Radio Times makes a big fuss about the never-screened pilot episode of Blackadder, which is being shown by Gold (not a Freeview channel) on Thursday, along with a documentary, at nine in the evening. It's billed as The Lost Pilot, but in reality it's been knocking about on the internet for years. A lot is different from the comedy series we know, including the name it was made under: The Black Adder. Rowan Atkinson and Tim McInnerny are there, and so is Baldrick. But he's not played by Tony Robinson. Talking to Radio Times, Robinson is measured about its quality:Robinson ...
The latest edition of my weekly political polling round-up, The Week in Polls, is out. As it says: This week Best for Britain released a new MRP analysis run for them by Focaldata, saying: "The first major seat-level MRP poll under new constituency boundaries suggests Labour are set for a 140+ seat majority with 470 seats. The Conservatives are projected to win 129 seats." How much weight should we put on this analysis? Find out more by reading this edition of The Week in Polls here, and you can sign up below to receive future editions direct to your email ...
The world turns, and things change. For many years, going to an ALDE event meant being led by the suave, and occasionally cynical, Robert Woodthorpe Browne, whose almost legendary ability to cut deals meant that our influence somewhat outweighed our numerical strength. And now, we have a new leader, David Chalmers, whose first Congress this was. Naturally, David operates rather differently, although he clearly gets that, in a post-Brexit environment, Liberal Democrats have to work harder (and smarter) to get things done. And, whilst he's still trying to assess the strengths and weaknesses of his core delegation, and work out ...
There was a lot wrong with Tony Blair's government, not least his willingess to join Bush in an illegal war in Iraq, and the disregard for individual rights and freedoms, as they pursued projects like ID cards, but the first term was also quite frustrating simply because he and his chancellor refused to move away from sticking to Tory spending plans and allowed public services to suffer for two years before finally beginning to invest the money needed to turn them around. Alas, it looks very much as if a Starner government will be following the same pattern. The Independent ...
The more important a policy area is to the public, the worse the public rates the government on it in new polling from Ipsos.
For some reason I 've been reminded of this song by the week's political events. Written by Russ Ballard and released in 1970, Liar was Argent's first single. It was not a hit, but Three Dog Night took it into the US top 10 the following year. Similarly, when I saw the Zombies play Market Harborough Leisure Centre, Rod Argent was at pains to point out that God Gave Rock and Roll to You, later a big hit for Kiss, was an Argent song first. Quite why Argent weren't more successful is a bit of a mystery to me, but ...
Technically born Beatrice Nancy Seear, but known by her middle name, Nancy Seear in her time was one of the most prominent female politicians for the Liberals and then Liberal Democrats, feared for her formidable grasp of detail.
Ukraine The Ukrainian counter-offensive has begun. It has coincided with the at least partial collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam which has literally muddied the waters. Ukraine's generals are continuing to wrap their military plans in a dense fog of war. For weeks artillery barrages, drone strikes and the occasional incursive attack have been softening up the roughly 600-mile Russian defensive line. Then the attack started Tuesday with the war's first night attacks on Wednesday and Thursday. Given the length of the frontline, Russian troops are inevitably spread thinly. But at the same time they are well dug in. Moscow's ...
We have received further concerns about the continual mess at the Eurobins in Rosefield Place. Most are council bins but there is also private contractor provision here. As well as asking for a clean-up, we have requested a review of bin collection arrangements here as the street near the junction with Blackness Road is regularly a mess.
