After a long and thorough debate, the Second Reading of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has just been overwhelmingly passed by the House of Commons – the voting was 383 for and 67 against. This is the Bill that will make it illegal for people born in or after 2009 to buy tobacco products in the UK. Five Liberal Democrat MPs voted in favour of the bill – none voted against. The five Lib Dems are in the graphic above from the Parliamentary website. You can find the full list of MPs voting in tonight's bill division here. * Paul ...
Here is the full speech from Daisy Cooper this afternoon, in the debate on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the House of Commons. Daisy is Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and Social Care and our Deputy Leader: First, I want to put on record my thanks to the public health Minister the right hon. Member for South Northamptonshire (Dame Andrea Leadsom) and the chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty, who spent time answering my questions and those of some of my colleagues. It was a very collegiate exercise and I am grateful to the right hon. Lady. It would ...
Another outing with Trekking Exploration - find out how to support this channel.
Tue 16th
12:07
Mark Pack's April report - What does a successful Westminster general election campaign look like?
Seats... and capacity We may not yet know when the date of the Westminster general election will be. But we do know what success will look like. For older readers, please think of 1983. For younger readers, please think of 2019. Neither of these Westminster general elections are remembered as a triumph for us or our predecessors. In 1983 we got 25% of the vote... but only 23 seats. In 2019, our vote share went up by a chunky 4%... but our seat tally fell by 1. When it comes to judging success and failure in a first-past-the-post general election, ...
President Biden has condemned Iran's attack on Israel "in the strongest possible terms." The British Prime Minister has described it as "reckless." Yet both these leaders, and their governments have, consistently over a period of six months, strenuously insisted on Israel's right to "defend itself " (ie respond) to the Hamas attack on their citizens on 7th October. Surely "what is sauce for the goose [should be] sauce for the gander." Israel's attack on the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, which killed two of Iran's senior generals and several others, took place on 1st April. Both the US and British ...
There was a twelve minute interview with Ed Davey this morning on BBC Breakfast. Twelve minutes! You can watch the interview here – move the slider to 01:30:15 (just under halfway through) to see the start. The exchange started with the news, highlighted by the LibDems, that 72% of car thefts were not attended by the police last year. Ed said the Conservatives are "asleep at the wheel on crime" and that the LibDems would tackle the shortage of detectives. On the Middle East, Ed said that the Irnanian attack at the weekend was "shocking" and said he was worried ...
Another video that is worth another posting. The Go-Between was filmed in 1971 by Joseph Losey. In this video, Dominic Guard, who played Leo, talks about the experience of making the film. It's required listening for anyone who admires the film or the novel. And, as Guard grew up to be a child psychotherapist, it has things to say about the issues they raise.
A large number of the commentariat have been shocked by the recent announcement of ninety job losses at the National Museum and Galleries of Wales, but more so by the claim by Museum Wales' chief executive Jane Richardson's that she may be forced to close one of its best known buildings, National Museum Cardiff, because of its deteriorating condition. Naturally, the new First Minister was approached for a comment and, true to form, he demonstrated his trademark political clay feet by failing to even allay people's concerns. As the BBC report, at his press conference in Ebbw Vale on Monday, ...
Fraser's ward surgeries commence again today following the return of the schools this week after the Easter holidays. 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.
