I'm on by-election duty for ALDC tonight. And the first result of the night's six by-elections was a cracker. Great result from Durham's Esh and Witten Gilbert ward. Bev Coult holds seat for @libdems with 62% of the vote, up 9.5% Lib Dem Bev Coult: 1115 Lab: 366 Indi: 155 Con: 128 — ALDC (@ALDC) March 21, 2019 * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
Six council by-elections but only four Liberal Democrat candidates this week. Vange, Basildon Seven of the previous nine times this ward has been contested there was a Liberal Democrat candidate. Alas, there wasn't one this time. Vange (Basildon) result: LAB: 51.3% (+10.1) CON: 48.7% (+27.2) Labour HOLD. No UKIP (-37.3) as prev. — Britain Elects (@britainelects) March 21, 2019
While Theresa May spoke to EU leaders, Vince met fellow Liberal leaders from across Europe in Brussels today . Here he is with Catherine Bearder afterwards: My chat with Vince Cable after our meetings with EU leaders. Vince has been very clear that the Lib Dems want a people's vote, but if that's not possible, we must revoke Article 50 to protect the country from no deal. pic.twitter.com/8Hm5rAE0au — Catherine Bearder (@catherinemep) March 21, 2019 Over on the party website, Vince wrote about last night's meeting with Theresa May and other leaders except Jeremy Corbyn, whose fit of pique he ...
I've talked this week about how you can join the big Put it to the People march on Saturday. I've talked about what you can do to help even if you can't march in person on the day. But most important is why. Why march? The reason is very simple. Cliff edges may have become a bland cliche through overuse in political speech. Cliff edges may be the cue for amusement in cartoons. But what Britain faces is a disaster. It's one with its comical edges, such as the secret contract for portable toilets. It's one which, of course, Chris ...
I have been ill with bronchitis this week. One of the things that has kept me going is listening to In Our Time. Chaired by the immortal Melvyn Bragg, this programme tackles a different historical, scientific or political topic each week with a panel of three academics. It has been running for 20 years and you can find all the episodes on the BBC website. Particular highlights this week have been the episodes on The Norman Yoke, Ordinary Language Philosophy and Tristram Shandy. BBC News has big problems, but it is worth remembering that other elements of Auntie's output are ...
As a new member, my first experience of a Liberal Democrat conference was by and large a positive one. I loved York, and the place I stayed was beautiful and, thanks to the Lib Dems, not at all costly. I am not at all well, having had recent serious health problems, but I hoped to get a few clues as to what the Lib Dems are about, and I did. What I noticed most about my first experience was the under-representation of the country's poorest and neediest and the abundance of the middle/upper middle classes. I wasn't at all surprised ...
I have reflected this past week that it is worth listening to those with whom one violently disagrees. If one listens patiently enough – really listens – then there may be something to be learned. I still have to learn how to do this. When I lived in the USA, I was always irritated, and [...] The post Tough on the causes of horror appeared first on Radix.
The liberal Dutch parties VVD and D66 have two distinct identities and historical predecessors. The VVD is more a car-loving, classical-liberal party with, since 1990's leader Bolkestein, anti-federalist EU instincts, and has less of an environmental record than D66, who premièred gay marriage and are electoral reformers, very similar to the Lib Dems. Contacts between the Lib Dems and D66 (both social-liberal) are warmer and broader than the VVD-Lib Dems. In Chris Bowers' biography of Clegg, VVD figures once (p. 104), whereas D66 & Lousewies Vander Laan are on pages 102-3, 104 and 266-7 as Clegg supporters, also in the ...
Responding to reports that thousands of EU citizens are being forced to pay for calls to the Home Office's Settlement Resolution Centre for help with their Settled Status applications, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:"EU citizens in the UK are our neighbours and our colleagues, our families and our friends. But ever since the Brexit referendum, they have been treated appallingly by this Conservative Government. "Making them pay up to 40p per minute to get help navigating the complex Home Office system for applying for Settled Status is just the latest shameful example. "This shows that, despite the ...
Responding to new statistics on victims of trafficking and modern slavery, published by the National Crime Agency yesterday, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said: "The appalling scale of slavery in 21st century Britain shames our country. "These figures are shocking, but even worse are the thousands more victims who remain hidden - because they are unable or unwilling to come forward, and because the authorities do not have the resources they need to pro-actively go after trafficking and exploitation. "Theresa May once rightly called modern slavery 'the great human rights issue of our time', yet her hostile environment ...
Commenting on the Home Affairs Select Committee's report into immigration detention, which identifies 'serious failings in almost every area' of the process, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson Ed Davey said:"Locking people up for months on end - without giving them any idea how long they'll be detained - is clearly inhumane. It's also expensive and unnecessary. "That's why the Liberal Democrats are campaigning for detention to be reduced to an absolute last resort and subject to a 28-day time limit. "To make matters worse, the Home Office is woefully failing to manage the system properly, with far too many people ...
The Liberal Democrats have called for urgent funding to assist the police in investigating fraud following the publication of a report by UK Finance which shows criminals successfully stole £1.2 billion through fraud and scams in 2018. The report shows scams in which criminals trick bank customers into paying them money out of their bank accounts jumped by 45% in the second half of last year. Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Ed Davey said: "Fraud and scams are deeply distressing, particularly given it is the most vulnerable who are targeted. Sadly these incidents have become all too common. People deserve ...
Long ago, when Morse was still the late John Thaw, there was a memorable exchange between Morse and Lewis. It concerned someone, possibly a suspect, exhibiting obsessive compulsive behaviour. Morse asked Lewis about this, and Lewis neatly defined it as: 'Redoubling the effort, but forgetting the point.' Who does that remind you of in March [...]
An aide enters the Prime Minister's office. Aide: "I have good news for you, Prime Minister." Prime Minister looks disbelieving. PM: "Are you sure?" Aide: "Yes, really. You know how you appealed to the British public last night to unleash a wave of public opinion on Brexit?" PM: "And...?" Aide: "It's happening! There's a huge wave of public reaction, so great it has broken the Parliament website. There is just one small problem..." Sign the key petitions against Brexit here and come join me on the march on Saturday.
Voice received the following from HQ: On Saturday at our conference, members voted to create an registered supporter's scheme for the Liberal Democrats. In the first 24 hours after we launched the scheme, more than 2,000 people joined in almost every single Westminster constituency in Britain. More supporters are joining every hour. To help you make the most of these new supporters, the Membership team at HQ have produced some resources for you - which you can access here: https://www.libdems.org.uk/supporters-local-party-guide The launch pack covers everything you'll need - from an explanation of what supporters are to template emails and social ...
Wed, 12:56: Bercow's Brexit decision is legally correct https://t.co/j9G0v97NcV "In short, the government should not have been... https://t.co/1RjlivhOOR Wed, 13:39: RT @faisalislam: Here is the letter to Tusk: https://t.co/y4eRdGW4Lw Wed, 13:41: RT @rowena_kay: If I was the EU reading that letter, I'd be entirely unconvinced that even passing the MV would lead to any sustainable bas... Wed, 13:41: RT @pmdfoster: Yes. That final para "I am confident" ...you can feel hearts sinking. https://t.co/TFB1sXFJt2 Wed, 13:42: RT @AFP: #BREAKING European Commission says June 30 Brexit delay brings 'serious' risks https://t.co/ZwaQQkFB2Q Wed, 14:36: RT @damonwake: Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! https://t.co/YdAjHHTJju Wed, 16:05: RT @CasMudde: The ...
Last week, Gateshead's planning committee agreed to the plans to extend the Woodman's Pub in Fellside Road, Whickham (in my ward). An application like this would normally be approved, probably under delegated powers. However, the Woodmans is in greenbelt and therefore was recommended for rejection by officers. My view is that we need to build up the tourism infrastructure in the Derwent Valley
With the "Bercow Bombshell" (BB), his statement to the house on March 18th, quoting Erskine May's 1844 anthology of Commons' customary laws and Standing Orders, that Theresa May can't have an eternal Groundhog Day rotation resubmitting her Brexit Deal, it has become impossible for May to offer anything new to the EU summit of March 21st. According to Laura Kuensberg (late BBC evening news, March 18th), that means the EU has no reason to grant May a short prolonging of article 50, making it inevitable that the EU leaders will propose a long prolongation; which would result in a much ...
Theresa May (Photo: BBC) On the face of it, there was little new or interesting in Theresa May's "statement" last night. Hours of media speculation as to the significance of the Prime Minister's address culminated in a two minute speech which basically regurgitated the same soundbites - "delivering on the will of the people", "acting in the national interest", etc - while saying absolutely nothing of substance. However, the attitudes that her short speech pointed to were of much greater interest. This was not the professional "less is more" kind of speech political leaders tend to give in difficult situations. ...
Thu 21st
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A fairer share for all - Part Four - Improving working life and skills and investing in local servic...
This is the fourth and final part of my looking at the consultation paper, A Fairer Share for All. In part three I have set out my thoughts on the work allowance thresholds. Turning to minimum wages, I believe we need to have regional minimum wages set at 70% of each region's medium earnings. In 2020 the National Living Wage will be 60% of medium earnings. I believe that it would take about 7 years to increase the regional rates to 70% as some may have to start below 60%. We should have a policy of providing free training or ...
The Guardian reports that Nigel Farage's latest berth, a pro-Brexit party. allegedly set up because of the rightward drift of UKIP, has run into similar problems of its own. The paper says that Catherine Blaiklock, the leader of the Brexit party, resigned on Wednesday after she was asked about repeatedly retweeting posts from far-right figures as well as sending her own messages. They add that among the messages she shared was one by Mark Collett, a former British National party (BNP) activist, referring to "white genocide": The term is often used in extreme rightwing and racist online activism of the ...
The One World Centre and Lifelong Learning Dundee at the University of Dundee present Dundee - A Global City. The course will be of 5 sessions which will run on Wednesday evenings beginning on Wednesday 17th April from 6.30pm until 8.30pm - then each Wednesday evening until 15th May - so 17th April, 24th April, 1st May, 8th May and 15th May. This programme introduces us to and explores the many and varied contributions that Dundonians have made and are making to our world. Using stories from the past we will explore the links we have with others around the ...
