Only one principal authority council by-election this week, in East Yorkshire. The East Riding Council has already seen not one but two Lib Dem by-election gains in recent months, as well as a Conservative councillor joining the Liberal Democrats. And now... Diana Stewart is the new Liberal Democrat councillor, thanks to the Lib Dem vote [...]
The Liberal Democrat Conference is coming. The new Parliamentary season is common, So this post is a reminder that I welcome guest posts on Liberal England. Not only that: I'm happy to publish ones on subjects far beyond the Liberal Democrats and British politics. If you'd like to write something for this blog, please send me an email first so we can discuss your idea. Here are the 10 most recent guest posts on Liberal England: The Brexit hustle - Stuart WhomsleyCarry On up the Brexit - Stuart WhomsleyWhy the Progressive Alliance is irrelevant in Batley and Spen - Matthew ...
I have an affection for Ladybird Books, not least because my mother taught me to read with their Key Words scheme before I went to school. So when those books are misunderstood, as they often are today, I want to defend them. In particular, Ladybird did not depict a twee middle-class neverland. They were far more interested in technological progress and the promise of the future. Yesterday I found a YouTube recording of a symposium that makes this point for me. Ladybird Books and Constructing the Future Past of Modern Britain was held at Conway Hall in October 2016. It ...
GCSEs: Government deserves an 'F' for letting down pupils Missing: UK's Foreign Secretary. Last seen leaving G20 early Dentist crisis escalates as new data reveals drop in NHS dental appointments GCSEs: Government deserves an 'F' for letting down pupils Responding to today's GCSE results, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said: The Conservatives have fiddled the figures and failed our young people yet again. Ministers have thrown into question thousands of students' futures by taking their grades away to correct two years of exam chaos. Young people receiving their results today faced unprecedented disruption to their studies. The Government ...
I guess that I should be flattered to have received the call. After all, it's not every day that you get invited to join a working group set up to look into aspects of a major organisation's statutes and rules of procedure, and an international one at that. And thus, part of my morning was spent with colleagues from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, North Macedonia and Spain, as well as the ALDE Party's Deputy Secretary General and its new HR Manager, looking at how to address the issues within our remit. I wasn't in Dublin when the debates took place ...
Here's the latest tally of seats changing hands in principal authority council by-elections held since the last May round of local elections.
My post Take Back Control yesterday on the cost-of-living crises and energy prices was primarily about the obscene profits (gas and electricity £30bn plus) and high salaries paid to the Chief Executives in the utility industries, paid for by consumers, and ways of helping the least well off customers and small businesses in a none stigmatising way by charging for the first so many units of gas, electricity and water at a reduced tariff - or possibly making them free. It prompted a very lively debate with much of it focussed on the salaries of the Chief Executives which ranged ...
"I want to know how the government is going to help Britain through the winter. If it doesn't, whoever wins the Conservative leadership will find themselves in the cold in 2024." Sam Ashworth-Hayes says Britain is not prepared for winter blackouts. Nadeine Asbali warns that today's boys are easy targets for Andrew Tate: "When the state fails to provide support, when adults are so absorbed in trying to live hand to mouth, when opportunities for social mobility are shattered, Tate offers a dangerous hand for them to cling on to. It's time for schools, community leaders and families to step ...
Councillors say they are in shock over the size of the proposed storage depot on Sydney Road Green. Containers and fencing first began appearing on the site on 17 August and a planning application for the work was published yesterday, 24 August. The application shows that the scheme is to be much larger than expected. It will be in place for up to two years, significantly reducing the amenity value of this land. Councillors are calling for an urgent meeting with officers from the housing association Connexus to review the plans which lack clarity over traffic movement and protection of ...
A recent post outlines the many failings of the UK's post- war Conservative governments. A friend suggests that, in fairness, I should construct a similar list for Labour. Although I suspect he is a former Tory supporter, he speculated that the list would be shorter. It is (though I'm open to suggestions for additions), though largely a list of missed opportunities rather than deliberate errors. 1. 1. Over-centralisation in running of nationalised industries. 2. 2. Antagonism towards employee representation on the boards of both publicly and privately-owned industries. This came largely from the unions, who preferred to preserve their monopoly ...
The temptation for Liz Truss to call a General Election soon after becoming Tory leader might be too much to resist. A shiny new leader might enable them to win. But I'm wondering about the other side: might they be planning to lose? In an ideal world they'd have done that before Boris Johnson's position became completely untenable, but there's a narrow window in which Truss might be able to lead per party to defeat and survive as leader by blaming her predecessor. We need to think about this because it would inform our campaign and shape some difficult decisions ...
Emily Maitlis may have left the BBC but she has clearly decided to go out with a bang, speaking out on the farcical policies of her former employer with regards to Brexit and so-called balanced reporting. The Guardian reports that the former Newsnight presenter said a BBC board member is an "active agent of the Conservative party" who is shaping the broadcaster's news output by acting "as the arbiter of BBC impartiality". She highlighted the role of Sir Robbie Gibb, who previously worked as Theresa May's director of communications and helped to found the rightwing GB News channel. Maitlis, who ...
Wed, 13:14: RT @EUMyanmar: 5 years on, we remember the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against #Rohingya and other minorities in #Myan... Wed, 17:11: Step aside, Dutch people. Montenegro is tallest nation https://t.co/CzoIaX2knV This comes as no surprise to anyone who's been there recently. Wed, 18:32: October 2017 books https://t.co/vBQKv6FAOi Wed, 22:53: Daily #192 0️⃣4️⃣⬛1️⃣5️⃣ 1️⃣6️⃣⬛0️⃣5️⃣ 0️⃣9️⃣⬛1️⃣0️⃣ 0️⃣6️⃣⬛1️⃣7️⃣ 1️⃣8️⃣⬛1️⃣9️⃣ 0️⃣7️⃣⬛1️⃣2️⃣ 1️⃣3️⃣⬛1️⃣4️⃣ 0️⃣8️⃣⬛2️⃣0️⃣ https://t.co/1E46GFYr6b #sedecordle
From Sheena Wellington : On Saturday 27th August at 11am at the Wighton Centre, Central Library, we have : Just 3Folk, comprising of Anne Hamilton, Liz Crawford and Maggie Douglas share a common love of folk music and have been singing together since 2015. J3F have a varied repertoire of traditional and contemporary folk music, arranging the songs in three part harmony, and performing them accompanied by guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, percussion and occasionally ukulele. Just 3Folk are delighted to have recently produced their second CD entitled "Back on Track" and are thrilled to have been in the position to ...
