Leicestershire's Rehan Ahmed was England's most economical bowler in today's 50-over international against the West Indies, with 2-40 off his 10 overs. As I write, Brook and Buttler are knocking off the runs after an earlier wobble, but who knows with England at the moment? Ahmed was bowling in the nets to England batsmen when he was 12. This video shows Shane Warne watching him the following summer year and being impressed. One notable thing about Ahmed is that, like Warne and unlike many other wrist spinners, he has a simple and classical bowling action. Here's to the future.
We're sure to have a General Election in 2024, the next most important elections will be for London Mayor and the Greater London Assembly. I think now Is a good time to reflect on the Lib Dems platform for London last time around and how it is likely to change, a lot has happened in ... Continue reading A Liberal vision for Urban Britain
Lord Bonkers loses no opportunity within the party's inner counsels to oppose any move for us to have a new logo. The reason, I now realise, is that he doesn't want to be faced with playing host to "that wretched creature" for the rest of its days. Saturday Libby, the Liberal Democrats' mascot, is, as I have observed before, a foul-smelling bird of uncertain temper. When I give her the run of the Bonkers Hall Estate over the summer recess so she can breathe some fresh country air, it generally proves more of a duty than a pleasure. Of late, ...
Last weekend I went to Cambridge for a very special event – the wedding of two Lib Dem legends, Mick Taylor and Joye Rosenstiel. Mick is a former Calderdale Councillor and has been a parliamentary candidate in Calder Valley and in other seats in the North West. He's a great friend of the site and a regular contributor in our comments. Joye was a Councillor in Cambridge for 26 years and Mayor from 1994-95. She has also been Church Warden of Great St Mary's Church in central Cambridge. The wedding was a wonderfully relaxed and happy event. There were two ...
Last week we brought you news that 30 senior Liberal Democrats had written to the Guardian to say that the party should have a bolder, more distinctive offer to voters. It's only fair that we bring you the party president's letter to the Guardian, defending the party against these claims. Mark Pack said: Far from being too cautious, the Liberal Democrats under Ed Davey have shown incredible boldness (Lib Dems are being too cautious, say senior party members, 29 November). We are the only party committed to 0.7% on international aid, to proportional representation and to combating climate change. Above ...
As the countdown to the General Election begins, people grow increasingly nervous. The spectres of triumph and disaster lurk hidden from view as we approach the electoral starting gate. Some with long memories fear the false step - the promise to reverse Brexit without referendum, the trumpeted amnesty to illegal immigrants etc. Some with equally long memories bemoan a lack of boldness and differentiation - where is the penny on income tax for education ? Much my depend on your local political geography. In the leafier parts of the South saying 'we are not the Tories' may be sufficient. In ...
It's important to remind people that we were Britain's original Green Party. We were into environmentalism in the 1920s when the Liberal Party's Yellow Book proposed setting up national parks. The party's manifesto at the February 1974 general election was one of the greenest ever, and the Liberals had policies in the 1979 manifesto decrying the measurement of economic growth in terms of GDP. It's also important to remember that being the first doesn't mean we remain the authority on political representation of environmentalism. Far from it. In a YouGov opinion poll five months ago that asked "Which political party ...
Byline Times reports on the latest Tory Government double standards as they do everything they can to gerrymander the electoral system in their favour. They say that the government has been accused of "corrupting democracy" as it pushes through legislation that will allow Brits living overseas to have their identity confirmed by an existing UK voter - while rejecting calls for the same rules to apply to in-person voters who lack photo ID: A little-known piece of legislation - the Draft Representation of the People (Overseas Electors etc.) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 - is currently sitting in Parliament after being drawn ...
