Last week, I had the honour of being selected by party members to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for Sutton and Cheam at the next general election, following a closely fought selection campaign. Having previously worked as a BBC journalist for 30 years, I have now left this role to focus all my efforts on regaining this seat – which was stalwartly held for us by Paul Burstow until 2015. A win here would be a huge blow for the Conservatives and unseat Paul Scully, a senior Conservative minister who is part of this uncaring government that is taking local ...
Second paragraph of third chapter:She was still seated in the armchair she had occupied last night, though now imprisoned beneath a settee that had closed over her like a lid. To her right, through the gap between the two clasped pieces of furniture, a piercing arrow of sunlight warmed her skin.Steampunky novel set in an alternate Raj where Britain has exploited captured extraterrestrial technology to remain Top Nation; protagonist is the daughter of an Indian government minister and his long-dead English wife; she is pursued by various miscreants who wish to overturn British rule for one reason or another; she ...
In 2021 we achieved something we've not achieved since 1993: winning two Parliamentary by-elections in the same year off the Conservatives. We start this new year with a larger Parliamentary Party than any of us would have dared dream of a year ago. (A winning run that has continued with the first council by-election of this year too – congratulations to now councillor Andrew Dunkin who won a seat from Labour from third place.) The question now is how do we build on that success in 2022, and how do we make the most of our limited resources? Here's the ...
Tue 11th
12:07
Unmitigated Greed of the Liverpool Commissioners and unmitigated stupidity by the Government
Today I have asked the House of Commons Select Committee that scrutinises the work of the department for Levelling Up and Housing to investigate the 50% increase in fees charged to the Council for the work of the Commissioners. Let ... Continue reading →
Responding to Michael Gove's widely-publicised statement in Parliament on cladding, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: "The Conservative Government is still failing to understand the scale and urgency of the building safety crisis faced by many innocent leaseholders stuck in unsafe and unsellable homes. "Innocent leaseholders have eye-watering bills sitting on their kitchen tables for non-cladding fire safety defects, not knowing whether they have to pay them or not "They also have no idea what they can do if the shoddy companies that are responsible no longer exist, whether or how they'll be protected from homelessness or bankruptcy, ...
Recent events in the Downing Street garden remind me of this classic Yes Minister sketch of the political excuses to use when the four stage strategy has failed.
Tue 11th
11:11
Rural areas set to be hit hardest by energy bill price hike, including Chancellor's own seat
Rural areas in England and Wales will be hit hardest by the expected rise in energy bills in April, new research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. New analysis of ONS data by the party shows median bills are expected to rise by an average of £598, while many largely rural areas will see increases of £700 or more. Of the 20 local authorities with the highest increase in bills, 16 are only represented by Conservative MPs. This includes the Chancellor Rishi Sunak's area of Richmondshire, where people face an average rise of £737, the fourth highest rise in England. ...
Mon, 12:56: Lithuania wins microchip windfall from Taiwan in China clash https://t.co/oUwiNkMWVg Intriguing. Mon, 16:05: RT @lennylaw: Matthew Parris has made no secret of his detestation of Boris and, as such, when he decides to put the shoe in, he does it wi... Mon, 17:11: Why Grange Hill was, to my generation, the most important and beloved show on TV https://t.co/RaB11SLglp From @MsRachelCooke. Hear hear! Mon, 18:17: Northern Ireland a Generation after Good Friday, C. Coulter, N. Gilmartin, K. Hayward, P. Shirlow https://t.co/4FzvVyHzAn Mon, 20:48: Just been fiddling around with @TheStorygraph as an alternative to @goodreads and @LibraryThing. Wow, what ...
When anyone attacks the jury system, Liberal Democrats should be vocal and prominent in defending it. Just a few days into 2022 we saw, after the acquittal of the Colston 4, a sustained attack from Conservative voices. Their target was not just the verdict but on the jury system generally. Juries are a precious safeguard of freedom. Our party has said so many times in our policy papers. The fight to establish juries as the fundamental deciders of whether a defendant is guilty or not was hard won. It was a struggle over centuries. It is a story entwined with ...
Even when caught red-handed, ignoring the rules he, himself, set for other people, Boris Johnson still seems annoyingly invulnerable as Prime Minister. That is because, despite all the justified public outrage, the people who will actually decide the Prime Minister's fate in the short term - backbench Tory MPs - appear to be curiously mute. They should know that, in terms of public perception and trust, the crime attributed to Johnson is a big one, and let's suffer no delusions here, if the accusations are true, then the PM broke the law, and there is a reasonable expectation that the ...
Tue 11th
07:00
Paths and steps improvements at Mitchell Street, Fyffe Street, Benvie Road and Polepark Road #dundee...
Some time ago, on behalf of residents, I highlighted to the City Council the very poor state of the rear paths and steps to the greenie poles in the "square" of properties at Mitchell Street, Fyffe Street, Benvie Road and Polepark Road that back onto each other. There was a site visit with residents, the tenancy officer and myself about this and other issues and I am pleased to say that, at the council's Neighbourhood Services Committee last night, councillors approved a significant tender of nearly £125 000 (£150 000 including fees, etc) to replace 7 sets of steps with ...
