Rupert Read argues that Vaclav Havel's critique of technophilia and of its assumption that "everything is going to be OK" has a lot to teach us about what our collective response should be to the climate and ecological emergencies. "The politics of relief pursued by Bolton's Labour Party left little scope for recognising workers ... as individuals with ambitions and aspirations. By contrast, Conservative candidates in Bolton mobilized a politics of experience, rooted in place, which enabled them to speak in more respectful, empathetic terms. Where Labour referred to the "unfortunate unemployed," Conservative candidates discussed the "evil of unemployment," refusing ...
As we near the middle of Black History Month Ed Davey Alex Cole-Hamilton and Jane Dodds have all made statements which LDV reproduces in full or part below. In the UK we use October to highlight and amplify the amazing contributions black people have made in the UK and around the world, to spotlight the struggles and oppression they have faced throughout history and the impact these had and continue to have on black communities. Most importantly it is a time we should remember and commit to continuing to support black communities including making our party and our politics more ...
Extending across 10,000 hectares on the North-West fringes of the West Midlands conurbation, the Purple Horizons project is restoring and connecting fragmented heathlands to create a mosaic of heathland, wetland, woodland and grassland landscapes. The area will be vital for the recovery and long-term resilience of the area's reptiles, birds and pollinators, and will help connect Sutton Park with Cannock Chase and local wildlife trust nature reserves. Purple Horizons is one of five nature recovery projects launched by Natural England and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in May. I hope it thrives, though the government now seems ...
It's midday on a wet and windy Friday afternoon. Normally I'd be in a village hall for a surgery with constituents. Instead, I'm hurtling down an A-road being deafened by a siren in the back of an ambulance. I'm with paramedics Steve and Julie and we're responding to the first call of our 12-hour shift. It's only minutes since we clocked on but the elderly lady in need of help has been waiting more than three hours. She's got Covid symptoms and chest problems making her a category two call with a target response time of 18 minutes. Indeed, by ...
Labour's National Executive effectively vetoed a motion passed by an overwhelming majority of party delegates at its Annual Conference to replace First Past The Post with Proportional Representation for British general elections. Doubtless this decision was influenced by recent opinion polling and seat projections which, if accurate, suggest that Labour are on course to win a majority in excess of three hundred seats. Who knows, perhaps such a disproportionate result may be the catalyst for electoral reform. Before the next general election, whilst Labour grassroots members continue to pressure its leadership into supporting PR, we Liberal Democrats should change the ...
Mon, 17:29: RT @epc_eu: 📌SAVE THE DATE📌 🗓13/10 🕞15:30-16:15 Join our in-person #EPCTalksGeopolitics with @Tsihanouskaya, Leader of the Belarusian dem... Mon, 20:48: RT @ricbdc: Very much looking forward to welcome & talk w/ @Tsihanouskaya next week at the @epc_eu for a new edition of #EPCTalksGeopolitic... Mon, 21:53: Daily #239 0️⃣8️⃣⬛0️⃣9️⃣ 1️⃣0️⃣⬛0️⃣4️⃣ 1️⃣8️⃣⬛1️⃣9️⃣ 1️⃣1️⃣⬛0️⃣5️⃣ 2️⃣0️⃣⬛0️⃣6️⃣ 1️⃣2️⃣⬛1️⃣4️⃣ 1️⃣5️⃣⬛1️⃣6️⃣ 0️⃣7️⃣⬛1️⃣7️⃣ https://t.co/1E46GFYr6b #sedecordle Tue, 10:45: RT @RussInCheshire: I don't despise Tory voters. I don't blame people who do, but I don't. I just think people who vote Tory are wrong....
Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has earned the right to introduce a Members' Bill to legalise assisted dying for terminally ill people in the Scottish Parliament. His proposal is supported by 36 out of the 129 MSPs. Last month Liam published the outcome of his public consultation on the proposals. Out of 14,038 responses, 76% of individuals who responded expressed full support with a further 2% partially supporting a change in the law. Mr McArthur will now work with the Scottish Parliament's Non-Governmental Bills Unit to draft the actual bill which he hopes to introduce in Parliament next year. Liam said: ...
The Independent reports that the government's so-called "festival of Brexit" will be probed amid concerns that £120 million of taxpayers' cash was "frittered away" on a project that brought "so little in return". They say that MPs in a cross-party parliamentary committee have approached the National Audit Office (NAO) to ask it to look into how the project was managed and whether political pressures kept it going: The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee had found that the number of visitors to the event - called 'Unboxed: Creativity in the UK' - was just 0.36 per cent of early ...
My reactions were anger and disbelief when I heard the news that the award-winning Bulky Bobs service for the collection of unwanted furniture is to close on 23rd November. My thought was that this just could not be right, but ... Continue reading →
Christine Jardine has used her Scotsman column this week to criticise the UK Government for its lack of action in response to the women's protests in Iran. She sets the scene: The international concern over that state's pursuit of nuclear capability has been at the centre of diplomatic wrangling and, for the US in particular, the focus of decades of tension. Perhaps what we have lost sight of is that Iran is a country, a people who like any other want to live their best lives. And be free so to do. This past week what we have seen is ...
Few south planning meetings are easy. The meeting of the Southern Planning Committee on 27 September was at times difficult. At times it was an extraordinary meeting. Two solar farms were on the agenda, both in Ludlow's hinterland. One application was rejected because it was on good quality farming land. The other was deferred after a debate about whether the best quality land could be avoided if the solar farm was be redesigned. This week, the new environment secretary, Ranil Jayawardena is reported to be aiming to exclude more agricultural land from being used for solar farms. The extension of ...
Ninewells Community Garden is running a drop in gardening Q&A session particularly aimed at staff at Ninewells Hospital over lunchtime tomorrow. If you enjoy gardening but lack the skills or have some questions that need answering, this event will be of interest. The garden's wellbeing co-ordinator will be on hand in the garden to answer gardening questions and develop the skills of participants. All welcome - it starts at 12 noon - and more details are available at
