A website on Alec Guinness's two BBC series as George SmileyHere's what we need: a website devoted to the BBC productions of John le Carré's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's People. Guinness is Smiley explains: The aim of this website is to publish fresh material about both series, identify some of the filming locations and signpost visitors to the wonderful content that is already out there. This website is not a commercial endeavour and will hopefully be of interest to fans of both productions. I have my dad to thank for my love of these series. He watched each episode beside me when they were first broadcast, but I ... (more) |
Another ward becomes a Reform vs Lib Dem contestThere were four principal authority council by-elections this week and, after the halt to Reform net gains in the last few weeks, Reform are back to making progress against Labour and the Conservatives, for this week at least. Let's start though with another ward which has become a Reform versus Lib Dem tussle as a result of a by-election: Hutton & Locking (North Somerset) Council By-Election Result: [IMG: ➡] RFM: 38.5% (New) [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 33.3% (+13.7) [IMG: 🌳] CON: 15.3% (-21.2) [IMG: 🌹] LAB: 7.2% (-9.2) [IMG: 🌍] GRN: 5.7% (New)No Ind (-27.5) as previous.Reform GAIN from Conservative.Changes w/ ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1575Zöe Franklin celebrates the 98th anniversary of the Equal Franchise Act, which gave women equal voting rights with men and calls for further reforms: "Today, barriers remain for women, disabled people, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and others who are underrepresented in public life." Abandoning the triple lock on pensions is more likely to condemn today's younger generations to an old age of poverty than help them, argues Mark E. Thomas. Josiah Mortimer on a study that finds the introduction of mandatory voter ID has damaged trust in British elections, not improved it. "It's not hard to see the appeal ... (more) |
Back to reality on datacentresThey may be the future, but the issues with datacentres persist and now it transpires that they may not be the nirvana some believe. The Guardian reports on new research that has found that datacentres in the UK will create just a quarter of the jobs predicted by the tech sector, while consuming vast amounts of energy. The paper adds that environmental thinktank Verdant predicts that all the datacentres currently planned are likely to directly employ 10,400 workers - compared with the more than 40,000 cited in projections by the industry lobby group TechUK: Verdant's analysis is based on 20 ... (more) |
10 September 2026 - today's press releasesMurray to push for key figures to attend and Scottish Affairs committee to exert its full powers Scottish Government flounders over ferries again Parliament backs Scot Lib Dems for more generous community benefit from energy projects Murray to push for key figures to attend and Scottish Affairs committee to exert its full powers Following on from yesterday's announcement that the UK Parliament's Scottish Affairs Committee will launch inquiries into the dual role of the Lord Advocate, and into the financial regulation of political parties in Scotland, Liberal Democrat Scottish Affairs spokesperson and committee member Susan Murray MP has called for ... (more) |
Dysfunctional council to be abolished after years of controversy and "all out civil war"Our Headline of the Day Award goes to the Leicester Mercury. I know things can get pretty het up on the city council, but the authority in question here is Witherley Parish Council. The village of Witherley lies on the Leicestershire-Warwickshire border near Atherstone, and we are able to bring you exclusive video of its most recent attempt to conduct a parish council meeting. (more) |
Sarah Olney bids to become candidate for Mayor of LondonToday Sarah Olney MP officially launched her bid to become the Liberal Democrat candidate in the London Mayoral election, which will take place in May 2028. In her campaign to be selected as the candidate she stated that these are her priorities for London: Making London the most business-friendly city in the world: By harnessing the power of London's unparalleled business community and creating a Deputy Mayor for Business, elected by a consortium of business leaders based in London. Improving the quality of London's housing: Empowering renters, landlords and developers to raise housing standards; to boost energy efficiency, tackle mould ... (more) |
Good news about the Family Farm TaxFarmers have been complaining for some time that the price of farmland has lost any connection with the income that be derived from farming it. And The Agri Brigade column in the new Private Eye suggests they have a strong case: Average UK farmland prices have more than quadrupled this century, from just under £2,000 an acre to well over £8,000 an acre, according to statistics from land agents Savills. Over that time, farm profitability has remained poor, but farmland's IHT-free status drew many ultra-high-net-worth individuals into buying land as a convenient way of minimising their tax liabilities - the ... (more) |
Council by-election results scorecard 2026-2027Here's the tally of seats changing hands in principal authority council by-elections held between the May 2026 and the May 2027 local elections: Con Lab Lib Dem Green Reform SNP Plaid Ind/ Other Net Con [11] +1 (+1/0) +1 (+3/-2) -3 (0/-3) -5 (+3/-8) -1 (0/-1) – +2 (+3/-1) -5 Lab -1 (0/-1) [11] -1 (0/-1) -1 (+2/-3) -4 (+4/-8) +1 (+1/0) – 0 (+1/-1) -6 Lib Dem -1 (+2/-3) +1 (+1/0) [17] +1 (+1/0) +2 (+2/0) -1 (0/-1) – +1 (+1/0) +3 Grn +3 (+3/0) +1 (+3/-2) -1 (0/-1) [7] – +1 (+1/0) – – +4 Ref +5 (+8/-3) ... (more) |
Making the most of the Government's belated action on illegal Israeli settlementsMost of the country clearly believes that the Government's newly announced actions to be taken to curb the illegal Israeli settlements are overdue... but very welcome nonetheless. It's not universal, with the Board of Deputies of British Jews condemning the change, but liberal Jewish groups, such as Yachad, made the obvious but important point that "These new policies do not target Israel; they target the occupation. They draw a clear distinction between the legitimacy of the State of Israel and the settlement enterprise which is illegal under international law." As a Liberal Democrat, and as Vice Chair of the Liberal ... (more) |