I thought about putting Layla's speech in the last post, but I didn't want it getting lost. Her clarity and wisdom and persuasiveness, and her liberal desire to bring people together have been a huge credit to her and to this party in recent months. We can all be incredibly proud of her, especially when this has been so personally painful for her. She spoke in the debate and her words in full are below: I am speechless at the way this debate began. As the House knows, there has been scant opportunity for me to tell the story not ...
Wed 21st
21:17
Ed on tonight's drama in Parliament: We need an urgent end to the humanitarian catastrophe
So I managed to sleep thoughout tonight's drama. Waking up to a phone glowing with WhatsApp messages, I realised there had been a bit of a rammy in the Commons. I checked out the BBC summary and my immediate and instinctive reaction is that the Speaker had been right to allow votes on three distinctive positions on such a huge issue. The SNP's motion called for an immediate ceasefire, the Government's called for a humanitarian pause and Labour's had a bit more meat on its bones about how you actually get to a lasting peace. Normally on an opposition day, ...
Gordon Birtwistle, who was the Liberal Democrat MP for Burnley between 2010 and 2015, has been chosen to fight the seat again at the coming general election. And interviewed for the Burnley Express, he says he believes he has a chance of winning: Speaking to the Burnley Express from his home of more than 40 years in Burnley, the grandfather-of-five said the Conservatives had made a mess of the country's economy, and believed he was in a two-way fight in Burnley with Labour candidate Oliver Ryan. The 80-year-old, who has said he is fighting fit, believes a large chunk of ...
'Conservatives have a hypersensitivity to threat' I'm starting this week's blog with a statement made by various American political scientists and anthropologists. It's a matter of debate, but if true it means that conservatives are anxious about perceived and real threats in a way that us liberals aren't. The power of potential threats has been ... Continue reading Loopy Liz and her imaginary enemies
Anyone watching business in the House of Commons this afternoon will have witnessed the undignified sight of the SNP, the Conservatives and the Labour Party using the plight of Gazan Palestinians to play an absurd game of political football. None of them come away with much credit from a charade in which party interests come before human rights. Oh, what a circus it's all been... but the bottom line is that what is happening in Gaza appears to be of secondary interest to the players at Westminster than the usual political games we have come to associate with Opposition Day ...
Yesterday morning, Dr Rachel Clarke and healthcare professionals were disgustingly abused on social media for telling how it was as the Coronavirus Pandemic unfolded. The ITV drama Breathtaking, shown this week, is an adaptation of Clarke's novel about the impact of the pandemic on hospital staff. Healthcare staff making TikTok videos weren't sacrificing patient care – it was on breaks and days off. With what we were dealing with, why do many begrudge us trying to raise our own morale then? When nurses couldn't buy groceries because supermarkets were stripped by the time they got off shift? Hospital staff being ...
The Stray Ferret reports that Pat Marsh, a Liberal Democrat member of North Yorkshire Council until she was suspended from the party after tweets she sent came to light, has been released from custody after being arrested yesterday. It quote a statement from North Yorkshire Police: "A woman who was arrested in connection with an investigation into anti-semitic 'tweets' shared on X has been released under investigation whilst enquires continue. "She was arrested yesterday (Tuesday, February 20) on suspicion of displaying threatening, abusive, or insulting written material with intent or likely to stir up racial hatred. "An investigation is underway ...
These pretty sparkly coasters are easy an easy project to make with my free pattern: Crochet Sparkle Coaster Pattern Recommended yarn: Lincatex Gold Rush® decorative metallised thread (1 x 20g ball per 4 coasters) Recommended hook size: 3.00 mm (11) Approx diameter: 10.5cm Round 1: 4 chain, join with a slipstitch to form a ring. Round 2: 3 chain, followed by 15 trebles into ring, slipstitch into top of 3 chain. Round 3: 5 chain, 1 treble into same stitch (equals 1treble, 2 chain, 1 treble), *miss one stitch, 1treble, 2 chain, 1 treble into next stitch**. Repeat from * ...
Focus on Sunniside has now been delivered. Hooray! The last patch went out over the weekend when one of our helpers took the Streetgate area. This patch has grown by 89 houses in recent years due to new house building. With my ward's Focus now fully delivered, I was able to spend some time in Saltwell over the weekend, helping to deliver our latest Focus there. I hear on the grapevine
The Guardian reports that Food businesses sending products to the EU have had to fork out an extra £170m in export costs because of Brexit red tape, with the changes described as being "catastrophic" for some exporters. The paper says that in the three years since leaving the single market, exporters of foods of animal origin have had to pay the sums to secure sign-offs by vets before they can send their shipments: In the past 12 months alone, exporters have paid more than £58m. The extra costs have resulted in a sharp fall in exports, particularly among smaller producers, ...
Tim Farron is going to be speaking to the National Farmers' Union today and he'll set out a rescue package for Britain's farmers who have essentially been done over by the Government in so many ways. Whether it's post-Brexit payments, unworkable rules on workers visas or trade deals that put our own farmers at a disadvantage, the party is announcing its solution, which includes an extra £1 billion for farmers. Tim said: British farmers need to be rescued from years of Conservative neglect and failed rural policies, which have left our countryside in dire need of help. For too long ...
