The latest edition of my weekly political polling round-up, The Week in Polls, is out. As it says: Welcome to the 82nd edition of The Week in Polls, featuring David Cameron. Looking at his popularity wasn't on my editorial ideas shortlist, longlist or even the not-yet-made-it-to-a-list list. But then there was the Cabinet reshuffle. So Cameron it is. 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 inbox:
Celia Richardson from the National Trust answers questions about the organisation and the culture war: "Some commentators have taken an interest and pointed out the unusual nature and frequency of those 'trouble at the National Trust' headlines, especially in the long run up to our AGM each year. I've also been pleased to see political research that shows we are held in equally high esteem by voters across the political spectrum." "The outcome of the Brexit referendum took most of the political class by surprise. That was because much of that class was detached from individuals' lived experience and better ...
One tiny spark of light on the otherwise gloomy scene of UK politics is that our brand new (or should that be "soiled"?) foreign secretary , Lord (David) Cameron is reported to wish to "unlock billions of dollars of overseas aid." Sadly no hard figures are mentioned, nor any reference to a date for restoring the UK's aid budget to 0.7% of GDP. (That is in the Liberal Democrat proposals for our next manifesto: will it be in Labour's?) Be that as it may, the "wish" is a welcome move in the correct direction, though the "right" might not welcome ...
Sun 19th
14:55
In Full: Willie Rennie's Charles Kennedy Lecture on the importance of listening in a noisy world
Every year, round about Charles Kennedy's birthday on 25th November, the Charles Kennedy Lecture takes place in his memory. Willie Rennie was invited to deliver this year's and chose the topic "Listening in a noisy World." It's worth reading the whole thing as it sets out how we as liberals have such an important role in breaking down barriers and bringing people together. He also gives examples of how really persisting with someone can help us all. One of the things I noticed from reading his speech was that there don't seem to have been any women giving this lecture ...
At the height of his fame, the Radio 1 disc jockey Stuart Henry had 11 million people listening to his Saturday morning show. I was one of them, and it was there - around 1971 - that I first became aware of David Bowie. Henry, as I remember it, was always talking about the Bowie albums Hunky Dory and - later - Aladdin Sane. It was also through Henry that I first heard Lou Reed, particularly Walk on the Wild Side and Satellite of Love. So when choosing Queen Bitch, a song Bowie wrote under the influence of and as ...
Ashley Ridley has been chosen by Liberal Democrat members to stand in Brighton Pavilion, a seat which has been held by the Greens since 2010.
Lib Dem London Mayoral Candidate Rob Blackie has been persistent in holding the Mayor to account over civil liberties issues. He has identified through Freedom of Information requests that the Metropolitan Police has made little progress on crucial research into stop and search, three years on from promising to do so. The answers show that the Mayor's office has failed to get the Met to make any meaningful progress on the bodycam research project: In June 2023 the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime stated to Rob Blackie: MOPAC held debrief sessions with the Met in October 2022 to discuss ...
Football fans across the country were rightly appalled by pictures of two Sheffield Wednesday fans appearing to use the image of a young cancer victim to mock their opponents. One imagines that if, as seems likely, they both receive lengthy bans from all football grounds in the country, few tears will be shed. Certainly not from the Lowery family, who have acted with dignity throughout. However, the ramifications have gone further than this. The pair were both arrested, and the man holding up the image has been charged with a public order offence and sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, ...
Data from the British Election Study via Will Jennings shows that Labour support is highest among those who shop at ALDI.
China and USA The Sino-American goalposts have changed. Two years ago, the Chinese economy was booming and the US was struggling to emerge from a damaging coronavirus pandemic. But as Presidents Biden and XI met in San Francisco this week the American economy was booming at 4.7 percent. The Chinese economy was reeling from a burst property bubble and government crackdowns have led to a flight of foreign capital. When the Chinese star was in the ascendant so were the sabre-rattling "Wolf Warriors". But the changed circumstances has led to the dismissal of bellicose foreign minister Qin Gang and last ...
The City Council is keen to encourage nominations of Community Councillors to join the West End Community Council. The purpose of a community council is to : + Act as a voice for local people+ Actively seek views and concerns in the area+ Make public bodies aware of local needs and opinions If you wish to become a Community Councillor, you must have a completed nomination form returned to the Community Council Liaison Officer. All relevant information on becoming a Community Councillor, a map of the West End Community Council boundary and nomination form can be viewed and downloaded online ...
