Josh Self praises Keir Starmer's role in the downfall of Boris Johnson. Was Captain Hindsight really Admiral Foresight? "'It's one more book - just throw it on the bonfire,' Spiegelman told me ruefully, suggesting the impulse to target books seems to have a built-in tendency to expand, sweeping in even his Pulitzer-winning Maus under absurd pretences." In Missouri, reports Greg Sargent, the American right's appetite for removing books from schools now threatens to consume Art Spiegelman's graphic novel about the Holocaust." Liane Castle finds Ashford in Kent is mourning its lost links to Europe. "If we have learned anything from ...
Partygate video should make Ministers "sick to their stomachs" Apology is too little too late Partygate video should make Ministers "sick to their stomachs" Responding to the new Partygate video, as seen in The Mirror, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: Conservative MPs and Ministers should be sick to their stomachs seeing this new Partygate footage. While families grieved and NHS staff worked on the front line, Conservative Campaign Headquarters partied. What's worse is the current Prime Minister granted Boris Johnson's request to give some of these people honours. There are thousands of families out there who deserve ...
Sun 18th
18:44
What happens when you check the polling numbers in a Times column? - The Week in Polls
The latest edition of my weekly political polling round-up, The Week in Polls, is out. As it says: It is hardly a surprise that Emma Duncan's piece for The Times saying, "We should cheer decline of humanities degrees" has attracted a lot of attention, not necessarily positive. Particularly as she's a visiting fellow at an institution that embraces humanities degrees itself... As more than enough has already been tweeted about her article overall, let's zoom in on one paragraph. It contains some polling evidence on which we can deploy those humanities degree honed skills of checking the sources, looking at ...
David Warburton, the MP for Somerton and Frome, has announced that he is to resign from the Commons. He lost the Conservative whip over a year ago because of allegations of drug use and sexual harassment. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards had already found that he received a £150,000 loan from a Russian businessman without declaring it. In his resignation letter Warburton admits cocaine use - after drinking 'tons of incredibly potent' Japanese whisky - but denies the harassment allegations and paints himself as the victim in the whole affair. Somerton and Frome was a Liberal Democrat seat, represented by ...
All creeds, all colours and all faiths co-exist in reasonable harmony in the city of Liverpool as we could see all weekend at the tremendous Africa Oye Festival. I don't want to boast but I have had a great weekend in Liverpool. In fact, all the weekend I seem to have gone to many parts ... ... Continue reading →
Gateshead Lib Dems held a thank you party at the Gateshead Legion Club in Saltwell on Friday. And we had lots of celebrate following the two gains from Labour in the local elections last month. There was a buffet, quiz and raffle. A great time was had by all.
We are often asked to bring some of our livestock from our farm to local fairs. On Thursday, 15th June we headed to Cloverhill School fair with two of our lambs - Lady Ba Ba and Britney Shears. Both were a hit with children and parents alike.
Gateshead Lib Dems published another eFocus last week, edition no. 183. Issues covered include: Local Lib Dem Team says "Thank You!"; Local election results; The picture across Gateshead; Changes to local wards; Time to cut Gateshead Council down to size; Church Green flowerbeds ready for summer; Date for Dunston Pool decision; Planting Up Sunniside launched; Volunteering at
I recently decided to book my place at Lib Dem conference in September. The booking went in 3 hours before the early bird offer ended. Last year I booked a place at Brighton conference. The hotel was booked. I had even booked my seat on the coach service (the train network was expected to be closed due to strike action) and then the Queen died, causing conference to be cancelled. Fortunately I
A new group of volunteers has been set up in Sunniside, called Planting Up Sunniside, which will plant up and maintain flowerbeds on Sunniside Front Street and at Streetgate. It operates in a way similar to Planting Up Whickham. They have already made a start, having tidied and replanted the raised beds on Granby Terrace on the Front Street. I have been advising them as the local councillor and
Ukraine War Is Hell and as Zelensky's troops enter the second week of their counter offensive it is clear that Ukraine is the seventh circle. The Ukrainians are taking heavy losses for so far minimal gains as they hurl themselves against an elaborate Russian "defense in depth." President Zelensky has said that the counter offensive is going according to plan. General Mark Milley, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, more phlegmatically reported: "It is a very difficult fight." The Ukrainians have had some success in the Donetsk region where they appear to have regained about 40 square miles ...
Many thanks to The Little Green Larder in Perth Road for the invitation to its relaunch event last night, to celebrate the recent revamping of the shop. We're pictured with Jillian Crabb, owner of The Little Green Larder. The shop puts the planet and the people in our community at the forefront of everything it does. Alongside donating a portion of its profits, it has fundraised over £4 500 for local businesses and charities since opening in 2019. It also donate excess food to community fridges, and dried foods to our local food banks. Wishing Jillian and team all the ...
Who were the coolest band in Leicester in the late Sixties? The consensus, I think, would be Family, but they had a rival in the shape of Legay, who later renamed themselves Gypsy. I came across Legay in old newspapers because, like Jethro Tull, they played the Frolickin Kneecap in Market Harborough. But Bryan Hemmings goes back a long way with the band: Legay, later to become Gypsy, had that almost undefinable quality that most times makes the crucial difference. In a parallel universe, somewhere, things probably turned out a lot better for them. And I'm probably a successful novelist. ...
