[IMG: Boleyn by-election result, Newham] A distant second place might not be an obvious electoral trigger for pleasure, but given what an electoral desert much of east London has been for the Liberal Democrats for a long time, not only to stand a candidate and fight an election campaign, but also to top it all by finishing second is a promising sign of rejuvenating grassroots. This isn't anything like the party's past heydays, but progressing back to contesting elections and not finishing bottom of the pile is far from trivial progress in many areas. Jonathan Calder recently rightly talked about ...
The media is reporting that Amazon plans to build a huge depot at Airport City, south of Wythenshawe. That's great news for jobs, as its forecast to employ between 1,000 and 1,500 people and we welcome it. The Lib Dems have been arguing for some time that building at Airport City without improving the transport infrastructure will lead to gridlock. There just isn't enough roadspace to get everyone to and from those new jobs. We believe an orbital tram/train, going through Stockport and with stops in Cheadle and Gatley to take people to the airport, is an important part of ...
LD candidate- Kenton Paul Batley.
LD candidate- Terry Kirby. To help, please contact Michael Mullaney on 07576 289910 or michaeltmullaney@yahoo.co.uk.
LD candidate- Stephen Hearn.
UPDATED DETAILS. Conservative seat. Cause: Death. No LD candidate.
LD candidate- Martin Smith.
UPDATED DETAILS. Conservative seat. Cause: Resignation. LD candidate- Alan Hilliar.
UPDATED DETAILS. Conservative seat. Cause: Resignation. No LD candidate.
UPDATED DETAILS. Labour seat. Cause: Death. LD candidate- Sheree Miller.
UPDATED DETAILS. LD candidate- Nat Green. Conservative seat. Cause: Resignation.
So, I've made it to Washington, and in good time. I've managed to operate the new technology they have at Dulles, and made it to the lounge for a quick break and a catch up with my e-mail before my next flight, a relatively short hop to Houston. There, I have four hours and eighteen minutes before the final leg. All is still good...
Many years ago, I went on one of my more quixotic journeys inspired by a song. And yes, it was a quite mad reason to go anywhere, but I could, and that was the end of it. My journey started with a United Airlines flight to Washington D.C. and my destination was Albuquerque, New Mexico. Some of you may remember the song. Much has changed since then. I'm older, greyer, slower, to name but three. I'm also married to the lovely Ros. However, not everything is different. I still have a sense that travel can be romantic, that new experiences ...
The West Port celebrated its Christmas Lights Switch On in style earlier tonight with the well-attended (despite the rain!) 'Westport Wonderland' - a fantastic Christmas Market in the former Westport Gallery, the Parlour Cafe hosting a second hand book sale, Hot Chocolate Bar, fresh waffles and apple pie and the Rep hosting a window spotting competition with the brilliant prize of a Family ticket to their production of The Witches. And there was great music and the Christmas Lights being switched on too! Here's a video and a few photos from tonight's celebrations : The Christmas Market (above and below) ...
Crossens Saturday, 12th December, St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, Crossens, between 11am and 12 noon.
Monty Panesar bowling for Sussex at Grace Road, Leicester The England team is desperately short of spin bowlers. Yet we do have a 33-year-old who has taken 167 test wickets and has taken five wickets in an innings 12 times. Monty Panesar is the forgotten man of English cricket, yet at his best he would walk into the test team. Over the last couple of seasons there have been stories that he has become difficult to manage, with commentators hinting that there are deeper problems they cannot talk about. Now Panesar himself has opened up about his problems in the ...
Thu 3rd
19:36
"He is as dogged a terrier as any Backbench Member of this House" - Speaker on Greg Mulholland
Praise from the Speaker for Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland: "I say to him that he is as dogged a terrier as any Backbench Member of this House" – Mr Speaker on @GregMulholland1 pic.twitter.com/tgpnTLjxYQ — Sam Webber (@samdwebber) December 3, 2015
Current Keeping it Real, by Justina Robson Short Fiction Eligible for the 1941 Retro-Hugos Vol 3, ed. von Dimpleheimer Between The Acts, by Virginia Woolf Instruments of Darkness, by Gary Russell Last books finished Babes in the Darkling Wood, by H.G. Wells Waiting for Elizabeth, by Joan Rosier-Jones De Tweede Kus, by Conz When I Was a Child I Read Books, by Marilynne Robinson Last week's audios The Yes Men, by Simon Guerrier Next books Moon Over Soho, by Ben Aaronovitch Helliconia, by Brian Aldiss The Gallifrey Chronicles, by Lance Parkin Books acquired in last week Lethbridge-Stewart: Mutually Assured Domination, ...
Our Headline of the Day Award goes to the Evening Standard.
I have another First Person column in the Leicester Mercury today. Pub culture destroyed in a generation The other day a woman in front of me in the supermarket queue was asked to prove her age because she was buying a bottle of wine and looked under 25. She did so without fuss - maybe she felt flattered? - but the incident made me think about how much our attitude to young people and alcohol has changed. Back in the old days - in the Seventies - I was able to drink in pubs from the age of 16. I ...
[IMG: Tim Farron & Paul Merton on HIGNFY] Fresh from his success on Have I got news for you last week, Tim Farron will be on Russell Howard's Good News on BBC2 at 10 pm tonight. No doubt he'll be talking about his reasons behind the Syria vote. It'll be interesting to see how the generally young audience think of what he has to say. In the meantime, if you are bored and looking for something to do, you might want to contact Oldham HQ and help Jane Brophy. She has been a fantastic by-election candidate and her team have ...
It is fair to say that it has been a fraught few days for the party over the vote in Syria. In the end it was six rather than eight that voted with the government on air strikes but even so that represented a big disconnect with the views of the membership of the party... More Keep Calm and Carry On
The first Tuesday of the month is the date on which the Sunniside History Society meets. I am deputy chairman and the society itself is very active. The December meeting always has a Christmas buffet and therefore we had plenty of food to tuck into on Tuesday. I somehow managed to get out of entering the quiz as the chairman, Colin Douglas, asked me to be the quizmaster instead. This was a
Below are the views of Lib Dem Lord Tony Greaves – I agree with him entirely. [IMG: Tony Greaves] My Lords, if we had the Motion in front of us to vote on tonight I would vote against it. In doing so, I would be voting for the views of the majority of members of my party. Last night, when the Liberal Democrat MPs said they were going to support the Government, with various caveats, a ripple of surprise and shock went through the party. Some of us spent a great deal of time last night talking to people who ...
Why the State Got Its Pistorius Prosecution Strategy Wrong While the Oscar Pistorius trial didn't grab my attention, the judgment did, because to be honest I could not see how the judge could come to the conclusion she did based on the proper application of the law to the facts as she had found them, as I wrote about at the time. I was pleased then to hear this morning when I woke up that the State's appeal against the not guilty murder verdict had been allowed. The basis of the appeal was that Judge Masipa had erred in applying ...
I guess it's good to see Labour MPs like Alan Johnson and Jess Phillips have been calling out the protesters who have been having a go at their MPs who voted for the action in Syria. Jess, particularly, knows what it feels like when a metaphorical angry mob descends on you by social media and waxes lyrical about all the horribly violent things they would like to see happen to you. Stella Creasy knows what it's like to have an angry mob descend on your office. Can you just imagine how frightening it might be to be in there as ...
Thu 3rd
12:44
Report finds that Welsh Lib Dems pupil deprivation grant is making a real difference for under-perfo...
It is gratifying to find that a policy that we have advocated and forced the Welsh Government to put into effect is fulfilling its potential and making a real difference to the educational attainment of children from poorer backgrounds. That though is what an independent evaluation of the Pupil Deprivation Grant, published today, has found: The report shows that: Teachers believe the Pupil Deprivation Grant (PDG) is making a real difference to target pupils and are reporting significant improvements in English and Maths grades as a resultSchools are using increasingly sophisticated systems to ensure the PDG reaches the pupils it ...
Yesterday was a very strange day, full of mixed emotions for me. I had instinctively felt from the start of all of this that the case for extending air strikes into Syria had not been made and, although I came ... Continue reading →
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across the country] A good example of a motion on pest control: Council Notes The British Pest Control Association (BPCA) has said that rats are becoming immune to traditional pellets used by homeowners and that the poisons which can be purchased in supermarkets may actually be turning the rodents into 'super rats'. The chief executive of BPCA has [...]
[IMG: International Office_with text] On Friday 20 November the Liberal Democrats International Office organised a roundtable discussion on promoting women in politics at the 2015 Congress of the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), sharing success stories from across Europe. International Research Officer Nick Thorne tells us more about the event here. "The most important thing women have to do is to stir up the zeal of women themselves." Kicking off the discussion with this inspiring quote from John Stuart Mill, Baroness Sal Brinton set the tone for what was to be a dynamic debate. Women are 51% ...
[IMG: labourlogo] British political parties are very resilient and flexible institutions. Since the modern party system came into being after 1945 there's only been one permanent major split in a party, when the SDP separated from Labour in 1981. People – and that includes me in the past – have often got quite excited at the prospect of there being a split (most notably in the post-Thatcher, pre-Cameron Tories) but none have come about. In true British style, parties find a way to muddle through and come to some kind of agreement or those that might have split end up ...
I can't recall a situation in which the front bench of the opposition have put on such a public display of division. The incredible scene of the Leader of the Opposition calling for one particular policy and the Shadow Foreign Secretary calling for the opposite may be the first of many divisions to come. But on balance, the decision to use air strikes against ISIL in Syria was the right one.
After furious debate from all parties on both sides of the floor, the House of Commons has voted in favour of Britain expanding its current military operations to cover both Iraq and Syria. To the shock of many within the Liberal Democrat party this week, Tim Farron announced that the parliamentary party will be backing the government's proposal, stating that: It is in my judgement that, on balance, the five tests I set out have been met as best they can at this moment, and I will therefore be voting in favour of extending the operations to allow airstrikes on ...
Bury Council have organised an extra information session ON MONDAY for residents and businesses to hear about the latest plans to to change the A56 through Prestwich Village. It will take place on Monday 7 December at the Longfield Suite from 4pm to 7pm, and will include a presentation followed by a Q & A session starting at 6pm. The proposals are for two options: Option A – single lane running from Fairfax Road down to Aldi. Option B – single lane running and a northbound bus pane from Fairfax Road down to Aldi. Although any plans to improve Prestwich ...
Had I been a member of the UK Parliament I would have voted against airstrikes in Syria, as I was pleased to note LibDem MPs Norman Lamb and Mark Williams did last night. While I share the British public's repulsion at the activities of self-styled Islamic State, I fear the decision to join airstrikes was [...]
The honeymoon is over. For the last few months Liberal Democrats have been able to project their hopeful expectations onto Tim Farron, their new leader. And he skilfully avoided disappointing them. But his decision to back the government in last night's vote to involve British forces in attacks on Islamic State in Syria has changed all that. Now, alongside the traumas of the Labour Party, we are asking what political parties are for, and how politics should work. I was surprised at Tim's decision. As my last posting shows, I was personally inching towards that view – but I consider ...
The National Association of British Market Authorities is once again holding a vote to find Britain's Favourite Market and voting couldn't be easier. If you are a fan of our local market, then simply go to the page using the link below – do tell your friends too! http://www.nabma.com/britainsfavouritemarket/ [IMG: Screenshot 2015-12-03 10.01.20] Last year 119 markets received nominations from the 110,000 votes cast so winning isn't easy but every vote will count!
Metro link have confirmed that trams will be running to the new Exchange Square station before Christmas. The Exchange Square stop will open on 6th December. We won't be having Bury line trams there, but there the new station will meant that an additional service will run from Shaw on the Oldham/Rochdale line to Exchange square. Eventually services will run through once the full second city crossing line is finished. [IMG: exchange-square-stop] For more information on the Second City Crossing programme, please visit www.transformationinformation.co.uk. Manchester Victoria reopens after £44m facelift Manchester's Victoria station has formally re-opened following a £44m facelift ...
This week is a 'week of action' to raise awareness about illegal money lenders. An estimated 310,000 households across the country are in debt to a loan shark, and with Christmas approaching there are fears more people will be targeted. Parents wanting to buy their children the latest toy or craze and make sure they have a magical Christmas can add to existing financial pressures, tempting people to turn to moneylenders to help pay for Christmas. To lend money lawfully you have to be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). People who lend money without being FCA authorised are ...
The headline will come as no surprise to some of you who will know I have been arguing for intervention in Syria since shortly after the civil war there kicked off in 2011. I saw early on the dangers of an unstoppable, sectarian war in Syria, and although I obviously can't claim to have foreseen something as horrific as ISIS arising, I can't say its emergence came as a huge surprise to me. What has come a pleasant surprise to me has been the leader of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, deciding to have the eight Lib Dem MPs vote ...
Yesterday was a very strange day, full of mixed emotions for me. I had instinctively felt from the start of all of this that the case for extending air strikes into Syria had not been made and, although I came very close, I could never get to a place where I felt the risks to people on the ground outweighed the potential benefits. Had I been a Liberal Democrat MP, I would have voted against. I watched a huge chunk of the debate and it was, at times, difficult to see my feelings being expressed by members of other parties. ...
The Marshall Islands Are Disappearing Report from the global warming front line. (tags: climatechange marshallislands )
My parents brought me up to be a radicalised extremist and all I got was this lousy Lib Dem membership The stories of women I met at Yarl's Wood show how British detention laws remain the most barbaric in the EU Why @BristlrApp is the BEST place for beard fans of all genders [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have hit out at Labour members of the Assembly's Health Committee after they stopped a report from recommending that Labour's e-cigarette ban be scrapped. The Health and Social Care Committee's report on the Public Health Bill does not recommend that the proposed ban on e-cigarettes in enclosed public places be removed from the Bill, despite the overwhelming majority of evidence presented to the Committee raising concerns about the ban. Numerous organisations including Cancer Research UK and ASH Wales have warned that the e-cigs ban could be a backwards step in the fight to reduce smoking rates, ...
