back from a meeting in mid-Wales yesterday, whilst trying to digest the ever-changing news, resignations and Prime Ministerial statements, it felt very much like the country is going to hell in a handcart. To be frank it does not feel much better today. The deal that Theresa May has negotiated is massively disadvantageous for the UK, and yet it is the best she can possibly get under the circumstances. It was always going to be this way. No matter what Brexiteers like Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Jacob Rees-Mogg, David Davis and their pals think, there is no better deal ...
One Liberal Democrat, one Conservative and two Labour defences make up this week's quartet of council by-elections, including Grove and Wantage ward on Oxfordshire County Council. Canterbury North, Kent Alex Lister stood for the Liberal Democrats and scored some nice solid progress: Canterbury North (Kent) result: CON: 42.3% (-12.3) LDEM: 23.6% (+7.1) LAB: 20.6% (+4.1) GRN: 4.9% (-1.9) IND: 4.8% (+4.8) UKIP: 3.7% (-1.9) Conservative HOLD. Turnout: 26.0% — Britain Elects (@britainelects) November 16, 2018
From the City Council : THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of crane lifting works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Park Place (between Old Hawkhill and Smalls Lane), Dundee This notice comes into effect on Saturday 17th November 2018 for 1 day. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes are available via Old Hawkhill / Smalls Lane. For further information contact 433082. Executive Director of City DevelopmentDundee City Council
From Monday, the parking regime changes in Ludlow. A few charges are lower but mostly people will pay more on street and in central car parks. The council decided to issue its press release at midday on Wednesday, knowing full well it was too late for the Ludlow Advertiser and South Shropshire Journal. Issuing a press release just days before a major change is introduced is at best bad management. In practice, it will be a pop, shop and fine jamboree from Monday. The new parking charges are largely unwelcome. But they are coming in on Monday. But the big ...