Responding to the GDP figures released this morning, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Christine Jardine said: "The lack of recovery we're seeing in the GDP figures today is yet another a reminder that the economic effects of the pandemic are far from over, and people right across the UK continue to face immense hardship. "Ministers must not be complacent now we have a vaccine. Instead, they must step up to provide the support that's so desperately needed, particularly by the three million who are still excluded from any financial support from the Government. "The Government must also avoid risking more damage ...
Thu 10th
18:19
Government wasted more than £370 million on "pointless" mandatory prison sentences for knife p...
Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Wera Hobhouse has called on the Government to "do what works" to prevent knife crime and repeal mandatory prison sentences for knife possession, as the party reveals that the Government has wasted more than £370 million on the policy while knife crime has soared. New figures from the Ministry of Justice show that nearly 14,000 people have now been sentenced to prison under a law passed in 2015 requiring mandatory prison sentences for those convicted of a second offence of carrying a knife. Both the Conservative and Labour parties backed the law, while the Liberal Democrats ...
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael has slammed the Government's latest changes to the Immigration Rules (available here) as "against everything the UK stands for" and "yet another breach of international law". The changes, published today, which will allow the Home Office to reject asylum applications if the person has passed through another "safe" country on their way to the UK. Alistair Carmichael said: "The UK has a proud history of providing sanctuary to those in need, but now the Conservative Government is turning its back on refugees. "This latest nasty policy from Priti Patel goes against our commitments ...
Current Gormenghast, by Mervyn Peake Perdido Street Station, by China Miéville Our War: Ireland and the Great War, ed. John Horne Last books finished Tono-Bungay, by H.G. Wells The Children of Men, by P.D. James Dreamsnake, by Vonda McIntyre Next books The Company Articles of Edward Teach/Angaelien Apocalypse, by Thoraiya Dyer Above/Below, by Stephanie Campisi
I must begin with a disclaimer. I am not Scottish, I have no Scottish blood that I know of, and I have never lived in Scotland (the "Mc" in my surname is Irish, courtesy of a great-grandfather who left Galway in the Potato Famine and ended up in the Metropolitan Police). But I love Scotland. As a Lib Dem I campaigned in the 2014 referendum for Scotland to remain in the UK, and today I am as devastated as any Scot that we are leaving the European Union. That certainly gives me no right to make any suggestion about what ...
I can join in discussions about my books, because I too have read them, but my opinions have no greater authority than anyone else's just because I wrote them. — Philip Pullman (@PhilipPullman) December 9, 2020 I was pleased to see this tweet from Philip Pullman because I once blogged on the irrelevance of the author's intentions to the meaning of a work of art - you see, Liberal England isn't all funny headlines and other peoples' videos. The occasion for that post was an exchange I saw on Twitter. Someone was arguing with J.K. Rowling about the motivation of ...
Wed, 12:42: RT @damonwake: They'll have the time of their lives and look back with misty-eyed fondness 15 years later when they're deputy assistant DG... Wed, 12:56: Fascinating. I knew maybe a quarter of this. And it doesn't even mention him hosting a meeting between Harold Wilson and the IRA leadership in his own home. https://t.co/jJDryN6rgC Wed, 13:01: RT @WritersFrock: @nwbrux You can't just leave *that* hanging... Wed, 15:11: Paladin of Souls, by Lois McMaster Bujold Richly drawn world where theology is an applied science, gripping plot, heartily recommended. #nwbooks https://t.co/9nZtnfgviA https://t.co/hrLDdQCOQ2 https://t.co/l5chWP1bGP Wed, 15:42: The Time Traveler's Wife, by ...
The Guardian reports air pollution in many towns and cities across the UK now exceeds pre-pandemic levels, exacerbating the risk of Covid-19 and putting the health of millions of people at risk. They say a study published on Thursday has concluded that although air quality improved dramatically in the first half of the year as the country went into lockdown, pollution now meets or exceeds pre-Covid levels in 80% of the 49 cities and large towns that were analysed: There is growing evidence that exposure to toxic air increases the risks from Covid-19 and the authors of the study say ...
Responding to the Commons vote yesterday evening on EU citizens rights, Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Home Affairs Alistair Carmichael said: "Boris Johnson's promises to guarantee EU citizens' rights automatically lie in tatters tonight. "The Home Office's Settled Status scheme is anything but automatic. Thousands of people will be left effectively undocumented and subject to the Tories' Hostile Environment. "Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for EU citizens to be given the automatic right to stay in the UK. "Europeans who've made their lives here contribute enormously to our economy, our public services and our society. They must not become the ...
With Britain battling both a pandemic and an economic crisis, and bracing itself for the chaos of a no or thin deal Brexit, introducing the idea of Lords reform sounds, at best, out of touch, and, at worst, misguided. Recent events however suggest that we can no longer afford to ignore it. First was Lord Kilclooney's offensive tweet referring to Kamala Harris as "the Indian". It was enough that it was racist and misogynistic. Pretending that he simply could not remember her name when a Google search would have revealed it in less time than it took for him to ...
Anyone who has seen the Secretary of State for Local Government, Robert Jenrick, stumbling through his brief will realise that he has been grossly over promoted from his job as a fireplace salesman. The question now must surely be will ... Continue reading →
i) births and deaths 10 December 1921: birth of Anthony Coburn, writer of the very first Doctor Who story, An Unearthly Child (and also of the unbroadcast The Masters of Luxor). ii) broadcast anniversaries 10 December 1966: broadcast of sixth episode of The Power of the Daleks. The Daleks start to take over but the Doctor manages to overload their circuits and destroy them. 10 December 1977: broadcast of third episode of The Sun Makers. Leela is captured and is to be executed by steaming (a particularly gruesome fate). 10 December 2006: broadcast of Random Shoes (Torchwood), the one with ...
From the City Council : THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of BT duct repair works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Thomson Street (between Perth Road and Seafield Lane), Dundee This notice comes into effect on Monday 14 December 2020 for 5 working days. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes for vehicles are available via Perth Road / Step Row / Magdalen Yard Road. For further information contact 433082. Executive Director ...
