The Nationalist news website Nation Cymru has been passed a copy of an email sent to all member in Wales by the leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Jane Dodds. With Labour holding only 30 of the 60 Senedd seats, it needs the support of one more MS to get its 2025-6 Budget passed. Nation Cymru says Labour has been discussing with Ms Dodds, the only Lib Dem Senedd Member, what concessions it could make to secure her vote. Jane sets out her thinking in the email, which you can read on the Nationl Cymru website (if you have not ...
Keeping this blog's practice of covering "random news items from Shropshire (where he doesn't live) - New Statesman", here is Shropshire Live: Post Office Limited has announced the unplanned closure of hosted outreach services in Minsterley, Hope, and Shawbury. They say the closure, from this week, is due to unforeseen circumstances preventing the Pontesbury postmaster from continuing to operate these outreach locations. Last year, nearby Marton, Longden, Stiperstones and Wentnor lost their weekly outreach post offices. Reader's voice: And the rather plain building above? Liberal England replies: That's Hope village hall, where the outreach post office was housed. Find me ...
Embed from Getty ImagesRepublican politicians from the poorer states are already having doubts about Trump and his team. This is from the Guardian: Bill Cassidy, the Republican US senator, has said his home state of Louisiana's recent decision to cancel the promotion of mass vaccination against preventable diseases is a disservice to parents who want to keep their children healthy. Nonetheless, before those remarks, the medical doctor-turned-politician who has clashed with Donald Trump joined 51 of his fellow Republicans in voting to confirm anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F Kennedy Jr as secretary of the US's health and human services department. ...
JD Vance's critique of the liberal consensus at the Munich Security Conference touches on an uncomfortable truth: the liberal project, while achieving peace and prosperity on a global scale, has left many working-class communities behind. Economically, politically, and culturally, these groups feel abandoned, leading to resentment and distrust of the ideals that have propelled progress. For decades, the liberal elite has prioritised building a brave new world, but in doing so, it neglected to build consensus with the people it sought to serve. Programmes designed to alleviate poverty or reduce inequality often came across as top-down mandates rather than collaborative ...
The past week has seen three big appearances from Lib Dems. You used to go weeks without anyone so it's great to see that we have a bigger profile and that there are multiple opportunities for us to differentiate ourselves from everyone else. Last Thursday, Lisa Smart, our Home Affairs spokesperson, made her Question Time debut and did very well taking questions on Rachel Reeves cv "of course it's daft to embellish a cv but performance matters" also pointing out that Labour inherited a "steaming pile" from the Conservatives, immigration and Ukraine. Here she is on Trump: "The way Trump ...
I know from experience that leading the Liberal Democrats is a frustrating job; marginalised in the media and patronised by the two traditional parties. But periodically we hit on a message which resonates in the country, as with Charles Kennedy's opposition to the Iraq war. Ed Davey may have found another: 'Stand up to Trump'. These are early days in the second Trump administration, but a political, economic and cultural revolution is under way. The MAGA movement is also much bigger than its capricious, unpredictable leader. Trump's apostles like JD Vance and Hegseth are ideologically extreme but also articulate, smart ...
The Guardian reports that Kemi Badenoch is being urged to overhaul her approach to prime minister's questions and bring in more experienced advisers to prepare for the weekly political joust, amid criticisms of her approach to taking on Keir Starmer. The paper says that some MPs are complaining that their fledgling leader is raising the wrong topics and picking unconvincing lines of attack against the prime minister at PMQs, which is her most prominent opportunity to make the political weather, while others have been concerned about the level of support for her from colleagues during the exchanges: While most MPs ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR THE WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2025 Seafield Road, Dundee - closed from its westmost end (in cul-de-sac) extending for a distance of no more than 20 metres in an easterly direction to facilitate a site access for a new housing development until November 2025. Blinshall Street (Douglas Street to 50 metres south) - closed until August 2025 for construction works. Douglas Street (Blinshall Street to Brown Street) - temporary traffic lights until August 2025 for construction works. Brown Street (south of Douglas Street) - closed until ...
