This Anglia TV programme from 1987 is concerned with the electrification of the line from London to Norwich, and in particular the replacement of the Trowse swing bridge over the Wensum just before trains reach Norwich station. The best thing in the show is the footage of the old bridge in operation. Today, the new bridge is again seen as a bottleneck, as there is a only a single track across it. This despite the fact that it hardly opens to shipping any more. It seems that if you give seven days notice, the may open it for you at ...
Rural crime report: Communities suffering after years of neglect Davey on PM Statement: "Riots and disorder are never the answer" Rennie responds to bin strikes news Rural crime report: Communities suffering after years of neglect Responding to NFU Mutual's new Rural Crime Report, which shows that the cost of rural crime rose to £52.8m in 2023, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP said: Rural communities are suffering badly after years of neglect by the last Conservative Government. Far too many criminals are getting away with stealing millions of pounds worth of equipment from our farmers. This needs to ...
The latest Boggart and Banshee podcast touches on those stories about vanishing restaurants. You may know how they go. A family are travelling in a remote area and getting hungry when, to their delight, they come across an unexpected restaurant. Not only that: the food turns out to be wonderful. But when they look for it on a journey back or try to take friends to enjoy it, it proves impossible to find. If they ask the locals, they deny any knowledge of such a place. Commenting on such a tale, the co-presenter Chris Woodyard says: It reminds me somewhat ...
Young people are the life and the soul of the Liberal Democrats. Having long forgiven the party over tuition fees, young people played a pivotal role in the party's successes in the General Election. We in the Young Liberals have built a reputation over time for being committed campaigners and enthusiastic door-knockers, but even we were amazed at quite how much young people across the party poured their hearts and souls into this election. We have come leaps and bounds from where we were in 2019. Since then, the Young Liberals have professionalised, built capacity and communities across states and ...
The horrific deaths of the three young girls at a dance class have sent shockwaves through our country. This senseless attack, which rightfully should be condemned, has left families and the wider Southport community in mourning. My heart aches for those affected by this tragedy. In the wake of this incident, we have seen a troubling rise in Islamophobia. This is an issue I have spoken about extensively. It began with the Leeds Riots, where many, including right-wing figures like Nigel Farage, incorrectly assumed the unrest was linked to the South Asian community. In reality, the Muslim community in Leeds ...
I have a proposal for dealing with MPs who have other interests. It's a solution I have proposed a number of times in different places, and in every case it has been very difficult to get reactions from others. This puzzles me. If there is something fatally wrong with my proposal, would somebody here please tell me, so I need not bother myself with it any more. If it is not fatally flawed, then I think it deserves a hearing. I believe my suggestion is more liberal than the current free for all, and also more liberal than banning second ...
Josh Reynolds made his maiden speech in Tuesday in the debate on the Budget Responsibility Bill. It was a privilege to make my Maiden Speech today as the Member of Parliament for #Maidenhead. 1/4 pic.twitter.com/5Vfx9FAXMQ — Joshua Reynolds MP (@JoshReynoldsSL6) July 30, 2024 Here is the full text: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. It is an honour to be called to make my maiden speech as Member of Parliament for Maidenhead, a place I have always been proud to call home. I recognise the fantastic maiden speech made by the hon. Member for Peterborough (Andrew Pakes): his passion for his ...
Working with Lord Bonkers these past decades has been an education. I've learnt, not just about the inner workings of the Liberal Democrats, but also about the need to check elven invoices - you won't find that in Tolkien. Tuesday Yesterday's interruptions meant I did not have time to praise the splendid campaign fought by our leader Ed Davey, during which he became the first leader of a British political party to perform a bungee jump since Bonar Law. Though the details of his stunts were jealously guarded, those of us who helped train him inevitably learnt or guessed some ...
Because of the school holidays, Michael's usual ward surgeries do not take place today. However, we can be contacted at any time on Dundee 459378 or by e-mail at westend@dundeelibdems.org.uk
This is my article for Liberator magazine about the 2024 general election in Wales: It is no exaggeration to say that there was overwhelming relief amongst Welsh Liberal Democrats when the result in Brecon, Radnorshire and Cwmtawe came through in the early hours of Friday 5th July. From a party which once held four Parliamentary seats in Wales we had been reduced to putting all our hopes into regaining this one, much enlarged, constituency in the hope of starting to regain some relevance this side of Offa's Dyke. And it was by no means a certainty that we would take ...
