Every so often a by-election campaign comes along that will be remembered for generations. Orpington in the 60s, Edge Hill in the 70s, Hillhead in the 80s, Littleborough and Saddleworth in the 90s, Dunfermline in the 2000s, Eastleigh in the 2010s. Many of them came at critical moments for the party, maybe at times when we were a bit down in the dumps. And at those times the party comes together and runs a spirited and joyful campaign that everyone talks about for years afterwards. Chesham and Amersham comes on top of, to be honest, unspectacular elections in Scotland, Wales ...
This is the latest post in a series I started in late 2019, anticipating the twentieth anniversary of my bookblogging which will fall in 2023. Every six-ish days, I've been revisiting a month from my recent past, noting work and family developments as well as the books I read in that month. I've found it a pleasantly cathartic process, especially in recent circumstances. If you want to look back at previous entries, they are all tagged under bookblog nostalgia. Not a lot to report. Back in Northern Ireland, the SDLP had a leadership election, and I analysed the candidates based ...
I am delighted to be exhibiting watercolours, oils and small collages in the Gallery at Great Bow Wharf, Bow Street, Langport, TA10 9PN this summer during June & July. There is a lovely selection of local artists across a range of mediums situated in a beautiful repurposed wharf building on the River Parrett. You can grab a bite to eat in the Kitchen and wander along the river paths as well. Good Luck Tor, watercolour in a Fairtrade frame.Paper collage of Kilve Beach, Somerset looking towards Exmoor. Egret flypast and Swans at Ham Wall nature reserve, watercolours. Two views of ...
A couple of weeks ago, the BBC reported that the High Court had ruled that the Home Office's decision to house cross-channel migrants in a "squalid" barracks in Folkestone was unlawful. Six asylum seekers brought the case, claiming Napier Barracks was "unsafe" and dormitory use caused a Covid-19 outbreak earlier this year. The ruling could see a damages claim against Home Secretary Priti Patel. The Home Office said use of the barracks would continue, and it was considering its "next steps". This report is so different from the assurances by the government. In answer to a question that I asked ...
Following the coup d'etat in Myanmar on Feb 1st this year, the 'Tatmadaw' military have killed more than 860 civilians and imprisoned more than 6000 people. Random bombings of civilians, burning villages and killing protestors, have made a full scale civil war likely. The de facto leader of Myanmar is now the brutal General Min Aung Hlaing, the Chairman of the State Administration Council. The coup ended 5 years of 'democratic' governance. This period followed 53 years of military rule, which began in coup in 1962. Myanmar (Burma) was part of British India before 1948. The colonial past is one ...
There was a discussion in the Health & Wellbeing Board of Liverpool Council yesterday about the effects of Covid-19 in Liverpool and the rollout of vaccination to prevent it. No-one was at all surprised when the figures showed two things: ... Continue reading →
Wed, 13:57: RT @SamCoatesSky: ext messages from the Prime Minister to Dominic Cummings published which appear to show the PM calling Matt Hancock "tota... Wed, 18:09: China's Civilian Army: The Making of Wolf Warrior Diplomacy, by Peter Martin https://t.co/cBrvasGg1z Wed, 21:06: Whoniversaries 19 June https://t.co/qO3bFfAOeV Thu, 09:30: Whoniversaries 17 June https://t.co/Mw7URiXA9F Thu, 10:45: Rosi Sexton once opposed Fallon Fox. Now she supports trans athletes https://t.co/VueU0qMwg9 @RosiSexton knows what she is talking about here.
Party President Mark Pack has written on a number of topics in his monthly report to members for June. Here are some extracts: Chesham and Amersham I'm writing this month's report before we know the result. But we do already know that we've had the best candidate in Sarah Green, run the best campaign and had an awesome amount of help from people all around the country. Westminster selections are up and running New Parliament, new name: this time around we are 'tiering' our seats, so the most winnable seats (aka target seats, aka key seats) are now called Tier ...
The Guardian reports on the latest revelations in the Cummings-Johnson feud with the former special advisor launching a fresh onslaught on the Prime Minister and his health secretary. The paper says that in a 7,000 word essay, Dominic Cummings called Matt Hancock "totally fucking hopeless" and mocked the Boris Johnson for saying he intended to leave office after the next election to "have fun and make money"; Hinting he intended to continue his campaign against Johnson's "chronic dysfunction", the prime minister's former chief aide published a slew of texts and documents from emergency Cobra meetings that he said would combat ...
i) births and deaths 17 June 1982: birth of Jodie Whittaker, who plays the Thirteenth Doctor. also 17 June 1982: birth of Arthur Darvill, who played the Eleventh Doctor's companion Rory (2010-2012). 17 June 2013: death of Michael Goldie, who played Jack Craddock in The Dalek Invasion of Earth (First Doctor, 1964) and Elton Laleham in The Wheel in Space (Second Doctor, 1968) ii) broadcast anniversaries 17 June 1967: broadcast of fifth episode of The Evil of the Daleks. The Doctor infects several Daleks with the 'human factor'; the consequences gradually become apparent. 17 June 1972: broadcast of fifth episode ...
I have expressed concern about Dundee City Council's woeful record on litter fixed penalties issued over the past two years which are : In calendar year 2019 - just 12 litter FPNs issued In calendar year 2020 - just 9 litter FPNs issued In Glasgow, 4490 penalties handed out in 2019 and even with the COVID pandemic in 2020, Glasgow City council still issued 950 fines last year and I feel that Dundee City Council should be putting more resource into tackling littering and issuing fixed penalties, something many constituents view as an important issue. Whilst issuing fixed penalties for ...
Here's my latest report back to members from the party website: We've already run by far the best campaign in Chesham and Amersham. Now we need to make sure it's the winning campaign. Chesham and Amersham I'm writing this month's report before we know the result. But we do already know that we've had the best candidate in Sarah Green, run the best campaign and had an awesome amount of help from people all around the country. That would all be impressive even in normal times, but coming off the back of the huge May elections and while we're all ...
"Lib Dems in cities (and remember, a lot of politically active centre-left folk live in cities) see municipal Labour as unimaginative, entitled, tribal, machine-based and sometimes corrupt. Labour people see local Lib Dems as unprincipled, incoherent opportunists and dirty campaigners." Lewis Baston looks at the prospects for inter-party cooperation against the Conservatives. "Few political parties around the world have endorsed UBI as the Liberal Democrats have, and in releasing this discussion paper with specific policies, they have taken that endorsement to an unprecedented level of seriousness." UBI Center praises our policy paper on universal basic income. William Francis makes the ...
