The Liberal Democrats have welcomed the decision of BP to offload their almost 20% stake in Russian state-owned oil firm Rosneft in the wake of Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Reacting to the news Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, who called for this to happen in Parliament on Thursday, said: "I welcome BP's decision to pull out of Rosneft because of Putin's horrifying war in Ukraine. We now need all other British companies to follow suit, with immediate effect, and the Government to step up with stronger sanctions. "The world must isolate Russia like the rogue state it is, and the ...
Responding to Home Office Minister Kevin Foster tweeting that Ukrainians seeking to flee the ongoing conflict should apply for the seasonal worker visa, Liberal Democrat Home Affairs Spokesperson Alistair Carmichael MP said: "Ukrainians are queuing for miles to escape Putin's war machine. For the Home Office to tell them to apply for visas as if they are looking for work or going on a gap year is completely wrong. "We should stand with all Ukrainians, not only those prepared to pick kale and cabbage. "The UK must help lead a coordinated humanitarian response, including a simple, fast scheme to resettle ...
Liberal Democrat Home Affairs spokesperson and MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael has written to Boris Johnson urging him to sanction and deny Russian-owned vessels access to UK ports following Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine. In his letter, Mr Carmichael highlighted his previous exchange with Mr Johnson in Parliament in which the Prime Minister indicated that new measures meant the government could sanction Russian-owned companies like Sovcomflot, one of the largest petroleum shipping companies in the world. One Sovcomflot vessel (NS Challenger) has already departed from Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland with a second, the NS Champion, due to ...
The historian Andrew Roberts has compared Volodymyr Zelensky to Winston Churchill as a wartime leader, and we know he won the Ukranian equivalent of Strictly Come Dancing. But that is not the end of his talents. Because President Zelensky provided the voice of Paddington when the two recent films about him were dubbed in Ukranian. "Crikey!" said Jonathan. Thanks to Michael Idov on Twitter.
Journalism has been called "the first draft of history". As the emerging story of Russia's invasion of Ukraine unfolds, I've been thinking of this page of the "first draft". The 2008 financial crash began with problems in the sub-prime mortgage market in the US. One reading of this is that 9/11 shook the US to the core. Had it been in a stronger place, it might have been possible to seek a peaceful solution — borrowing language from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa to ask about grievances in the Middle East against the US. IF that had ...
For the first time in a few weeks. Westminster, Holyrood and the Senedd are sitting. The rapidly changing situation in Ukraine is bound to dominate things. We can expect Lib Dems to call for the UK to take in more people fleeing the fighting and for stronger sanctions on Russia. Westminster The Commons week kicks off with questions to the Home Office ministerial team. If Kevin Foster is still a minister, he can expect a torrid time over his disgraceful suggestion that Ukrainians, while fleeing Russian troops can jump on Google, find themselves a job fruit picking here and come ...
The Russian Consulate in Edinburgh, like many places around the UK, has seen peaceful demonstrations every day since the Russians invaded Ukraine. Today was the biggest so far, with Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton and Christine Jardine MP. The #Russian consulate in Edinburgh at noon where hundreds turned out on the 4th day in a row to show solidarity with our twin city #Kyiv and the people of #Ukraine in this darkest of hours: pic.twitter.com/gDd42KupSy — Christine Jardine (@cajardineMP) February 27, 2022 Lib Dem Home Affairs spokesperson Alistair Carmichael described Foster's comments as "completely wrong" and said that the ...
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. A lot of travel in May 2015, starting with a day trip to Warsaw, then the announcement of the Clarke Award ...
A few days of bright, sunny weather has allowed the ground to dry out enough to mow. Lovely to see some signs of Spring emerging, bulbs, buds, heathers and herbs all beginning to grow away. A chance to finish clearing up sticks and branches from the storms last week, luckily no major damage. Some Spring colour, heather and miniature daffs. Rhubarb starting to emerge!
A steady stream of media releases is emerging from the Lib Dems as the Ukraine crisis deepens. As Newshound reports two of the most recent statements, Reuters reports that Vladimir Putin has ordered his military command "to put nuclear deterrence forces on high alert after aggressive statements by NATO countries". While we nervously wait for confirmation of that, Alistair Carmichael has written to Boris Johnson urging him to deny Russian-owned vessels access to UK ports and attacked Kevin Foster's comments on Ukrainian refugees saying: "We should stand with all Ukrainians, not only those prepared to pick kale and cabbage." I ...
Whilst I've always considered myself to be of the left in terms of UK politics – I'm a Social Liberal and a retired trade union officer – I've never been tempted to support the Labour Party. Under Corbyn Labour was in some ways of the left but in others – support for Brexit comes to mind – they were backing a right-wing policy. Now under Starmer (Corbyn's former Brexit Shadow Minister) they've tracked even further right and are now in ERG policy territory with regard to Brexit having said a BIG NO to any involvement with the EU under any ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the UK Conservative Government to axe the Nationality and Borders Bill amid the ongoing Russian Invasion of Ukraine. In a letter to Home Secretary Minister Priti Patel, Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds has urged her to drop the "cruel" bill stating that the events over the last few days demonstrates its "cruel consequences". The Welsh Liberal Democrats have also called on the Government to follow the lead of Ireland and waive visa requirements for all Ukrainians and open a resettlement scheme immediately. Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said: The UK Government ...
Russia's attack has started a worldwide rearrangement of the political order. Old alliances need to be reinforced. Some will be reconsidered. New Alliances, treaties and trade deals will be made as governments decide where their vital interests lie—with the autocratic but advancing Russia or the the democratic but defensive America and Europe or in the narrowing neutral land somewhere in between. Washington and Moscow will declare: You are with us or against us. We are not entering Cold War Two. We are entering a significantly new warmed up war. The World Economy One of the first causes of concern is ...
Skiffle was the punk of the 1950s. Suddenly anyone could form a band and play - you didn't need any formal musical education, Chas McDevitt was the biggest name in skiffle after Lonnie Donegan, but look at the forces here. Yes, his bass player has a proper instrument when most made their own from a tea chest, but the four guitars are all about rhythm not melody and there is no drum kit, just the inevitable washboard. Even the vocal backing - humming and whistling - is home made. This is a great record - the video comes from the ...
Sat, 16:05: RT @leeuwengew: The Netherlands will supply Ukraine 200 anti-aircraft Stinger missiles. Other defence material already on its way. #WeStand... Sat, 16:24: RT @Ondrejcsak: Slovakia is giving to Ukraine: - 12,000 pieces of artilery amunition (120mm) - 10 million litres of fuel - 2,4 million lit... Sat, 16:33: RT @herszenhorn: BREAKING: Germany dropping longstanding block against lethal weapons transfers to allow 400 RPGs to be sent to Ukraine fro... Sat, 17:04: RT @visegrad24: BREAKING: Czechia just decided to send machine guns, sniper rifles,handguns and ammunition worth EUR 7,6 mln to Ukraine.... Sat, 18:10: High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby https://t.co/X80KtnbYAR ...
What will the Home Secretary do now, now that her supposedly popular immigration policy, which makes it virtually impossible for refugees and asylum seekers to look for sanctuary in the UK, has suddenly been exposed to public opinion as the nasty, racist, selfish and cruel isolationism it really is? Already we are getting reports that Ukrainian nationals, who are seeking to join family in the UK, are being denied visas because they have passed through another country, if, that is, there are even visas available. UK citizens are remaining in the Ukraine because it cannot be guaranteed that their Ukrainian ...
Proportional Representation is in the Liberal Democrats' DNA. It might not always, or indeed ever (the party's historians will correct me if I am wrong) have featured on the front page of the Lib Dem manifesto. But it has always been a main plank of the party's package of modernising democratic reforms. If this were ever in doubt, Alistair Carmichael MP, the party's Spokesperson for Home Affairs, Political & Constitutional Reform nailed the party's colours to the PR mast by adding a new clause to the Elections Bill on the 17th January. He was supported by MPs from 3 other ...
Pain and fear unleashed People like us; lives destroyed Putin: criminal
This week, I was pleased to join forces with our Lib Dem Peers at the second reading of the Elections Bill at the House of Lords. For us at Lib Dems Abroad, the Elections Bill is a gamechanger that will bring us into the campaigning mainstream of the party. A huge 8% of all Brits are living outside the UK. The likely abolition of the 15-year rule will allow all Brits abroad of voting age the right to register and vote at the next UK General Election. Our members, led by the three "local" party chairs - Lib Dems in ...
The Gompertz-Makeham law of mortality is a formula used to predict mortality. The Makeham element is the external part of this such as disease or accidents. The Gompertz part relates to the gradual deterioration of health of an entity. Not all animals follow the Gompertz formula, but Human Beings do. It is an exponential increase in death rates with age. My view is that this implies that at
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2022 Perth Road between Glamis Road and Seymour Street - rolling 2 way temporary traffic lights for one week for City Fibre works. Perth Road (at Millbay Gardens) - off‑peak temporary traffic lights from Tuesday 22 February for 3 weeks for footway works. Riverside Drive (near Wright Avenue) - off-peak temporary traffic lights for one week for Energy Assets gas service connection. West Grove Avenue - road closure between Perth Road and Blackness Road for 6 days starting Monday 28 February for ...
