Truss speech on economic growth like an arsonist giving fire safety talk Commenting on Liz Truss's expected speech at the Institute for Government on Monday 18th September, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: Liz Truss giving a speech on economic growth is like an arsonist giving a talk on fire safety. The Conservatives blew a hole in the nation's finances, added hundreds of pounds to people's mortgages and are still fighting like rats in a sack as our economy flatlines. People are fed up with this endless Conservative chaos while the cost of living soars and our public ...
Until last night's Dispatches, I had never seen Russell Brand's comedy act. I now look back on those days with affection. But that doesn't mean I wasn't aware of him. As I complained in 2013:Russell Brand turned up writing on football for the Guardian. He guest edits the New Statesman. He's interviewed on Newsnight. I can't get away from him. He wasn't much of a sportswriter and his political views on Newsnight were ridiculous - a bunch of media-left slogans and a call for unelected officials to tax us all. But then why should he be expected to be an ...
Sun 17th
18:13
What has the crumbling concrete crisis done to Conservative poll ratings? - The Week in Polls
The latest edition of my weekly political polling round-up, The Week in Polls, is out. As it says: It was the Westminster government's announcement on 31 August that 156 schools had been identified as having a type of concrete prone to collapse that catapulted RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) from an obscure acronym in occasional news stories1 into a major political story. There's a fascinating long read yet to be written about why RAAC has become news now, given that, for example, The Standing Committee on Structural Safety back in 2019 warned of the risks, highlighting collapses in schools that ...
On Thursday 21 September, Shropshire Council is expected to approve plans for a pyrolysis plant in Shropshire. This a plant that heats carbon waste from farming and forestry and creates biochar which stores carbon. Biochar can be used to improve the quality of soil increasing crop yields. A £2million plant in Shropshire would be the first to be owned by a local authority cementing (if that's the right word) its commitment to tackling climate change. Shropshire Council is considering three locations for the pyrolysis plant: the former highways depot at Cantern Brook, Bridgnorth; Battlefield in Shrewsbury; and the former biodigester ...
I wore my shorts this one more time in angsty hope, in optimism that showing willing by my token I might persuade the summer it should linger one more day, even perhaps another hour or two, before it flits away... But it was over yesterday.
In less than 5 days, after a gruelling 6:40 am flight, I hope to be in beautiful Bournemouth, my favourite Autumn Conference venue. We last met there in 2019. It was fantastic to see my friends in York in March, but Autumn Conference has the length and girth to satisfy even the most ardent activist. I have revamped my Guide to the Craziness of Conference for this year. Enjoy. And if you have any questions, ask away in the comments. Federal Conference is probably the best fun that you will ever have in your life. You will thoroughly enjoy every ...
Calexico are a band from Tucson, Arizona, whose music is infused with the desert and the Mexican border. And Black Heart is a track from their 2003 breakthrough album Feast of Wire. The music website Pitchfork was euphoric about that album: Calexico have always been restless experimenters, juxtaposers and journeymen, crafting a unique fusion of bluesy Mariachi, desert-rock and jazz, and injecting healthy doses of experimentation into the otherwise straightforward records on which they've made guest appearances. Yet, for their innovation and distinctive sound, their albums have always had their weak spots - moments in which their ideas seemed to ...
The fuss over a Parliamentary researcher, who has been accused of spying for the Chinese and subsequently arrested, has taken an interesting turn, with the Mirror reporting that the Tories were forced to drop two would-be election candidates after MI5 warned they could be Chinese spies. Health Minister Maria Caulfield insisted the party acted "swiftly" after receiving intelligence the potential candidates to be MPs could be working covertly for China. "I think whichever party is in government, there will always be those who are trying to target it, either to get information or to influence," she told Times Radio. "The ...
Do we face a housing crisis in Britain? It might not seem like it if you bought your house 20 years ago, but for everybody renting, or trying to buy, it's out of control. Consider these astonishing facts. Britain spends more on housing benefits than any other rich country. New houses in Britain are smaller than every other western European country. Dutch people, who live in one of the world's most densely populated countries, live in houses 21% bigger than Brits. Britain's homes are cold and damp and expensive to heat too. Recent studies show that we have among the ...
From the City Council : THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of Scottish Water iron work repairs HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Riverside Drive (prohibition of right turn into Bridgeview Café car park), Dundee. This notice comes into effect on Sunday 17 September 2023 at 9am until Monday 18 September 2023 at 6am. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes for vehicles are available via Riverside Drive (eastbound) / Tesco roundabout / Riverside Drive (westbound). ...
