In fact it's slightly more than 30 years ago. I have neglected until now to give an extract from Lord Bonkers' Diary in the June 1992 Liberator (issue 205). Paddy Ashdown, the Liberal Democrats' leader, had been floating the idea of some sort of electoral arrangement with Labour, so Lord Bonkers took up the suggestion that he talk to their local representatives. Mikhail Gorbachev appears to have been working as Lord Bonkers' butler in this era as he was at a loose end after the fall of the Soviet Union. And the old boy himself had clearly not consulted the ...
It seems we have a lot for which to to thank Charles Moore. Because the cloud no bigger than a man's hand that presaged the fall of Boris Johnson was the Owen Paterson affair. As Wikipedia records:In October 2021, Paterson was found by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to have breached paid advocacy rules for making three approaches to the Food Standards Agency and four approaches to the Department for International Development in relation to Randox and seven approaches to the Food Standards Agency relating to Lynn's Country Foods. The Commissioner said Paterson had "repeatedly used his privileged position to ...
There were 9 principal by-elections on Thursday, the Lib Dems stood candidates in 6 of these and 2 new Lib Dem councillors were elected. One by-election was not even contested as Lib Dem candidate Raymond Payne was automatically elected in Oakham South on Rutland County Council as the only candidate on the ballot paper - gaining the seat from the Conservatives! This shows why we must always stand a candidate. You never know what might happen. Congratulations to Raymond the local team in Rutland. The other Lib Dem victory came in South Somerset District Council where newly elected Councillor Barbara ...
Over in The Spectator, Isabel Hardman has an interesting piece on one of the policy ideas from would-be Conservative leader Penny Mourdant: One of her most striking promises is to give MPs something called 'social capital pots': cash to spend in their constituencies. They are part of her attempt to soothe colleagues by describing them as 'people who want to serve' - and to weaken the power of the Treasury. 'I want to give you more agency to serve your community,' she said. This is a fascinating idea, and not just because it flatters MPs' egos. It's more than the ...
Did you know that haggis is banned in the USA? I certainly didn't. How on earth do American Scots celebrate Burns Night without haggis? Haggis was banned in the United States in 1971, apparently because it is made from sheeps' lungs, apart from other unmentionable bits. I have to admit I don't particularly like haggis – I usually opt for the veggie version – but am fully aware of its cultural significance. Jeremy Purvis, aka Lord Purvis of Tweed, is a Lib Dem peer, and he has been suggesting ways to mark the 250th anniversary next year of the ending ...
Today I have likened the role of the Government's Commissioners in Liverpool to asking Dad's Army to lead the assault on the Normandy beaches on D Day. I have taken my concerns further in a letter to the new Secretary ... Continue reading →
Thu, 12:17: RT @Antiqueight: @nwbrux It's a little horrifying that she stands a chance because the worst people know of her is that they don't know muc... Thu, 12:56: RT @andy23tran: What's going on here? https://t.co/3jwbRazJhc Thu, 13:30: RT @jamesorharry: My favourite part of the Liz Truss leadership launch was when she got lost leaving the room https://t.co/wqRgtXXBEf Thu, 13:30: RT @labour_history: Liz Truss opposing the monarchy at the 1994 Lib Dem conference https://t.co/zU09W4c4aR Thu, 13:59: RT @DecLawn: If you're struggling to sleep in this heatwave then I have a tip for you that never fails. Take a medium-sized towel. ...
A report published today from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights highlights the cruelty of forced adoptions in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Many women who were went through this, both as mothers or as the adopted children, are now calling for an apology from the Government. You can download the latest report here: The Violation of Family Life: Adoption of Children of Unmarried Women 1949-1976 As Lib Dem Voice's resident oldie, I can remember those days. I find it difficult to explain in these more liberal times that negative attitudes towards unmarried mothers ran right across society back ...
When Boris Johnson announced that there wuld be no new government initiatives in the downtime between his decapitation and the day he leaves to make a fortune on the US lecture circuit, nobody envisaged that he actually meant the whole cabinet would be going on holiday or, at the very least, go missing in action. Is it the case that cabinet ministers can only focus on one thing at a time, and that at this moment, that is the Tory leadership contest? Because for many MPs that appears to be the case. The Guardian reports that signs that Boris Johnson's ...
Five Liberal Democrat candidates for the eight principal authority council by-elections this week, which is one up on the last time these seats were up. Camperdown (North Tyneside) By-Election Result: LAB: 59.0% (-9.3) CON: 26.2% (+1.9) LDM: 8.4% (New) GRN: 3.9% (-3.4) UKIP: 2.4% (New) Labour HOLD. Changes w/ 2022. — Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) July 14, 2022
Pollinators and Wildflowers event - this Sunday 17th July 1pm to 3pm Come along to a guided outing at Riverside Nature Park and learn about the many insects we have which pollinate our wildflowers and crops. Not just bees but butterflies, wasps, hoverflies, beetles etc - all play their part. We need them for our survival yet modern agriculture, greenspace management and climate change are causing massive declines. The wildflower meadows at Riverside help maintain a rich diversity of flowers and pollinators. Come along, all ages welcome, children with appropriate supervision. Bring magnifying glasses and cameras if you have them. ...
Click on the still above to view this film on the British Film Institute website. There the blurb runs: Tighten your laces and pack your mint cake as this one is a bit of a trek. The 120 miles between Winchester and Canterbury pass through some of the south-east England's prettiest towns, villages and pastures. Between 1956 and today plenty has changed, but despite the narrator's grumblings about urban encroachment much is timeless. Like a good hike, the film is not a race and takes its time to pause and wonder at its surroundings. Halfway through the film there are ...
