[IMG: Flyer Yes to F34 for rally on 22 September at 8:45 am. ] The long awaited 'China Audit' was not published other than a ministerial statement. Legitimate reasons? Though in 2023, the Intelligence & Security Committee ('ISC') of Parliament published their report. The China Audit could provide elected representatives a comprehensive document demonstrating the complexity of the UK-China relationship, Britain's interests and UK's strategy and position. The government cannot be held accountable without its scrutiny. Why do PM Starmer's ministers try to wave through Beijing's application for a mega Embassy as a mere "planning application"? Why is his Chancellor ...
One of the key debates at this year's autumn conference will be on the party's new climate policy paper, For People, For Planet - on Sunday afternoon, kicking off at 3.15pm. In the six years since we last published a comprehensive climate policy paper (Tackling the Climate Emergency, 2019) much has changed. With record-breaking temperatures, wildfires, floods and droughts, the threat posed by uncontrolled global heating is becoming ever-more obvious. In the UK, however, at least we now have a government that takes the issue seriously, unlike Boris Johnson's (which paid lip service to the challenge but didn't achieve much) ...
Wh look at liberals need to know from Reform UK Conference By an anonymous attendee Reform UK held their party conference at the Birmingham NEC at the start of the month. Delegates queued for an hour to get in on the first day as an estimated 6,000 activists attended. The mood amongst delegates could not have been more buoyant – this is a party that believes it is going places. Delegates who had been to a previous Reform conference said it was unrecognisable compared to last year's event. News organisations, especially GB News, were everywhere. Wherever you looked, the branding ...
Nuneaton & North Warwickshire Liberal Democrats report on Facebook that: Independent Heath ward councillor Rob Roze has announced his decision to join the Liberal Democrats, two months after dramatically quitting the Labour Party. Cllr Roze, who represents Heath ward residents on Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, left Labour in July claiming the party lacks a serious, joined-up vision for how to rebuild Bedworth. He has now thrown his support behind the Liberal Democrats, citing their dedication to local community issues and their commitment to challenging extremism wherever it exists. "I hear the same concerns across Bedworth and beyond – people ...
Genocide. Genocide. Genocide. For two years this word has been taboo as we've watched Israel carrying out its atrocities in Gaza. Most of us have avoided using it for fear of....what? Yes, we've rightly considered 'genocide' a powerful, extreme word, largely associated with the horrors of the Holocaust and Rwanda: a word that mustn't be used lightly, without proper investigation of the true facts. But let's be honest. We've also been terrified to call out the blatant killing of civilians and ethnic cleansing in Gaza for what it is, because in all likelihood we'd be accused of antisemitism or supporting ...
I don't expect to find many fans of Donald J. Trump on Lib Dem Voice. Maybe from the old days when he was the gold-lined host of the US version of The Apprentice who delivered every iconic catchphrase with the un-self-conscious bravado and camp cattiness of a drag queen, but certainly not now. He is not our kind of chap. The Donald offends mainstream British liberalism. He is brash, it is considered. He is ostentatious, it is reserved. He talks about how great he is and the amazing things he has done. British liberalism would rather die. His affront to ...
First, a confession: the idea of a Japanese attack on Poole Harbour is stolen shamelessly from Milton Jones. Second, some good news: earlier this year Jones announced he was taking time off to be treated for prostate cancer. but he is now free of the disease and has begun touring again. And with that, another week at Bonkers Hall draws to a close. Sunday When I heard there had been a fire at the Bournemouth International Centre, I naturally assumed it was the latest ruse by the party's high-ups to justify the cancellation of our Autumn Conference. In recent years ...
We are holding a Thursday street surgery tonight to speak with residents on any local issues or concerns they may have. Should you have an issue you wish to discuss with us, e-mail us at westend@dundeelibdems.org.uk or call Dundee 459378 and we will be pleased to meet you - many thanks.
The Guardian reports that four people have been arrested after images of Donald Trump alongside deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were projected on to Windsor Castle, where the US president is set to be hosted by King Charles during his state visit to Britain. The paper says that prior to Trump's arrival at the castle on Tuesday, protesters unfurled a massive banner featuring a photograph of Trump and Epstein near Windsor Castle, and later projected several images of the two on to one of the castle's towers. As a result, according to the police statement, four adults were arrested on ...
Wed 17th
18:34
Reform UK Leicestershire councillor blames immigration for low water level at county reservoir
If you're short of a blog story, Reform UK in the East Midlands will always come through for you. Sure enough, Michael Squires, a Leicestershire county councillor, has blamed "mass immigration" for the low water level at Cropston Reservoir. He made the claim on X after visiting the nearby beauty spot Bradgate Park on Sunday, reports Leicester Gazette. A glance at Squires' account, particularly the Replies tab, reveals him to be very online.
The new political season is well underway, so why not have your say by writing a guest post for Liberal England? I'm happy to entertain a wide range of views, but I'd hate you to spend time writing something I really wouldn't want to publish, so please get in touch first. Or you can talk to me at the Liberal Democrat Conference, where I'll be for the first time in far too many years. These are the 10 most recent guest posts on Liberal England - you can see that I'm publish posts on subjects outside politics:256 local councillors have ...
Reform has shed the following councillors so far: Donna Edmunds (Shropshire, suspended by Reform UK and then quit the party) Luke Shingler (Warwickshire, now an independent) Desmond Clarke (Nottinghamshire, resigned as councillor) Andrew Kilburn (Durham, resigned as a councillor) Wayne Titley (Staffordshire, resigned as a councillor) Mark Broadhurst (Doncaster, expelled by Reform) Adam Smith (West Northamptonshire, suspended by Reform and then expelled) John Bailey (Durham, resigned as a councillor) Daniel Taylor (Kent, suspended by Reform UK) Sam Booth (Doncaster, resigned as a councillor) Ed Hill (Devon, expelled by Reform) David Maclean (Isle of Wight, resigned as a councillor) Robert Bloom ...
A week ago, Party members in England received an email that may have left some of them puzzled. It asked if they wished to nominate candidates for an election for the English Party representatives to various Federal Party Committees, such as the Federal Policy Committee and the Conference Committee. The unusual thing is that while they can nominate candidates, they don't get a vote. Ten years ago, as the Party confronted a disastrous general election result, the Autumn Conference made a significant change to who could attend our twice-yearly Conferences and how people were elected to the Federal Committees that ...
The Lib Dems have a rare opportunity to make the case for migration Rarely has there been so much space on the political spectrum for the Lib Dems and so little appetite on their behalf to fill it. Ok, that maybe a little harsh: Ed Davey's refusal to attend the banquet with Donald Trump is more than a stunt but by tying it to Gaza alone it has become a tactical weapon with which to outflank Keir Starmer, rather than a wider statement about the threat of authoritarianism and the corruption of democratic norms embodied by the US President. It ...
Is our Party facing up better than others to the high cost of the UK re-arming? l have recently seen senior Lib Dems whom I rate highly, saying (in their own words but probably echoing the similar thoughts of many senior Lib Dem colleagues) :- 'We support the aim, demanded by Donald Trump, of spending 3.5% of our GDP on defence, with an additional 1.5% on ancillary spending – but that is as long as we can have until 2035 to achieve this – and as long as we won't be required to reduce spending on the NHS or welfare ...
[IMG: Shard in the distance taken from the Embankment] In many ways, London represents a triumph of liberalism. London is a city where people from all backgrounds come to make their home. A city of dynamism and enterprise, closely intertwined with the global economy. A city of remarkable history and forward-thinking culture. A city thriving as a cosmopolitan melting pot, with strong communities and individuals free to be themselves. It is for precisely these reasons that certain politicians denigrate the capital, portraying it either as a suspicious, crime-ridden hellhole or an effete hub of snooty, overprivileged elitism. Or sometimes all ...
The First Freedom: Autonomy of the Body If you cannot respect another person's right to do with their body as they please, liberalism has no place for you. Most people who consider themselves liberals will consider a (usually unspoken) list of rights they hold sacred. Freedom of speech is usually the first to come to mind. But what about the others? The right to a fair trial? The right to privacy? The right to own property? While often rarely cited, we passionately believe bodily autonomy is the right that is foundational to all others, thus we, as liberals, have a ...
Peter Gabriel wrote Here Comes the Flood soon after he left Genesis in 1975, and it appeared on his first solo album. This stripped-down version comes from a 1979 Kate Bush Christmas special.
If I were Freddie and Fiona, I would be looking to spend less time in Rutland in future: this is starting to sound ominous. At least the old boy got Meadowcroft out of clink. Saturday What a way to start the day! I am summoned to Oakham nick to stand bail for Meadowcroft, who has spent the night in the cells. It transpires that he was arrested in the village yesterday afternoon for carrying a dangerous weapon; this turns out to be the Japanese pruning sickle that Freddie and Fiona gave him the other day. (To be fair to the ...
There's a craft group at the Corso Street complex which meets every Thursday at 10.30am - all welcome!
The Independent reports that speculation about Andy Burnham lining himself to replace Keir Starmer may be premature and a gamble too far for the Labour Party. They say that the Greater Manchester mayor is a former cabinet minister, articulate and charismatic - and would certainly represent a fresh start for this Labour government, but getting him into a position whereby he would be able to challenge for the leadership may be just too difficult: Unfortunately, though, his route back to parliament to enable him to be prime minister represents a massive opportunity for Reform. The fact is that a Labour ...