Scottish Liberal Democrats call for climate-focused industrial strategy "Free transport the key to fighting child poverty" – Welsh Lib Dems "We cannot fail our children in the fight against racism" – Welsh Lib Dems Scottish Liberal Democrats call for climate-focused industrial strategy Scottish Liberal Democrat deputy leader Wendy Chamberlain today laid out her party's plans for a new industrial strategy "which has tackling the climate emergency at its heart" during a visit to a clean power-start up. Wendy Chamberlain was at PlusZero, a Harris-based company specialising in the production, distribution and operation of green hydrogen. The Scottish Liberal Democrats would ...
Wed 12th
23:48
Post Office Scandal: A blog that keeps you up to date with the inquiry and other developments
Yesterday saw two eminent lawyers appearing in front of the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry: Anthony de Garr Robinson KC and Lord Grabiner KC. This gives me a chance to recommend the entertaining blog on the inquiry written by Nick Wallis, whose reporting did much to bring the scandal to light. Here are his two posts on the day. First de Garr Robinson: Poor old Tony Robinson, just trying to make an honest crust defending his client, whilst being misled by his instructing solicitors (Womble Bond Dickinson), his client's supplier (Fujitsu) or possibly even his client - the Post Office! ...
Ron Beadle was adopted as Lib Dem candidate for Gateshead Central and Whickham recently. This is his adoption speech.
GDP: Conservatives have utterly failed to deliver the growth promised Ed Davey calls for young carers to receive education support as latest TV broadcast released Thames Triathletes sickness: Environment Agency investigation needed Craig Williams bet on election date: Sunak must suspend him Conservatives: Record of failure on defence Sky Leaders' Debate: Sunak "out of touch" on NHS waiting lists GDP: Conservatives have utterly failed to deliver the growth promised Commenting on the latest GDP estimates, Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney said: As Rishi Sunak's time as Prime Minister peters out, so does the UK's economic growth. The Conservatives have ...
A "Young Carer's Premium" to help young carers in school is just one of the measures the Lib Dems would implement to help and support carers. In the latest video he talks to a young woman, in the middle of her A levels, who cares for her autistic brother. Ed said: When I speak to young carers and listen to their experiences, it's clear they have so many skills and so much to offer. But many just aren't getting the support they need to balance their education with caring for loved ones. "We need to support those who give so ...
Chipping Barnett is a plush North London suburb. I can't think of any links between Chipping Barnett and Gateshead. Until now. Chipping Barnett is home to Labour's candidate for Gateshead Central and Whickham. Local Lib Dems have helpfully produced this map to show Labour's candidate living 300km away from the constituency into which he was parachuted by his chums on Labour's NEC.The
I shall be away on holiday all next week (hiking, based on Arnside in the southern Lake District) so shall spend all Friday worrying about what I have/haven't packed (it is predicted to be wet rather than sunny), so won't have much chance to absorb whatever is in the Labour manifesto. However I suspect it will be pretty much "the mixture as before:" economic policy hemmed in by parameters set by the Tories, restrained hostility towards immigrants, timidity towards Europe and no change in the political system which is demonstrably inefficient but which they think will give them their turn ...
Wed 12th
13:56Ed Davey bets a pint of cider that one of his Somerset candidates will win a larger majority than hi...
Embed from Getty ImagesThis just in from The Midsomer Norton, Radstock & District Journal with the Chew Valley & Wrington Vale Gazette: Ms Dyke triumphed in the Somerton and Frome by-election almost a year ago, ending up with a larger parliamentary majority than her party leader. The two made a light-hearted bet during the visit, with whoever ends up with the larger majority buying the other "a good pint of Somerset cider" once the dust has settled. Mr Davey retained his seat at the 2019 general election with a majority of 10,489 - while Ms Dyke achieved a 29 per ...
Welcome to my summary of the latest national voting intention poll from each pollster currently operating in Britain. If you'd like to find out more about how polls work, how reliable they are and how to make sense of them, check out my book, Polling UnPacked: the History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls, or sign up for my weekly email, The Week in Polls: General election voting intention polls – indicates that party didn't feature in the polling questions separate from 'Others' or that the data is not yet available. Numbers in brackets show change since the previous ...
"But the personal consequences for Rafiq have been just as severe. Since the moment he stepped before the digital, culture, media and sport ... committee, he has faced relentless abuse, attacks and death threats. 'My life changed over that hour and 45 minutes,' he says in his soft Barnsley accent. His new memoir, It's Not Banter, It's Racism, recounts some of the worst moments: the human excrement left on his parents' lawn, the chain-wielding man who stalked his house in the middle of the night." Azeem Rafiq talks to Emma John about racism, cricket and why he had to leave ...
A record 53% now support changing the electoral system to one that is fairer to smaller parties.
The Sandpits refurbishment has been controversial from the outset. It has been long delayed and too much of the work has been shoddy and incomplete. Work is underway to correct that. But yesterday the problems got worse with wanton and illegal destruction of bird nests as gardens were cleared as young trees, bushes and brush was cleared. In a single day, blackbird, robin and pigeon nests were disturbed and fledglings killed, including by magpies. It is possible also that bats were disturbed. Disturbance of a birds nest or of bats is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. ...
So far the Liberal Democrat campaign is going well. Our leaders are knocking it out of the park in the way they are communicating our values to the voters. Let's just have another look at Ed's highly personal Party Election Broadcast which shows how his experiences have shaped his values – and why our manifesto focuses so heavily on health, care and carers. Last Friday our Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper made every word count as she represented the party in the BBC Election Debate. We can grow our economy, create the jobs of the future AND tackle the climate emergency. ...
Following residents' concerns raised with us about faded junction lines in Whitefauld Road at the junction with Menzieshill Road, we raised this with the City Council's Roads Maintenance Partnership. We have since received the following helpful response : "An order has been raised for these white lines to be refreshed."
Just how much more into denial can the Welsh Labour Party get? Not only do we have a succession of senior Labour politicians tramping around the country defending Vaughan Gething and arguing that he should ignore the fact that the Senedd voted that they have no confidence in him, but now we get Gething himself blaming the media for his own self-inflicted troubles. Nation Cymru reports that the First Minister has appeared to blame journalists for coverage of his scandal ridden tenure saying he regretted "how the whole thing was reported". They say his comments came during First Minister's Questions ...
When parachutist, Torsten Bell was first selected as Labour candidate for Swansea West, the Welsh Liberal Democrats candidate, Mike O'Carroll offered to show him around. Judging from this story. Mr Bell should have taken up the offer. The Nation Cymru site reports that a Welsh Labour social media post that placed Mr Bell in the wrong constituency has been seen as a symbol of how the party's hierarchy has become disconnected from local communities. They say that the post shows a picture of him with a Welsh flag in the background and a caption which reads: "Britain needs change - ...
