Having written about the Conservatives and their conspiracy theory ideas about fifteen minute cities, I thought that I ought to find out more. And, much to my surprise, I am a guinea pig in just such an experiment. The map shown comes from Ipswich Central, the Business Improvement District for the town, and shows the area defined by the "Connected Town" project, launched with some fanfare in 2021 and supported by £25 million of public money supplied by... the Conservative Government. Indeed, the funding was announced by some chap called Rishi Sunak. I wonder whatever happened to him? Yes, it ...
Day 3 of the Lib Dem conference at Bournemouth. I started at the food and farming debate, then took my seat for a speech by Kira Rudik, Leader of the Ukrainian Liberal Party. Lunch was at the British Association for Shooting and Conservation, and after this I went to the National Farmers' Union where Tim Farron and Ed Davey were the guest speakers. The day finished at the Lib Dem Parliamentary
Twenty's plenty: 20 Conservative politicians and Councils who backed 20 mph zones Ed Davey slams Sunak over Conservative conference chaos on visit to Mid Bedfordshire Twenty's plenty: 20 Conservative politicians and Councils who backed 20 mph zones The Liberal Democrats have accused Rishi Sunak of "rank hypocrisy" and "playing politics with road safety" for criticising 20 mph zones, despite Conservative politicians across the country backing them. It comes as analysis by the party reveals a list of 20 Conservative MPs and Councils, including three Cabinet Ministers, that have backed 20 mph speed limits. Among those who have previously backed 20 ...
We've seen that the third actor to play Malcolm Saville's child character (and my first literary hero) Dickie Morton was tried for murder at the Old Bailey as a young man. That was Cavan Malone, who was acquitted within minutes by the jury on the grounds of self-defence. He continued acting for some years and played the first bridegroom in Coronation Street - he married Annie Walker's daughter - but was to die in 1982 aged only 45. But who were the first two actors to play Dickie? The second Dickie was a woman. Elaine MacNamara took the part in ...
There's been a recent government announcement about ME/CFS which deserves some attention. As the government says: Plans to help improve the lives of people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) have been outlined by the government today and a consultation launched on how best to deliver the plan. The interim delivery plan identifies how care and support for those who experience ME/CFS can be practically improved, and sets out the next steps necessary to improve understanding of ME/CFS and support for those affected. Further down the report it adds: ME/CFS is a long-term health condition that remains poorly understood, ...
I wrote a couple of weeks back about the challenge of responding to climate breakdown. In particular, I wrote about the need to mitigate climate change, to adapt to its impacts and to enhance our resilience to climate-related shocks. I also mentioned that there are, in my view, different scales at which we can do these things. And it's this idea of scales of action that I'd like to explore in a little more detail. I've taken to thinking about our response to climate breakdown in terms of zones of action. And while I'm still in the early days of ...
"If the introduction of proportional representation is a Lib Dem red line, then the party needs to work out now how it would secure the political commitment to change, and the process for achieving it." Jess Sargeant says the Liberal Democrats must learn from their failure to achieve constitutional reform during the Coalition years. Daniel Dennett is interviewed by Taylor McNeil about his career as a philosopher and his hopes and fears for the future: "AI systems, like all software, are replicable with high fidelity and unbelievably fast mutations. If you have high fidelity replication and mutations, then you have ...
Every political decision has conmsequences, and HS2 is no exception. As commentators have pointed out even 'The Thick of it' would not have staged a political conference in Manchester, only to use it to cancel a major transport route to...Manchester! Rishi Sunak and his Tory cronies are beyond satire. Nevertheless, as the Independent reports, the Manchester leg of HS2 is being considered for cancellation, as was the Leeds leg before it, leaving high speed rail and the levelling up agenda hanging over a political cliff face. But, what does this mean for Wales? As readers of this blog will know, ...
Fraser's weekly ward surgeries take place later today and every Tuesday during school term time. They are as follows : Tuesdays at 5pm prompt - Blackness Library Tuesdays at 5.45pm prompt - Ancrum Road Primary School All residents welcome - no appointment necessary.
My video diary of the 2nd day at Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth. Health and education debates took place, Daisy Cooper gave a great speech, I checked out by-election cheesy props, I popped in to the Liberty Network fringe, in the afternoon I went to Ed Davey's Q&A and in the evening I rounded off my day by going to an LGBT meeting followed by the ALDC/LGA reception.
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