Four years of war has forged Ukraine into a lynchpin for European securitymy Today marks the fourth anniversary of the second phase of Russia's war on Ukraine. Phase one started in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and parts of the Donbas – Putin's response to ordinary Ukrainians' refusal to disavow their European future. Now is a good time to remember why we are supporting Ukraine; not just because it is right but because we must if the liberal order and the rule of law on which it is based is to survive. It is also time to recognise Ukraine as central for Europe's security and prosperity in an increasingly unstable world. ... (more) |
Reform seeking to copy Trump's victimisation and persecution agendaThe Guardian reports that Reform UK's plan to create an ICE-style deportation agency has been condemned as "sadistic", after the party's home affairs spokesperson vowed to face down "progressive outrage". The paper says that Zia Yusuf, introduced as "the shadow home secretary" at a press conference in Dover, said mass deportations carried out by a planned UK Deportation Command would not trigger the same kind of violent showdowns seen in the US because "policing is done by consent" in the UK. He also described the number of migrants arriving in the country as an "invasion". His remarks came as Reform ... (more) |
Lobley Hill and Bensham action dayWe had a good turnout on Saturday for our Lobley Hill and Bensham action day. 15 members turned out to help deliver the latest Focus. I was given 2 patches to do in Lobley Hill. I was raised there so for me it was a journey through my memories of the area. (more) |
Barlow and Watt investigate Jack the RipperLast night I watched the film Murder by Decree on Talking Pictures TV. I've watched it several times because the cast and premise (Sherlock Holmes tracking down Jack the Ripper) are so appealing, and because I always forget how disappointing it is. But Holmes was the not first fictional detective to investigate the Ripper murders. In 1973 the BBC screened a series in which the nation's most celebrated television detectives Charlie Barlow and John Watt, played by Stratford Johns and Frank Windsor. It was this series that introduced the public to the theory that the Ripper had been the eldest ... (more) |
Labour's SEND white paper gets the destination right and the journey wrongToday's Schools White Paper on SEND reform is, in certain respects, a document Liberal Democrats should welcome. The investment is substantial: £1.6 billion for an Inclusive Mainstream Fund, £1.8 billion for specialist services, and a long-overdue write-off of 90 per cent of local authority SEND deficits that were pushing councils toward effective bankruptcy. The aspiration, a well-resourced, inclusive mainstream, with early intervention, genuine specialist support, and families treated as partners rather than adversaries, is the right one. The problem is not the destination. It is the route the government has chosen to get there. A right is not the same ... (more) |
Mathew on MondayHope from The Hague: What Rob Jetten's victory means for liberals everywhere Today, in the Netherlands, something quietly historic has happened. Rob Jetten, leader of Democrats 66, has become Prime Minister. The youngest ever (at 38) and the first openly gay person to hold the office. Pause on that. In a European political landscape where we are so often told that the future belongs to the angry, the polarising and the populist, the Dutch electorate has chosen something else. They have chosen the broad, confident Centre. They have chosen liberalism. For we Liberal Democrats, there is real encouraging here. Yes ... (more) |
Mysterious blue glow traced to Flying BananaBBC News wins our Headline of the Day Award with this tale of mysterious Lincolnshire: Is it a UFO? Is it the Northern Lights? No, it's the "Flying Banana". A blue glow that has lit up Lincolnshire's night sky in recent weeks has been traced to an unlikely source: a bright yellow train. Network Rail said the mysterious light comes from its new measurement train - nicknamed the Flying Banana - which looks for faults on the line for engineers to repair. The company said on hazy nights, equipment from the yellow train can create a blue glow "that looks ... (more) |
New UK Border Regulations display contemptuous disregard for dual nationalsIn mid February, UK dual nationals were alerted by media reports to an imminent change in immigration regulations. This involves the requirement that dual nationals present their UK passport at the overseas airline check-in desk before boarding any flight to the UK, or that they present (alongside their foreign passport) a 'Certificate of Entitlement' to Right of Abode in the UK, priced at a whopping £589. This deeply concerns many of us in Liberal Democrats Overseas, and we expect the Party to speak out loudly and forcefully on this matter. Will Forster MP, our shadow immigration and asylum minister, has ... (more) |
Last week's byelectionsThere were three council byelections last week (I don't include town and parish councils). Things to note about these contests:Labour were defending all 3 seats. They lost all of them.The seats fell to Plaid Cymru, Greens and Lib Dems.Reform won nothing. I think this is the first time since the May 2025 elections in which Reform came away empty handed.In Caerphilly, PC's share of the vote was (more) |
Sanne Djikstra-Downie on the importance of Pupil Support AssistantsSanne Dijkstra-Downie will, we hope, be an MSP in May. She is standing in the target constituency of Edinburgh Northern and heads the Lothians list. At Scottish Conference this week, she spoke in our pre-manifesto debate to highlight one particular commitment which is particularly important to her – the provision of Pupil Support Assistants in schools. The pre-manifesto commits us to: Boost in-class support in every school by inflation-proofing Pupil Equity 270 Funding, hiring more pupil support assistants (PSAs), and ensuring teachers 271 are given proper stable contracts instead of short-term and zero hours work. Sanne said: As one of ... (more) |