The latest edition of eFocus for the Whickham area (no. 182) was published recently. Issues covered include:Local Lib Dem candidates;Big changes to voting at polling stations;Gateshead awards;Reporting potholes;Chicken run;Calling all cat owners;Naming the lamb.You can read eFocus on this link.
I have never before had a postal vote. I enjoy the visit to the polling station on election day. Alas, this year I have opted to have a postal vote. I blame the new rules on photo ID. I can't be bothered with digging out my passport. It hasn't been used since 2017 (travel came to an end because I was caring for Richard and then we had the pandemic). My passport is buried under a pile of papers
"With every echoing step, British parliamentarians are reminded by these weighty premises of their own importance. It is rather rare, however, that one of them makes their way from the halls of parliament into the underworld of the old palace, which was once built on a swampy island in the Thames. Here, in the low-ceilinged, labyrinthine catacombs, the foundation of Britannia's democracy is literally rotting away, largely out of sight and out of mind. Most of the structure is contaminated by asbestos, while thick tangles of cables hang chaotically from the ceiling and pipes suddenly come to an end, seemingly ...
We now have MRP polling from YouGov for a selection of the local councils which are up for election this May.
Mark Oaten, the former Liberal Democrat MP, is standing for the council in South Gloucestershire next week. He is in one of our two candidates in the Conservative-hold Severn Vale ward. In 1997 he won the Winchester constituency for the Lib Dems. The contest held on general election day, which he won with a majority of 2, was declared void by the Election Court. Oaten won the resultant by-election with a majority of 21,556, gaining 68 per cent of the vote. He was involved with the think-tank Liberal Future and the Orange Book, which led to his being seen as ...
The former Moscow correspondent for NBC Ian Williams wrote an article in The Spectator dated 22nd March, describing what happened when Xi Jinping said goodbye to Vladimir Putin when their summit ended in the Kremlin last month. Xi suddenly turned to Putin and said, which seemed unscripted, "Change is coming that hasn't happened in 100 years, and we are driving this change together". Then "The two men clasped hands, smiling. 'I agree,' Putin said, briefly bringing up his free hand to hold Xi's arm. The Chinese leader then added, 'Please take care, dear friend'". What is the "change" that Xi ...
This week's (26th April) BBC Debate Night (Scotland's version of Question Time) discussed the question "Will the SNP survive the crisis they are in at the moment?". With the panel made up of Labour, SNP, and Conservative MSPs, SNP supporter Aamer Anwar, and former Labour Special Adviser, Ayesha Hazarika, it lacked a liberal position on the issue. A position I hope I can articulate here. So in my opinion, will they survive? Yes. As a follow up question, should they survive? Yes. This is a crisis for the SNP, undoubtedly, but it risks becoming a crisis for Scottish democracy in ...
It was astonishing to hear the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announcing with pride during his set-to with Labour Leader Keir Starmer at Wednesday's Prime Minister Questions that "Two million more people have risen from poverty in the years of the Conservative governments." Poverty is normally measured relative to near contemporary median income. This is the most commonly used measure. For example the latest figures are for 2020/21 and 13.4 million are in relative poverty, after housing costs (as reported by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation), where relative poverty is 60% of median income. Rishi Sunak is using absolute low income which ...
Thu, 18:40: Doctor Who and the Silurians and Doctor Who and the Cave-Monsters, by Malcolm Hulke, and The Silurians, by Robert�Smith? https://t.co/yyyUtb8LyK Fri, 10:45: South Korean president sings 'American Pie' for Biden - POLITICO https://t.co/AjgWSFQme5 Fri, 11:03: Richard Sharp resigns as BBC chair after months of mounting pressure https://t.co/TrRN4HpMcT </ul
Although I haven't checked the footage I'm pretty sure that there weren't many black faces around Elizabeth II at her Coronation. It is therefore very fitting that the people we will actually see on the screen during Charles III's Coronation will be representative of our ethnic makeup as a nation. Amongst those who will be taking on a role on the day is our own Floella Benjamin, who will be carrying the King's sceptre with dove, one of the priceless crown jewels used in the ceremony. Wish my mum and dad were still here to see me take part in ...
Just the one principal authority by-election this week, and it saw impressive progress by the Lib Dems in Wales: Penderry (Swansea) Council By-Election Result: LAB: 53.5% (-25.6) LDM: 30.2% (New) CON: 7.8% (-13.0) GRN: 4.6% (New) PLC: 3.8% (New) Labour HOLD. Changes w/ 2022. — Election Maps UK (@ElectionMapsUK) April 28, 2023
Residents have raised the issue of the missing goal posts at the Oxford Street/Eton Street grass area. The former ones are pictured below. We raised this with the City Council and have received helpful feedback as follows from our local environment manager : "I am aware that the eleven a side goals were removed from this location some time ago and that this site is no longer a bookable and useable eleven a side pitch for association football matches. However, I have discussed this site with colleagues to provide a suitable "kick about area" for local children by installing a ...
