Conservative Leadership Race: Candidates have spent years defending the indefensible Badenoch's maternity pay comment: Another example of Tory sleaze and scandal Cole-Hamilton addresses King at 25 years of the Scottish Parliament event Conservative Leadership Race: Candidates have spent years defending the indefensible Commenting after the four Conservative leadership candidates spoke with Trevor Phillips, ahead of the Conservative Party Conference, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader Daisy Cooper MP said: As James Cleverly said himself, people wanted the Conservatives out of Government and this dire set of candidates has made it crystal clear why. From the Conservative's Partygate and PPE scandals to their ...
The latest edition of my weekly political polling round-up, The Week in Polls, is out. As it says: It does ... remain the case that trying to build political appeal by focusing strongly on an anti-immigration message looks to be a route to be a niche party rather than a broadly popular one. Perhaps to survive as the largest party on the right that would therefore still be a wise course for the Conservative Party. But to try to become a majority government again via this route still looks much less likely to be successful. Find out more by reading ...
Released in 1964, Hi-Heel Sneakers was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. It reached 11 in the US singles chart and 23 in the UK. I was led to it by a 2003 interview with Steve Winwood: The Hammond organ was the invention of Lawrence Hammond, a clock maker and amateur home organist who wanted an instrument to replace the church organ. The Hammond was used by black churches in America, and it was there that jazz and R&B musicians first heard the possibilities that the instrument offered. Winwood grew up listening to that first generation of Hammond ...
Today is Michaelmas - the Feast of St Michael and All the Angels. To mark it, here is my favourite tin tabernacle. As I noted when I visited St Michael and All Angels, Kettering, Pevsner says it dates from 1907 and "has distinct charm". I also said that its garden gives it more appeal than many conventional urban churches of the period.
I have a proposal on how to permanently solve the UK's housing crisis, forever. This proposition rests on two arguments: Unlike all of history, our population is not going to continue to grow. The ONS forecasts that the population of the UK will peak in the early 2040's at 71m. It follows that the number of homes needed will similarly peak. For maximum economic benefits and happiness, we want these homes to be built where people want to live and work. This is predominantly in the south east, where planning permission is constrained by the Green belt. My proposal is ...
Next Saturday - 5th October - from 11am, Transition Dundee is holding a 'learn to crochet' workshop at 112 Nethergate. Back by popular demand, this is aimed at beginners, showing participants how to use a crochet hook, before moving on to the different stitches. Transition Dundee will provide all the materials, as well as refreshments throughout and a light vegetarian lunch. This class is open to anyone over the age of 12, though 12 - 16 year olds must be accompanied by an adult. Further information is available at www.facebook.com/events/1064813481725970
Talk to anybody and it is apparent that not only is the Labour vote soft, but that disillusionment with the new government has set in quickly after a number of decisions and some bad publicity that has undermined the party's image as one standing up for the poor and disadvantaged. However, as the Independent reports Labour's standing with the public is holding firm despite a barrage of criticism for Keir Starmer and senior ministers over freebies, his chief of staff Sue Gray and unpopular policy decisions. The paper says that the weekly Techne UK tracker poll reveals that after a ...
