In 1939 the Three Swans was kept by the writer and eccentric John Fothergill. Bryan Magee, who was evacuated to Market Harborough during war, wrote of him: What impressed me about him more than I can express was that he had written one of the books we had at home, An Innkeeper's Diary. He must have been the first author I met. Needless to say, I had not read the book, but I was familiar with it as an object, and knew that it was about the job I was seeing him doing, namely running a hotel. He must have ...
The removal of protections in 10 sets of regulations relating to the care of looked-after children in England, with no public consultation or parliamentary debate, must be seen for what it is: an attack on their rights.So begins the editorial in tomorrow's Guardian. And an article in the paper gives details of these worrying proposals: One of the key relaxations, which came into force last Friday, is the removal of the requirement for a social worker to visit - or even telephone - a child in care every six weeks, reducing it to 'as soon as is reasonably practicable'. The ...
I've always been a bit envious of Jonathan Calder's Four Laws of Politics, so I'm going to label a tweet from today as The Basic Mistake of Politics: It's a basic rule of politics: voters notice less but remember it for longer than politicos think. Which is why those deep into politics get it wrong both when obsessing about small stuff and also when thinking issues are no longer relevant and lost in the past. https://t.co/Ixv6BMQlgr — Mark Pack [IMG: 🔶] (@markpack) April 28, 2020 The point about voters noticing less than many realise is a version of the women's ...
Today I have written to the Council to urge it to compile and release more accurate figures about who is dying from the Coronavirus in Liverpool and where they live. In his letter he points out the considerable differences between ... Continue reading →
Tue 28th
18:43
One third of #coronavirus deaths in Shropshire have been outside hospitals - mostly in care homes
The grim statistics on Covid-19 infection and death rates issued by the government have always been partial. The daily announcement of hospital deaths has been a benchmark with which to track progress but it has never revealed the full picture. The Office of National Statistics has corrected that today by publishing a detailed breakdown on where the known deaths from Covid-19 have occurred. In Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin, there were 96 deaths up to 17 April, of which 30 (31%) were outside hospitals. Nationally, the even sadder tally was 23,317 deaths for England and Wales, 25% not in hospitals, ...
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Simple everyday procedures can get a bit complicated when in self isolation, but we are discovering some new ways of doing things. Like most people of my age I do take some medication; there is nothing serious to worry about but they do make my life more comfortable. Our local medical centre houses two GP surgeries and a pharmacy, so every two months I email the pharmacy and ask them to request my repeat prescription. They then email back when it is ready for collection. Fortunately, the pharmacy already offers a delivery service, so it was easy enough to ask ...
Molly, my older Labrador, is celebrating her 11th birthday today. She's an absolutely great girl and I couldn't ask for a more faithful sidekick. Continue reading →
Only in Westminster could they dream up a system which offers parents of children on free school meals (on the occasions when there head teachers can acces them) vouchers for Waitros and M&S Food. For people who live in remoter parts of North West Durham the local Co-op foodstore would be a lot more use, or Lidl if you live in Crook, but check out the supply website and you'll find the list: What supermarkets are available? MorrisonsTescoSainsbury'sAsdaWaitroseM&S foodAldi Many communities across the country, whether it's Tow Law in the Durham Dales or Portree on the Isle of Skye, rely ...
It wasn't Brexit that made me leave, but a stark realisation that there was something deeply wrong with the Tory party. I owe my life in Britain to a Tory MP. In 1957, newly elected Keith Joseph was instrumental in persuading the government to grant sanctuary to Jews fleeing Egypt following the Suez crisis, which included my father aged 8. My grandfather, a 32-year-old dentist at the time, was asked by Egyptian authorities why he was leaving the country. Predicting a surge in hostility towards non-Arabs inspired by President Nasser's populist speeches, he responded "because you're allowing me to". 'Conservative ...
Fancy an outing this weekend? Normally it would be the Maypole on Iron Acton VIllage Green, but why not think about Woodchester Mansion this year?For further information go to https://www.facebook.com/WoodchesterMansion/Like many other not for profit organisations running historic sites, they are finding ways to get virtual visitors - with on line activities and in many cases virtual tours. So you can visit all sorts of interesting places across the world from the comfort of your sitting room! Think of a place, google for it and you will probably find a virtual experience!
Responding to comments from Michael Gove about the likelihood of securing a deal with the EU before the end of June this year, Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:"It is deeply concerning that the Government still refuses to extend the transition period during the coronavirus crisis."Gove says that there is a two to one chance of a deal but why is the government so happy to gamble on our future during this crisis?"Gove admitted limited progress has been made on negotiations during this round. The Government must now face up to this reality and seek an extension ...
Sky News commissioned a YouGov poll late last week around several topics, one of which was trust in the media. It came back with very low figures in favour of the mainstream media: 72% of respondents said they did not trust newspapers, 17% said they do. 64% said they do not trust television news, 24% said they did. Is trust in the media really this low in Britain? Many in the press have described it as a push poll, which I think is harsh on it. The numbers definitely say something about the public's trust in mainstream media outlets but ...
Need cash for something you are doing to help people during lockdown? A reminder that Yate Town Council's COVID Battle Fund has cash available to any local group working on something to help our community in lockdown. But also, the MAF Money - Member Allocated Funding 20/21 is now open to applicants. If you wish to apply, please contact a South Glocs Councillor for this area (they are all members of the Lib Dem FOcus Team) to discuss your proposal. This can be done by telephone or email, to ensure all remain secure during this health emergency. You will find ...
The climate and ecological emergency have had to compete with concerns about immigration, the Brexit negotiations and public spending on the NHS and schools. The desire to stop a damaging Brexit has even led staunch environmentalist Liberal Democrats to take their eye off the political ball. Just when climate change and the environment had finally risen up the political agenda in the UK and beyond, the coronavirus outbreak has forced it back down the list of government priorities. The cost of the response measures and the subsequent economic fallout may undermine the commitment of many governments around the world to ...
Most people expect politicians to try to spin their way out of a difficult situation, however, when people's lives are at risk then surely it is reasonable to want a higher level of honesty and some humility about any mistakes that have been made. That is certainly the expectation most of us have with the ongoing saga over the shortages of personal protective equipment for health and social care staff. It is only now that some of the failings around this issue are starting to emerge, and at the very least an apology is called for, alongside a public inquiry ...
As expected the right wing press has given an enthusiastic reception to Prime Minister Johnson's return to work. The Express reports a "defiant " Johnson now "properly at the helm," which I suppose it thinks its readers will find re-assuring. The Sun is a little more circumspect, but reports in full how up-beat Johnson wants to "thank the people of this country for the sheer grit and guts we have shown" and likens the virus to "a mugger" we can "wrestle to the floor." It is not however, guts, grit and determination (G squared D - the rallying-cry of the ...
Ed Davey with Cllr Sarah Cheung Johnson, Vice-Chair of CLD Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Sir Ed Davey and the honour to welcome him as Patron of our Associate Organisation – Chinese Liberal Democrats. As you know, we exist to encourage and form close links between the Party and Chinese communities wherever they live in the UK. Sir Ed told me that he plans to engage with the Chinese community to encourage their political participation and to promote more elected Chinese Lib Dems. He believes that this will be done through mentoring and gaining the trust of the ...
Mon, 12:56: Infectious Disease Outbreaks, Pandemics, and Hollywood—Hope and Fear Across a Century of Cinema... https://t.co/NZIqiOjkPW Mon, 16:05: RT @stephenkb: I usually do my "what I got wrong" self-audit in December, but I decided that, given the literal pandemic, I should probably... Mon, 17:11: RT @legallyona: Pointing out what count a TD got elected on is the dumbest thing. We have a PR-STV system. That individual still got enough... Mon, 18:29: Oathbringer, by Brandon Sanderson https://t.co/oZ7QjXVX5i Mon, 18:47: RT @EarlofLeuven: @legallyona @nwbrux Here's former ministers Gerry Kelly and Carál Ní Chuilín coming through in last place, on the last co... ...
I wonder if anyone has had a think about "Liberal Drinks" and, in particular, about the impact of meeting up over drinks (or, these days, "virtual drinks"). Is it possible that this puts off some people from becoming more involved in the party? Of course, "drinks" can mean non-alcoholic drinks. But the implication is that "drinks" means alcoholic drinks. This is underlined by such events normally being in pubs. I'm not asking for such events to be curtailed. But perhaps thought should be given to those who don't drink alcohol. There are many people who don't feel comfortable with alcohol, ...
Tue 28th
09:00
COVID-19 Gov Bounce Back Loan Scheme: 100% Government Guaranteed Loans for Small Businesses
[IMG: Debit and Credit cards [Plastic money]] The Government announced a new loan scheme for small businesses. Aimed at the UK's smallest firms, the scheme will offer loans of between £2,000 and £50,000. Businesses can borrow up to the value of 25% of their turnover up to a maximum of £50,000. The Government will provide lenders with a 100% guarantee for the loan and pay any fees and interest for the first 12 months. No repayments will be due during the first 12 months There will be a short, standardised online application to apply for a loan. There is no ...
Dial-OP & GO is here to support the community during these challenging times. Its commitment remains to: • operate as an information resource on support locally available and• ensure the most vulnerable in our communities don't feel disconnected and isolated. Through the Information Line, Dial-OP holds an internal up to date list of local organisations and agencies that can help during this uncertain time. If you have any questions or concerns, please phone the Dial-OP Helpline regarding any enquiry about current services relating to your wellbeing including shopping, food provision, collecting prescriptions, befriending and morning calls, etc. The call handlers ...
The Liberal Democrats are supporting the call by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists in asking the Government to honour the contribution of all foreign born allied health professionals during the Covid-19 crisis by ensuring they are included in the Government's auto-visa extension scheme.The majority of the 150,000 Allied Health Professions, such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, radiographers and speech & language therapists, are currently excluded from the government's auto-visa extension scheme. This scheme was meant to recognise the pressures on front-line staff from overseas, who are fighting to keep people safe from COVID-19.The Liberal Democrats are already leading a campaign ...
