Mathew on Monday: Pluralism Means More Than a SloganOn Saturday I travelled down to London to attend the Compass and Progressive Economy Forum's Change: NOW! Conference, which brought together around 700 people from across the progressive spectrum for what felt like a serious and timely conversation about the future of politics in Britain. In an age of deep political fragmentation, rising populism and the growing threat posed by Nigel Farage and Reform UK there was something very refreshing about spending a day at an event where people were prepared to engage with those beyond their own political tribe. Speakers included Caroline Lucas, Vince Cable, Zack Polanski, Clive Lewis ... (more) |
How much must we pay for the fantasies of Mayor Rotheram?Another week another undeliverable scheme comes from Mayor Rotherham and the Merseyside Combined Authority. This time it was a reaffirmation of the Central Station plan which had been announced at the start of the year. And this is not the only Mayoral fantasy. The other is the Mersey Barrage which has been discussed ever since I first became a councillor 51 years ago (I had 8 years off for good behaviour, so I have only completed 43 years so far!) And how could I forget the third 'back of a fag packet' offering from Mr Mayor which is making the ... (more) |
Are deepfakes a threat to democracy?The Independent reports on warnings by a leading think tank that the UK is facing a "democratic emergency", after new polling revealed around 16.5 million UK adults saw political deepfakes in the month before the local elections. The paper says the poll found that almost one in three (30 per cent) voters said they had seen a deepfake or AI-generated video, audio clip or image about an election candidate or politician online in the lead-up to this month's elections: The polling of 2,005 adults was conducted by Opinium for the cross-party think tank Demos between 30 April and 6 May ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1526Daniel Katz report that the Makerfield by-election has become a poisoned chalice for Reform UK because of its choice of candidate. "Over the past couple of decades, many progressives have found themselves in an awkward and novel position. As defenders of existing political institutions, as defenders of norms of civility and moderation, as technocratic policymakers shifting policies at the margin in response to past evidence."Ben Ansell argues that the left has ceded political radicalism to the right. Lorna Finlayson defends universities as a 'space for exceptions': "The perception is that students and academics do nothing all day but doss around ... (more) |
Nicola Sturgeon - we can have sympathy for her as a deceived wife, but there are serious questions to answer about governance of the SNPWe need to separate two things in the Peter Murrell case. As a wife, I accept in good faith Ms Sturgeon's statement that she was deceived and lied to and knew nothing about the use of SNP money by her husband to buy many things. But the role of a wife is very different from the role of leading the party in power in Scotland. There are things like audits, presentation of accounts at AGMs, certification of accounts, sign offs, invoice verification, purchase orders etc. The whole governance structure. The whole compliance edifice in the SNP has failed dramatically – ... (more) |
Jill Sobule: I Kissed A GirlWhen Jill Sobule died last year, GLAAD reported: Sobule's manager, John Porter, said in a statement to media: "Jill Sobule was a force of nature and human rights advocate whose music is woven into our culture. I was having so much fun working with her. I lost a client and a friend today. I hope her music, memory, & legacy continue to live on and inspire others." Long before Katy Perry's version, in 1995, Sobule released a song titled "I Kissed a Girl" and it hit the mainstream making history by becoming the first song with blatantly queer themes to ... (more) |
Urgent Call to Action by Lib Dem MPs on PalestineRecent statements from the UK government and its representatives have made one thing abundantly clear: the Government fully understands both the dire situation on the ground in Palestine and the extent to which Israeli actions are violating international law. Sadly, what remains absent is any willingness to translate that recognition into meaningful action. There is an opportunity for our MPs, when they return from recess next week, to make a difference. Speaking at the UN Security Council this week, the UK's Chargé d'Affaires to the UN, Ambassador James Kariuki, described in no uncertain terms the appalling suffering of the people ... (more) |
"I invited guests to play with bomb in my garden"Embed from Getty ImagesBBC News wins our Headline of the Day Award: Valerie, however, feels sorry to see it gone. She says she stood the bomb by her shed so anyone who wanted to could look at it. "People used to think 'that's marvellous, where'd you get that from? Is it alright?'. "They all used to play about with it and say it was a bit of a party piece. "When anyone came around, I'd say: 'Do you want to see the bomb?'." (more) |
Tom Arms' World ReviewCuba A $100 million would go a long way to alleviate the humanitarian crisis caused by the US blockade of Cuba. The island's communist government has already made big concessions on the economic front in an attempt to appease the Trump Administration. It has legalised small and medium-sized private businesses; abolished Cuba's dual currency; opened more than 2,000 additional occupations to private initiative and allowed exiled Cubans to invest in the island's economy. On the political front they have been less forthcoming. Only a handful of political prisoners have been released and there is no sign of the regime introducing ... (more) |
What should the Liberal Democrats stand for?Listening to David Miliband at the Hay Literary Festival a few days ago, two things that he said struck me as interesting. The first was that the Labour government had been elected to effect change, but they have not changed enough. The second related to the high number of young people who have left school with no education, employment or training opportunity. Where is the triple lock for that cohort, he asked. Of course, both of these statements are easy soundbites, needing much more policy detail and commitment before any government can make a difference, but if, as is the ... (more) |