There was a big turnout for the Remembrance Sunday parade and service in Whickham. 46 wreaths were laid and the age range of those laying wreaths was from 3 to 97 years old. I filmed the above video, starting with the forming up of the parade, the parade heading along Front Street and the service at the War Memorial.
"This country has transformed children in care into commodities in a misery market. Then they discard them when they're too old - usually at 16 to semi-independent accommodation, or as a 2019 report conducted by the all-party parliamentary group for runaway and missing children and adults put it, into a 'frightening, twilight world of unregulated semi-independent homes'." Daniel Lavelle says it shouldn't be down to John Lewis's Christmas commercial to stand up for children in care. More and more ministers are handed top jobs for their loyalty rather than their competence. Alexandra Hall Hall considers what we can do about ...
I'd normally kick off talking about Ed Davey's speech last weekend, organised to replace his autumn conference speech. But...
The latest edition of my weekly political polling round-up, The Week in Polls, is now out. As it says: The ever-excellent Professor Rob Ford used a neat way to summarise the nuances necessary in talking about public opinion on immigration. Find out more by reading The Week in Polls in full here, and you can sign up below to receive future editions direct to your email inbox: The Week in Polls "*" indicates required fields Email* Enter Email Confirm Email Name* First Last If you submit this form, your data will be used in line with the privacy policy here ...
Many congratulations to Liberal Democrat peer Floella Benjamin on being appointed to the prestigious Order of Merit, one of the country's highest honours which is in the personal gift of the sovereign. It is particularly poignant that she and the other five people appointed this weekend were chosen by the late Queen in early September just before she died. The Royal Family's website gives the history of the Order of Merit: The Order of Merit, founded in 1902 by King Edward VII, is a special mark of honour conferred by the Sovereign on individuals of exceptional distinction in the armed ...
We've seen St Louis Union before. They were a Manchester rhythm and blues group and the best thing in the Spencer Davis Group's film The Ghost Goes Gear after the Spencers themselves. We've also seen their keyboard player before. Dave Tomlinson later reinvented himself as Dave Formula and was a member of Magazine and Visage. In 1965 St Louis Union won the Melody Maker National Beat Contest, beating The Pink Floyd, as they then were, among many other bands. Their first single was the Lennon and McCartney song Girl and reached number 11 in the singles chart in 1966. They ...
I'm a huge advocate of recalling the lessons of the past, learning the stories, and putting faces to the names. Over 30 years ago I was one of the few students who went to the war memorial in Nottingham – and as student President I was one of the first in recent times to lay a formal wreath at the Cenotaph there. Come forwards and I lay a wreath as Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Derbyshire County Council. In addition, I am the Lay Worship Leader for Great Hucklow Unitarian Chapel in Derbyshire Dales. My view of armistice and ...
Does anyone think about the big stuff? While laid up with Covid for the last two weeks I have had plenty of time to think – in between episodes of brain fog. This very act of thinking was a reminder in itself that I had omitted, in recent time, to ponder upon the big questions ... The post A Reflective Sunday Question – What Have You Given Up On? appeared first on A Midlifer in London .
There is an interesting article in Wales-on-line, which alleges that there is significant discontent within Plaid Cymru at the culture that critics claim has developed under Adam Price's leadership. The paper says it has spoken to several people within the party, who have described an increasingly toxic atmosphere: Some have expressed concern that ability is not rewarded while the leader surrounds himself with a "clique" of close associates. People told us they were scared to report allegations or felt they would face repercussions for raising them. Others have raised concerns that when allegations are raised, the party's processes are opaque ...
Sat, 11:51: RT @shelleypchan: surprisingly hard to pose with a sceptre, I guess the royals do have some skills after all thank you @chicagoworldcon fo... Sat, 13:48: Fascinating ongoing analysis from @cbouzy, who thinks Democrats will retain the House as well as the Senate. https://t.co/11Tw6mX37F Sat, 14:52: My new culinary discovery: Microwaved scrambled eggs. I like scrambled eggs, but always found them a bit more hassle to cook than poached, fried or boiled eggs. But if you cook them in a bowl on a low setting in the microwave, they come out beautifully. Sat, 16:54: Guardians of the�Galaxy https://t.co/eqTu46LeNI Sat, ...
Shropshire Live reports: The Liberal Democrats have selected local councillor and NHS campaigner Alex Wagner to stand for Shrewsbury and Atcham at the next general election. Former Labour Mayor of Shrewsbury Jon Tandy will be supporting Alex's bid to be the town's next MP. He said: "Everyone in Shrewsbury knows someone who Alex Wagner has helped. He's never been afraid to stand up and be counted for residents when it matters, especially on issues like GP and NHS provision. I'll be backing Alex all the way - he's a natural winner and he'll work harder than any of the others ...
A local Liberal Democrat press release brings the news: With the next general election expected to take place in around two years' time, the Liberal Democrats have ensured they are ahead of the game by selecting a new candidate early. Local Liberal Democrat Chelsea Whyte has been selected to stand as the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in Spelthorne and will face disgraced former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng who is the sitting MP. Chelsea is currently working as a Consultant at Rud Pedersen Public Affairs UK and has previously worked for a number of Liberal Democrat politicians, including former MEP for ...
Ukraine The Ukrainians are advancing – slowly. They don't trust the Russians. Vladimir Putin has given his troops the order to abandon the western half of the key city of Kherson. Civilians and medical staff have been evacuated from both the eastern and western halves of the city divided by the river Dnieper. But the Ukrainians are not rushing in to fill the vacuum. They are concerned that the Russians have covered their retreat with land mines and other explosives and have trained their artillery on the deserted streets. Furthermore, that they are preparing for deadly street-to-street, house-to-house fighting in ...
The Building Bridges Symposium 2022 is the latest in a series of successful symposiums run by the Al-Maktoum College of Higher Education. This particular event next Thursday will be focussing on the fascinating and largely unknown history of Arabic poetry fragments found in the eminent Cairo Genizah. These fragments of ancient poetry constitute a unique source for understanding Medieval and Early-Modern Egypt from three main perspectives: Arabic studies, Jewish social and cultural studies, and anthropological studies. The 2022 Symposium will feature a keynote speech on the Cairo Genizah, presentations with panel discussions, and an exhibition. The event is free, although ...
