High borrowing: Govt blew a hole in our public finances Responding to the latest ONS statistics which show public sector net borrowing at the highest February total since records began, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: This Conservative Government blew a hole in our public finances and made hard-working families pay for it through unfair tax rises, higher mortgage bills and soaring inflation. The Chancellor could have taken action in last week's Budget to put our economy on the right track, but instead we saw a total lack of ambition and no economic plan. Instead of just sitting ...
It's time for another trip to the valley of the wonderful Derbyshire Derwent with Trekking Exploration. This time we go in search of the Bamford and Howden Railway, which was used in the construction of the Derwent and Howden dams between 1901 and 1916, and of Birchinlee, the abandoned village where the labourers lived. If you want to go deeper, you can find some photographs of the railway in operation on Public Transport Experience. That site also has a photograph of a building in the nearby village of Hope that was taken there from Birchinlee. You can support these Trekking ...
Tue 21st
19:32
Thomas Hardy had nothing to do with The Hardy Tree and its legend dates from the late 20th century
When The Hardy Tree in Old St Pancras churchyard came down last December, I dutifully repeated its accepted history: When the Midland Railway built it's line from Bedford to St Pancras, part of the churchyard of Old St Pancras Church was sacrificed to make way for it. The man in charge of clearing the burials in the path of the line was a young Thomas Hardy. It's no wonder his novels turned out like they did. Hardy had some of the redundant gravestones piles around the base of an ash tree in the remaining portion of the churchyard, and its ...
Having been called to speak in over half of the Lib Dem conferences I have attended since my first in 2015, I can't complain about missing out at Spring Conference 2023, especially as the one item I submitted a Speaker's Card for - F7: Selection of policy motions for debate - was resolved satisfactorily and with a clear majority vote. However, I wanted to approach the problems of F7 from a particular angle and to prompt members to consider something when putting their mind to future amendments to the Constitution or Standing Orders. Let me first go into some functional ...
First came primal fear.A step: seeing it as shreds;Balancing in air.
The Synthesis report of Sixth Assessment of the International Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was published yesterday. This is a open thread for you to give your views on this report, which you can read in full here. The report is perhaps well summarised by this Guardian summary entitled "Scientists deliver 'final warning' on climate crisis: act now or it's too late" with the strapline "IPCC report says only swift and drastic action can avert irrevocable damage to world": Scientists have delivered a "final warning" on the climate crisis, as rising greenhouse gas emissions push the world to the ...
As Lord Bonkers might put it, the dead are Terribly Dead. I've had no sense of my mother's presence since she died, even though I've had a couple of naps in an armchair in the room where it took place. But... I was in Melton Mowbray last month and looked for the café where I had met Liberator's Simon Titley for the last time before I visited him as he was dying in hospital. For a short while I couldn't locate it. It's on the first floor and I was confused because the shop below it is currently empty. But ...
Sunday morning at conference in York and my path crossed that of my former Newcastle University fellow student Tim Farron MP. We were there as students in the late 80s and early 90s. Tim won the race to be elected to Parliament. I went off eventually to become a farmer while Tim sits in the Commons representing farmers!
I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to visit some of the historic sites of York over the weekend when I was there to attend conference. So here is my video of my trip to the National Railway Museum. I may be too young to remember the steam age but I recall seeing the new Intercity 125s on the East Coat line running through Gateshead in the late 70s and early 80s.
All three of the young people here started their musical experiences in years 6 and 7 in schools in deprived parts of Liverpool. They played for us yesterday at the Phil with confidence and vitality. Some people would say that ... Continue reading →
The BBC reports that drivers of heavily polluting vehicles could have to pay on some of Wales' busiest roads under a new law that aims to clean up air pollution. This could include sections of the M4 near Newport and the A470 at Pontypridd, both of which have been considered as potential clean air zones if lower speed limits do not work: The charging powers are contained in a long-awaited bill that also paves the way towards new national targets on cutting pollution. Other plans include steeper fines for drivers who leave their car engines idling, especially when parked outside ...
Responding to the Casey Report, Liberal Democrat MP and Former Police Officer Wendy Chamberlain said: This report is an important step towards justice for the Everard, Smallman and all of the other families of women and other victims who have suffered because of the failings evident throughout the Met. It's clear that despite repeated reviews and reports that the force's toxic culture has never been properly addressed. This time, it has to be. Leadership in the Met and the Home Office must view this as a precipice moment. The Home Secretary must take personal responsibility for this and draw up ...
There are currently school crossing patroller vacancies at West End Campus - St Joseph's Primary School, Victoria Park Primary School and Balgay Hill Nursery School. Please see further information below :
Tue 21st
00:29Now 19 Leicester Labour councillors are told they can't stand again in May by the national party
We now go over live to the Leicester Labour Party. From the Leicester Mercury: Labour members have responded with fury after 19 sitting councillors were told they will not be able to defend their seats in May's elections. The decision has been slammed as undemocratic, an attempt to silence members, and a demonstration of "utter contempt" by those not selected. The choice of who can and cannot stand in May's election was taken out of the hands of local party members after national Labour figures decided to take control. They announced the decision to overrule any local decision making in ...
