Government must make more help available to pubs and restaurants Liberal Democrats secure urgent question to challenge Government on eviction loophole PM must take responsibility for failings in test and trace system Government must make more help available to pubs and restaurants Responding to reports that the PM will set a 10pm closing time and only allow table service in restaurants and pubs, leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: For millions of people this will feel like a step backwards. After months of disruption to our daily lives many will feel anxious and worried about this latest development. ...
Martin Zero is our guide into and under Alan Garner country.
My Wildlife, a free-to-enter competition, is looking for writing by young people on the theme of nature. There are two age categories: 8-10 and 11-16 years. Writing can be in almost any form, including descriptive pieces, short stories, personal reflections, letters, journalism, diaries and accounts - fact or fiction. The organisers are not looking for poetry or plays. Mike Pringle, director of the Richard Jefferies Museum at Swindon, is one of the organisers of the competition. He told the Swindon Advertiser: "When the Covid-19 crisis struck, many of us realised just how precious nature - the great outdoors - is ...
What values make you a Liberal Democrat? What makes you proud to be a Liberal Democrat? What is distinctive about the Liberal Democrat philosophy today? If you have a view on any or all of those questions, please feel free to participate in the Federal Policy Committee's consultation session on Liberal Democrat principles and values at autumn conference. It's taking place in the afternoon fringe session on Saturday, from 1600 to 1650. There are no speakers - it's an opportunity to hear your answers to any or all of the three questions in the first paragraph. As background, you might ...
Second paragraph of third chapter: Lorsqu'il allait, en de muettes dévotions, baiser la relique de la chevelure conservée ou s'attendrir devant quelque portrait, ce n'est plus avec la morte qu'il confrontait l'image, mais avec la vivante qui lui ressemblait. Mystérieuse identification de ces deux visages. Ç'avait été comme une pitié du sort offrant des points de repère à sa mémoire, se mettant de connivence avec lui contre l'oubli, substituant une estampe fraîche à celle qui pâlissait, déjà jaunie et piquée par le temps. When he went to perform his silent devotions, kissing the relic of her hair or giving rein ...
Speaking after the Commons votes on the Internal Market Bill, where 255 MPs voted against the Government's determination to break international law, Liberal Democrat Business Spokesperson Sarah Olney said:"Liberal Democrat and Alliance MPs took a clear stand for the rule of law and for stability in Northern Ireland against Boris Johnson's tactics to violate the EU Withdrawal Agreement."With members across the house joining to stand for what's right and voting against the Government, Boris Johnson must take this as a clear message: there is no consensus in Parliament about his disregard for the rule of law and the UK's international ...
Tue 22nd
15:45
Planning committee unanimously approves Sainsbury's supermarket at Ludlow, Rocks Green
At 3.20pm this afternoon, Shropshire Council's Southern Planning Committee unanimously decided to approve a Sainsbury's supermarket and Argos at Rocks Green. The development will also include a petrol filling station and four EV charging points. This is a decision that will divide our town. In my last straw poll, 59% thought Sainsbury's will be good for Ludlow. They wanted a greater choice of shopping. But just over a third of respondents thought the supermarket would be bad for Ludlow. They were concerned with the survival of Ludlow's town centre. Make or break our town, we are going to get what ...
Full members of the Society of Authors — the main UK writers' trade union — will find inside the autumn issue of The Author ballot papers for electing new members of the Management Committee. I have put my name forward, as I believe it is vital that the Society, in collaboration with sister organisations, ups [...]
This is a longer piece than we would usually publish, but we feel that it is important that Frances' contribution to her community and wider society is marked. Dr Frances Alexander, the former Lib Dem mayor of High Wycombe, died last week aged 84. Frances made things happen. Things she cared passionately about: new organisations, new practical solutions in High Wycombe, groups for the advancement of women, ways to address environmental damage, events to bring her family together. She embodied the idea of 'Think Global, Act Local'. Her achievements are wide and resounding, and she touched the lives of very ...
The text has been published of the motion to be debated at our virtual conference this week – have you registered yet? I wrote on the importance of re-establishing popular consent for a stronger relationship with Europe, so I was pleased to see this addressed in the motion, which restates our values, expresses our determination to oppose the damage the government is doing to this country, and goes on to conclude In the longer term, conference resolves to keep all options open for the UK's future relationship with the EU, including membership at an appropriate future date to be determined ...
I can see it coming in our direction - like an out-of-control juggernaut crashing through every obstacle on the road. The tougher pandemic restrictions are on their way and the nation has been subject to leaks, plans, proposals, warnings and so on about the rising incidents of positive coronavirus tests. We have less than an hour and a half to go before the actual restrictions are announced. We
COVID-19 has forced the cancellation of the traditional autumn Liberal Democrat federal conference. But instead, we'll be having a virtual conference...
Mon, 12:56: Interesting challenge to perceptions. https://t.co/KSOxDCuYs3 Mon, 16:05: The Missing Peace in the Abraham Accords https://t.co/KyPoUWzEUa Excellent analysis by Daniel Levy of the Israel/UAE deal. Mon, 17:11: The Hobbit is 83 years old today. It's all about Bilbo. https://t.co/gcir3OcFER @ConradBrunstrom explains. Mon, 18:30: Jerusalem, by Alan Moore https://t.co/iknNNwb4YS Mon, 19:09: Awwwwww!!!!!!!!! https://t.co/y3kS9gxOZw Mon, 20:38: Italian airport quashes claims of secret Boris Johnson trip - Alas, too good a story to be true. https://t.co/Zlvno2K6JH Mon, 20:47: RT @RaynerSkyNews: More from Theresa May, as she confirms she will not vote for the Internal Market Bill "The government is acting reckles... Mon, ...
Tue 22nd
10:22
The Perugia story: an encapsulation of all that is wrong with anti-Tory politics in the current age
Yesterday, my Twitter timeline was awash with stories about Boris Johnson and a supposed trip to Perugia. The lovely city in Italy's Umbria region had become the centre of a story that many people who should have known better swore would "bring down Boris". It came from a story in Italian newspaper La Repubblica about Luis Suarez, the footballer. Our prime minister supposedly landed at Perugia airport on September 11th at 2 pm. Only, it turned out the whole story was false. Someone had confused Boris Johnson with Tony Blair. Some of the people tweeting about Perugia yesterday make their ...
One of the things that makes me most nervous about being the Chair of a Parish Council is managing expectation. Because, in truth, we don't have much power. If somebody really wants to do something we don't like, or don't want, most of the levers of power are in the hands of someone else. For example, if there is a planning application that impacts dramatically on the village, we might be statutory consultees, but it's the District Council who make the planning decision. Now, you might reasonably note that even they have limits on their power, most of them statutory ...
Rail franchising has been an expensive failure and I think most involved with the rail industry will acknowledge that due not least to the fragmentation it's caused to what needs to be a national infrastructure. Northern Rail Franchise Class 319 electric unit at Liverpool Lime Street Station In effect rail has been re-nationalised as the 1980's high profile privatisation project has hit the buffers, indeed it's been bumping into those buffers for a long time now. Of course Railtrack was nationalised into Network Rail quite a while ago. The Railway Gazette has an interesting article on its website – see ...
i) births and deaths 22 September 1937: birth of Tony Caunter 22 September 1944: birth of Fraser Hines, who played Jamie from 1966 to 1969, and has appeared in more Doctor Who episodes than anyone except the first four Doctors. 22 September 1982: birth of Billie Piper, who played Rose in the first two series of New Who (2005-06) and reappeared in 2008, 2010 and 2013; has appeared in more New Who episodes than anyone except David Tennant. ii) broadcast anniversaries 22 September 1979: broadcast of fourth episode of Destiny of the Daleks. The Doctor defeats first the Movellans and ...
Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for the rule of law Speaking after tonight's votes on the Internal Market Bill, where 255 MPs voted against the Government breaking international law, Liberal Democrat Business Spokesperson Sarah Olney said: Liberal Democrat and Alliance MPs took a clear stand for the rule of law and for stability in Northern Ireland against Boris Johnson's tactics to violate the EU Withdrawal Agreement. With members across the house joining to stand for what's right and voting against the Government, Boris Johnson must take this as a clear message: there is no consensus in Parliament about his ...
I recently received concerns about overflowing litter bins on Perth Road east of Harris Academy, following the return of the school last month. I raised this with our local environment manager and received the following helpful response : "This has now been attended to and should no longer be a problem."
Fresh on the heels of news that shooting grouse is an exempt activity and not subject to Covid restrictions the Independent tells us that a new report alleges police forces around England regularly ignore reports of illegal fox-hunting and fail to bring charges even when they are handed overwhelming evidence. They say that some chief constables and senior officers are routinely turning a blind eye to fox hunts, while certain police on the ground often appear biased towards hunts or show no interest in accusations that the law has been broken: Anti-blood sport campaigners have complained for years that police ...
This afternoon Shropshire Council's Southern Planning Committee will decide on the application to construct a supermarket and petrol filling station at Rocks Green. Í am expecting the scheme to be improved but it could be better. The meeting starts at 2pm. Sainsbury's is second on the agenda. Members of the public can view the meeting using the link on the agenda. The statement from consultancy WSP to the Southern Planning Committee 22 September 2020 20/00840/REM - Agent's Statement on behalf of Blackfriars Property Group and Sainsbury's Supermarkets Limited The scheme before Members today represents the culmination of several years of ...
