Mortgage repossession claims reach five-year high as families risk losing their homes to Conservative chaos Carer's Allowance report: Government cannot bury its head in the sand Scottish Liberal Democrat conference to call on Swinney to ditch SNP's takeover of social care Welsh Lib Dems call for foster carer salary Cole-Hamilton urges First Minister to tackle rural healthcare crisis Mortgage repossession claims reach five-year high as families risk losing their homes to Conservative chaos Mortgage possession claims have reached their highest level since 2019 as soaring mortgage rates since the mini budget hit homeowners, figures published by the Ministry of Justice ...
Thu 16th
22:19
Lydd on Sea and Dungeness station - with a note on the origins of the Jack Straw Memorial Reform Sch...
Atmospheric photographs and atmospheric music. The blurb on YouTube explains what we are looking at: Although the trackbed from Romney Junction towards New Romney is easily traceable, nothing remains of Lydd-on-Sea Halt today except for a gated concrete approach road from Kerton Road. Promoted by holiday camp development in the area, the Southern Railway decided in 1937 to realign its branch line to New Romney (which had been opened in 1884) closer to the sea and to open two intermediate stations - Lydd-on-Sea and Greatstone-on-Sea. The opening of Lydd-on-Sea on 4 July 1937 coincided with the closure of Dungeness station ...
As there are no principal authority council by-elections this week, here's a re-run of my piece from earlier this year on why it matters having more Lib Dem candidates in more council contests, including council by-elections: When we debate party policy, strategy or election tactics, questions about what might attract or put off voters often – and rightly – come up. But there's one sure-fire, 100% guaranteed, rock-solid way of repelling voters from us, and it's one we use far too often. It's not having a Liberal Democrat on the ballot paper. Zero votes for the party guaranteed. Both Labour ...
As was confidently predicted by military experts in the days following October 7, Israel has not destroyed Hamas by invading Gaza, and it's clearly not going to. Despite having to re-engage with Hamas in the previously "cleared" northern Gaza, it has started to inflict further suffering on the one and a half million people seeking refuge in Rafah, in what Netanyahu says is the final stage of clearing Gaza of Hamas fighters. He knows most of the people are civilians, and that many are women or children, but he has no other plan, and would probably have seen the collapse ...
Listeners to the latest Private Eye podcast risk coming away from it believing it's possible to stop new houses being built on a local open space simply by getting up a petition. I suppose it's London's domination of political media that leads to such odd beliefs being held by intelligent people, The left is convinced that Nimbys stop all development. The right believes it's the planning laws that have that effect. Both are mistaken. Come away from the capital to Middle England and you will find small towns surrounded by successive rings of new development and local council that are ...
This post is based on article which was published on Liberal Democrat Voice 15th May and subsequent comments: A friend who hoards his newspapers for years has just passed on to me an interview by Roy Hattersley with J K Galbraith in the latter's 90th year (1998) The article is headlined "Sage of the Century"* and there is no doubt that, after Keynes's death, Galbraith was the pre-eminent economist of the second half twentieth century. He got most things right (including opposition to the Vietnam War) and many of the issues raised in the interview are as relevant today ...
"Over the past decade the Conservative Party has taken millions of pounds from individuals and businesses with ties to Russia. Just this week it was revealed that JCB, which is owned by a major Conservative donor, continued to send equipment to Russia for months after Putin's invasion of Ukraine, despite publicly saying that they wouldn't. This is not a one off. Over the past decade, Russia-linked donors have repeatedly been given access to senior Conservative ministers after donating to the party. This culminated in the absurd spectacle of former Prime Ministers David Cameron and Boris Johnson." Adam Bienkov reminds us ...
Whatever the reasons given, it surely cannot be a coincidence that the postponement of the Welsh Government's shake up in council tax takes the implementation of the reform to 2028, past the next Senedd Election. This effective u-turn comes after a similar decision to postpone and change the implementation of new farming subsidy rules, and of course, the u-turn on the default 20mph speed limit. Are the Welsh Government getting nervous of public opinion all of a sudden, that they are prepared to back down on key policy initiatives to avoid controversy? If it is really the case that the ...
The ENDS Report is a UK online magazine that provides, in its own words, "intelligence for environmental professionals, delivering news, analysis and reference across the carbon, environmental and sustainability agenda." Every year it publishes the Power List of 100 environmentalists who have made the greatest impact. It normally excludes politicians from the Power List, but with an imminent General Election it has published a separate list of 50 politicians who have been notable changemakers, rebels and local environmental leaders. It includes a number of Lib Dems. Bobby Dean Bobby is a councillor in Sutton and our PPC for Carshalton & ...
Public satisfaction with the state of Shropshire's highways is dismally low with an approval rating of just 40%. The roads for which Shropshire Council is responsible have not improved overall since the council was established in 2009 and minor roads have got worse. The budget for highways is half the level of 15 years ago in real terms. And don't mention the potholes and nearly impassable roads. The plague of potholes around the county is the most obvious symbol of the decline in our local council services. The condition of many road surfaces is very poor. This is not just ...
Michael's ward surgeries take place today and every Thursday during school term time. They are as follows : Thursdays at 5.45pm prompt - West End Campus (come to reception area of St Joseph's RC and Victoria Park Primary Schools) Thursdays at 6.30pm prompt - Harris Academy reception area All welcome - no appointment necessary!
