This morning Conference passed the party strategy motion. One of the Federal Board's key tasks is to bring a motion on party strategy to Conference for approval. This one had lots of good stuff in it on developing a strong narrative, improving diversity and menber experience, developing our campaigning capacity and having a "one party" approach where we co-ordinate our effort. There were four amendments, all of which passed and, I think, substantially improved it. Lib Dems for Racial Equality called for this party to finally pull its finger out and implement the Thornhill and Alderdice reviews and get out ...
The Federal Board report usually goes through fairly uncontroversially. However, there has been a bit of drama at the past two conferences. In Spring important board business relating to the disciplinary process was withdrawn at the last minute after a serious error was discovered. This delayed desperately needed improvements to the disciplinary process until now. You can find out more about the detail here in the Board report. Thankfully, those changes, which make the process quicker, less stressful on those using it and on those administering it and clearer, passed easily this afternoon. Last Summer, the Federal Board started operating ...
Second paragraph of third chapter:"Yes," she said. "Good evening." There were tears in her voice.This is the fourth book in Robinson's Gilead series, about two families from the town of that name in Iowa. We had got parts of Jack's story in the earlier books Gilead and Home, but I confess I had forgotten most of the details and enjoyed Jack as if it had been a standalone novel. The protagonist is the alcoholic, self-loathing son of a preacher, who falls in love with a black woman, Della (whose father is also a clergyman), in St Louis in 1956. It's ...
Ed Davey has just splen to Federal Conference. He had a specially invited live audience of around 100 people at a venue in Canary Wharf. If you aren't registered for Conference, it will be streamed here on the party's Facebook page. Here it is in full: Conference, our country needs us. Our country needs the Liberal Democrats, fighting harder for a better future and a fair deal. Because after five years of Brexit division and disruption - And eighteen months of this awful pandemic - Boris Johnson's Conservative Government is steering us all into another terrible crisis. Shoppers greeted by ...
Two BBC interviews in a matter of days. In both, Ed Davey is asked a question about women, yet he immediately pivots his answer to talk about trans rights. In both, he accepts the premise that there should be no spaces for women where biological men cannot go. Yes, you read that right. He can'tContinue reading "Ed Davey's inability to even say the word 'woman' makes the Liberal Democrats sound utterly insane"
Today Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey has announced a new flagship Education policy on the third day of the party's conference – Catch-Up Vouchers. The Liberal Democrats are calling for a £15 billion package of education catch-up funding, as recommended by the Government's former Education Recovery Commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins. As part of this, the party is calling for a £5 billion programme of Catch-Up Vouchers for every school child, putting the money directly into parents' hands to spend on whatever their children need most: tutoring in reading, writing or maths; music lessons; swimming classes or other physical education. This ...
A lot of people have been asking me recently to comment on the work being done, or not done, by councillors in Kirkdale. This was prompted by my musings in a recent blog about the number of councillors required to ... Continue reading →
More or less on a whim (and a couple of positive recommendations seen on Facebook) I made a rare excursion to the cinema, my first since the pandemic, to see Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. It is a lot of fun. I'm really unfamiliar with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having seen only Iron Man (which I didn't like) and Captain America: Winter Soldier (which I didn't like much more), Thor: Ragnarok (same again) and Black Panther (which I really liked, but failed to write up at the time). But I'm happy to report that Shang-Chi and the ...
Sat, 12:52: 550 days of plague https://t.co/Iwap85HBIG Sat, 14:04: RT @faduda: So it seems Orla Brady really is your Romulan Irish Mammy. https://t.co/t9vihuMW2s Sat, 14:04: RT @AnMailleach: If you've got a very strong opinion on the MDH/ Armagh invitation situation, you're probably wrong. Sat, 15:07: RT @SimonBatesUK: Stunning. You're heart misses a beat or five until you realise what these guys are actually doing Sat, 16:12: The Sixth Sense https://t.co/t66UvmgSOd Sat, 20:17: RT @EURACTIV: #ICYMI - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said #Serbia and the entire #WestBalkan region still have a long way to go before jo...
Unfortunately I missed the housing debate last night as for once I put party over Party. My sister insisted on having two of her children during Federal Conference and I can almost never celebrate with them because I am at Conference. So I took advantage of the chance to do so. By all accounts the debate was excellent, thoughtful and passionately argued. The issue was whether we should have a national target for house building, which the motion proposed, but ALDC's amendment did away with. Conference voted to keep it so we are committed to building at 150,000 homes suitable ...
It comes to no surprise to many of us that the Prime Minister has admitted that he hasn't a clue how to implement his main policy agenda. The Independent reports that two months ago, in Coventry, Boris Johnson admitted he has only "the skeleton" of a plan to level up the country, after being challenged that he had failed to set out how to tackle "entrenched inequalities". But do not fear, he has now employed a former Bank of England chief economist to breathe life into the troubled "levelling up" agenda, and he has renamed the housing ministry as the ...
In her conference speech, Daisy Cooper - MP for St Albans since 2019, deputy leader and Lib Dem spokesperson for education - tackles liberty and rights. She talks about how how individual liberties and freedom of expression have been eroded by Labour and Conservative governments. And about how Liberal Democrats have challenged and protested over decades. Rights and liberties are under attack again from a nationalist Tory government which is attacking our right to peaceful protest and weakening the right of every individual to take the government to court when it fails them. A liberal Britain would give people the ...
In this weekend's World Review, Tom Arms reports the Taliban is proving to be a loose coalition that is quickly falling apart along centuries-old tribal lines and more contemporary political axes. He turns his attention to the impact that Covid is having on child labour in the developing world. And he reviews how Marcon's insistence on vaccine passports turned France from an country opposed to vaccination to one where 74% of adults have had at least one dose. Afghanistan has started to drop off the news headlines of the Western media. It is done and dusted. The troops have withdrawn ...
In his usual, often sardonic, style, Ed Davey has profiled by Mark Coles. In this 15-minute broadcast, we hear things we knew and things we probably didn't. The profile begins with his birth on Christmas Day. Being orphaned. Neighbours leaving food on the doorstep. His school but good exam performance. Setting up a debating society. Being a prog rocker. Falling asleep at parties. In a gap year working in the local pork pie factory before interrailing and on to Oxford for PPE. Despite bad green jumpers, MI6 tried to recruit him. Rescuing woman from path of ongoing train. And then ...
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 Scottish Water investigation works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Nethergate (westbound between West Marketgait and South Tay Street), Dundee. This notice comes into effect on Tuesday 21 September 2021 for one day. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes for vehicles are available via West Marketgait / Hawkhill / Perth Road / Nethergate. For further information contact 433082. Executive Director ...
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