I was born in 1937, when, for the next two years I presume (I could hardly be aware) our politicians and diplomats were desperately working to contain the expansionary foreign ambitions of Hitler in and Mussolini. They failed and on the day before my second birthday war was declared on Germany. This War expanded to involve most of the world, caused between 70 and 85 million deaths, mostly Soviet and Chinese civilians, and was only ended by the dropping of two nuclear bombs by "our side" on two Japanese cities, together causing between 150 000 to 246 000 deaths. I ...
"Sounding like a mob boss when speaking at Trump's press conference at the weekend, secretary of state Marco Rubio told the world that the message of the Venezuelan intervention was that when this president says he is serious about wanting something, he gets it. The problem for Europe is that the one thing that this President covets above all is Greenland."Simon Nixon argues that Donald Trump's "Donroe Doctrine" poses an existential threat to NATO and Europe. Cliff Mitchell accuses Northamptonshire's two Reform-run councils of ignoring the reality of climate change across the county: "As predicted by climate scientists, Northamptonshire is ...
In December I stood for Shinfield Parish Council. I came fourth, nine votes behind Reform UK, ten ahead of Labour. I am 38, work full-time, and have two children under seven. My Conservative opponents—both elected—had advantages I could not match; but above all, the time to knock on doors while I was at work or putting children to bed. This is not a complaint about my own result. It is a diagnosis of a system. British local democracy has become structurally inaccessible to working parents. Borough councillors in Wokingham receive £7,784 annually—less than £150 a week—for what amounts to a ...
Keir Starmer's recent call for closer alignment with the EU was welcome. Naturally, he felt he had to add the qualification 'if it's in our national interest.' He couldn't bring himself to say that such an alignment might be 'in the interests of the UK and Europe as a whole.' Like John Major declaring 'Game, Set and Match' after securing an opt-out from the Maastricht Treaty, it still suggested an 'us and them' approach. But at least it was an acknowledgement that closer ties with Europe could be good for Britain, something that might seem obvious after a decade of ...
Nearly a year ago now, I blogged on the existential crisis facing universities in the UK. I was referring to a Guardian article that reported that nearly one in four leading UK universities are slashing staff numbers and cutting budgets, with up to 10,000 redundancies or job losses. The Guardian quotes the the Institute for Fiscal Studies who say that universities that relied on fees from international students have also been hit by the last government's visa changes, which set off a steep fall in the numbers coming to study in the UK. A freeze on tuition fees has not ...
Professional training takes me to Croydon in a few weeks time which means navigating our official travel provider's website. And clearly, it's been a while since I've done so because I was surprised today to find that the new one works extremely well, which is not a phrase commonly associated with anything in the public sector and particularly anything contracted out by the public sector. But it rather led me to thinking about trains (aahhh, trains...). Firstly, what very good value a Senior Railcard is at £70 for three years if, like me, you don't drive. I paid mine off ...
Lib Dems blast Reform Mayoral Launch for "talking down" London Govt must state if US military seizure of oil tanker was legal under international law ScotRail disruption payments top £3 million Greene responds to watchdog warning on waiting times Welsh Lib Dems raise ongoing red tape hitting Welsh lamb Greene: Pause business rates revaluation Lib Dems blast Reform Mayoral Launch for "talking down" London Responding to a Reform UK press conference, announcing Laila Cunningham as their mayoral candidate, Lib Dem London Spokesperson Luke Taylor MP said: From its history to its culture to its people, London is the greatest city ...
It's time for another walk with John Rogers, and it's one of the kind I enjoy the most: a walk that follows one of London's lost rivers. John describes it in his YouTube blurb as a: walking tour of London's lost river Westbourne from Kilburn to Chelsea via Maida Vale, Paddington, Bayswater, Knightsbridge, and Belgravia. The Westbourne is one of London's most celebrated lost rivers and wasn't fully buried until the mid-1800s. Consequently its course is very well documented and is famously carried over Sloane Square tube station in a pipe that can be seen from the platform. John has ...
I used to believe that the most damaging intellectual errors were essentialism and reification. These days I'm inclined to think that alliteration trumps them both. Over the holidays I saw two Liberal Democrat MPs calling for the total abolition of the "Family Farm Tax" or the "Unfair Family Farm Tax". And the Welsh Lib Dems have just called for that too. Here's David Chadwick, the Lib Dem MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, quoted in the Abergavenny Chronicle: "The Liberal Democrats were the first to call out and oppose the unfair family farm tax in last year's budget and ...
The Daily Telegraph asked today, with an air of mockery and condescension, "What is the point of the Liberal Democrats?" It is a question that tells us far more about the Telegraph than about the party it seeks to dismiss. Once a serious conservative newspaper, the Telegraph has increasingly become a vehicle for grievance, culture-war sensationalism, and ideological nostalgia. Its critique of the Liberal Democrats is less an analysis than a reflex: liberalism bad, Europe worse, nuance intolerable. The Liberal Democrats, whatever one thinks of their electoral fortunes, are easy to caricature if one ignores history, policy, and principle. The ...
It is with deep sorrow that I heard of the sad news of the passing of Gerry Gable (1937-2026) — a towering figure in the fight against fascism, racism, and the far right in Britain. Gerry devoted his life to defending democratic values and exposing extremism, leaving a legacy that will inspire generations. I first met Gerry during my time as a Liberal Democrat councillor and Parliamentary candidate, when I faced sustained attacks from the British National Party in Epping Forest and Brentwood. One notable moment came when the BNP brought a complaint against me as an Epping Forest Councillor ...
Julie Covington's version of this Alice Cooper song reminds me of a foggy day at Rugby station just before Christmas 1977, but I realise that may not be true for everybody. That year Covington had a number one with Don't Cry for me Argentina and starred in the highly regarded TV series Rock Follies.
BBC News, as so often these days, wins our Headline of the Day Award.
Today's problem is not Maduro. The illegitimate Venezuelan dictator is now out of the game. However, the legitimate government is not in the game either- at least not yet. An optimistic student of realpolitik might take the view that the Americans have learned from Iraq and are not making the mistake of destroying all the Chavista state, which they did with the Iraqi Baathist state after the fall of Saddam Hussein, before Venezuelan democracy can be restored. Since we regard the opposition as the legitimate authorities, and they have not complained about the arrest of Maduro, The US can legitimately ...
(Photo Credit – Liverpool Echo) On Tuesday 6th January I attended a meeting of the Council's Neighbourhood Committee to consider a report about resurfacing on Queens Drive. This was on a report about a £1.8 million project that had been approved by the Council's Cabinet and would not have been scrutinised at all if I had not raised issues relating to it. I regret to say that the Labour members of the Committee totally ignored what I had to say. Regular readers of this blog and those who live in South Liverpool will be well aware of the area that ...
The British government has been scrambling to keep up with the outrageous behaviour of the rogue superstate which happens to be our main ally and with which we claim to have a 'special relationship'. Keir Starmer says that he had no warning of the attack on Venezuela which suggests that he has clean hands but no influence. A subject much closer to Britain's long term vital interests are forthcoming negotiations with the Trump Administration on technology. These talks will determine whether Britain is to be a digital and AI colony or retains some vestiges of sovereignty. They affect our freedom ...
Over the past week, something alarming has been unfolding at British airbases. At least ten US C-17 cargo aircraft, two AC-130 gunships, and specialised intelligence aircraft have arrived at RAF Fairford and RAF Mildenhall, with reports suggesting elite special operations helicopters may also be present. This isn't routine. The timing, immediately following Trump's Venezuela operation, raises urgent questions about what Britain is facilitating from our soil. Ed Davey has rightly described Nicolás Maduro as "a brutal and illegitimate dictator" – but the Liberal Democrat leader also warned that "unlawful attacks jeopardise safety for all." That second part is crucial. Trump's ...
On 4 April 1949, 12 nations signed a treaty to establish collective security, combat totalitarianism, and strengthen transatlantic ties: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. That treaty came to be known as the North Atlantic Treaty, now more commonly known as NATO. Now, 77 years later, that same alliance is under threat. The United States of America, under the rule of Donald Trump, is threatening to take control of Greenland, while US officials have refused to rule out military action. This is truly the darkest timeline. ...
Nation Cymru reports that a group considering whether controversial plans to build a network of tall pylons across Wales is necessary has been told that such plans are only being considered because of a failure to move ahead with offshore energy generation. The news site says that Dr Jonathan Dean, a trustee of the countryside charity CPRW, has written a lengthy submission to the Independent Advisory Group on Future Electricity Grid for Wales in which he argues that a new transmission grid from north to south Wales is wholly unnecessary: He states: "In our experience, the main issue the public ...