New Lloyd George bookG. H. Bennett's Lloyd George and the Coalition Liberal Party - The Papers of Lieutenant-Colonel Scovell, General Secretary of the Party, 1919-1922 arrived at Ducky Towers yesterday. It's a welcome addition to the literature, looking at the role played by a much-neglected figure in the working of the Coalition Liberals, and giving a fuller picture of the workings of the party leading up to the 1922 general election. Dr Harry Bennett is Associate Professor in History at the University of Plymouth. His previous books include Hitler's Admirals, Hunting Tirpitz, and Destination Normandy: Three American Regiments on D-Day. Of particular interest ... (more) |
Shropshire ley line quest: Bronze Age stones to Medieval fortressDon't believe in ley lines? I'd like to, but I don't either. So let's just enjoy this as Shropshire hill porn. This is freely adapted from the blurb on YouTube: On the final part of the quest, we trek six rugged miles from the ancient Mitchell's Fold stone circle across windswept hills to the mysterious ruins of Simon's Castle, perched just east of Churchstoke. Along the way, we follow the straight-line path of a 14-mile ley line that links Caus Castle near Westbury and Simon's Castle. Expect stunning Shropshire scenery, hidden historical gems, medieval fortress vibes, and plenty of on-the-ground ... (more) |
How Harold Godwinson got to the Battle of Hastings and all thatWhat if historians have got one of the most crucial assumptions about one of England's most pivotal battles completely wrong? asked the Guardian the other day. Its report continued: That's the claim of one British academic, who argues that the notorious "forced march" of the English army to Stamford Bridge - interpreted for centuries as a sign of Harold's recklessness and a key factor in his defeat - in fact never happened at all. What's more, he believes that as well as their clash on land at Hastings ... Harold also attempted to resist William's invasion by sea, sending ships ... (more) |
Reform suspends candidate Chris Parry over offensive commentsAnother day, another Reform candidate suspended. This time it is Rear Admiral Chris Parry CBE who had already been in the news over controversial and unpleasant comments. Although Reform kept him as their candidate during the earlier controversy, this time he's gone as their Mayor candidate for Hampshire and the Solent. The Hampshire Chronicle reports: This comes after Dr Parry described a Jewish community group as "Islamists on horseback" and "cosplayers" in the wake of the North London arson attack. Liz Jarvis, Lib Dem MP for Eastleigh, had called for Reform leader Nigel Farage to sack Dr Parry following his ... (more) |
The rules ruleThe Liberal Democrats have long prided themselves on being upholders of the rule of law and defenders of legal principles – a David standing against the philistine Trump in defence of the rules-based international order. This plays well within the party, but it is worth asking whether this framing is as effective with the electorate as we assume. We risk misreading the national mood and how international law is understood by many voters. More importantly, our own policy positions do not always reflect the consistency that this stance implies. Take illegal immigration, one of the most emotive issues in British ... (more) |
The Jenkinsite Policy GroupOn Friday, 30 January, my piece introducing the Jenkinsite Group was published. At that time, we had been active for roughly a fortnight and boasted 94 members. Since then, some things have certainly changed. For one, we now have 203 members, a welcome increase. We also have more regular discussions about our party's history, book recommendations, and deep dives into what the party is doing well and what it could do better. But the biggest development is arguably the most exciting. Following a membership consultation period, we have decided to add a new dimension to the group's purpose: we will ... (more) |
The only thing we have to fear is fear itselfAt his first inauguration as US President, back in 1933, Franklin Roosevelt famously said "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.". Over 90 years later, that phrase could be applied to the Palestine/Israel conflict or, more precisely, to Palestinians and Israeli Jews. The biggest driver in preventing a solution is that Palestinians fear Israelis and Israelis fear Palestinians. Of course, many individual Palestinians and Israelis have friends, good friends, on the "other" side but there are also many more who do not have any contact across the divide except through the ongoing violence as participants, as victims, ... (more) |
A Shellshocked Nation: Britain Between the Wars by Alwyn TurnerThis review appears in the latest issue of Liberator - no. 434. You can download it free of charge from the magazine's website. A Shellshocked Nation: Britain Between the Wars Alwyn Turner Profile Books, 2026, £25 The most startling thing about Britain in the inter-war years is what didn't happen. Across Europe, Communist and Fascist regimes took power, but neither force ever came close to it here. George V's verdict on the General Strike was "That was a rotten way to run a revolution, I could have done it better myself," but few on the left had revolutionary ambitions and ... (more) |
Lord Bonkers' Diary: "It's not your aerial, it's your constitution"I have a shrewd suspicion that Lord Bonkers has his eye on the Liberal Democrat presidency himself, but maybe we should be asking his television repair man to stand? Tuesday The television repair man arrives. "Chris Mason been on, your lordship?" he asks, assuming I have fired my shotgun at the set again. But I have quite another problem: "Josh Barbarinde's supporters told us he has an unequalled ability to attract the media and that we should therefore elect him as President of the Liberal Democrats. Yet I can't remember seeing him on here once. Do you think I need ... (more) |
Something is happening in Birmingham...In early November 2021 as a brand new Regional Development Officer still trying to find my feet and figure out who everyone was, the party was suddenly swept up in a huge by-election on my patch. "The little by-election that could" was a phrase one member used to describe this period where a small dedicated team convinced the party that against all odds their seat was winnable. The party gave them a chance and before long their lovely local council candidate became Helen Morgan MP. North Shropshire had a brilliant candidate, a small but hard working team, and an opportunity. ... (more) |