18-19 April 2026 - the weekend's press releasesCole-Hamilton urges voters to postal vote for Scot Lib Dems on peach ballot paper Cut the rural cost of living and help farmers to flourish Reid hits out as ministers drop fines for poor ferry performance Cole-Hamilton urges voters to postal vote for Scot Lib Dems on peach ballot paper Alex Cole-Hamilton has today used a visit to a climbing wall in Edinburgh to urge voters voting by post to reach for the Scottish Liberal Democrats on the peach regional ballot paper, saying that more Scottish Liberal Democrat MSPs will get more good things done in the next session of ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1506"A project that ought to be broad, open and compassionate has come to be dominated by a narrow set of ideological demands which leave little room for genuine diversity of political perspective." Vlad Vexler and Rupert Read argue that if the climate movement does not embrace pluralism it risks handing the future to the far right. Laura López-Aybar reminds us of the way society can turn a blind eye to the human rights violations involved in psychiatry. Melinda Wenner Moyer on studies that suggest young people are in many ways doing better than previous generations: "In addition to their interest ... (more) |
Time is ticking: Britain's defences need urgent fixingThis week, the government suffered its latest humiliation when Lord George Robertson, a former NATO Secretary-General, ex-Labour Defence Secretary and chair of the government's 2025 Strategic Defence Review accused the government of "corrosive complacency" in risking the country's security by dragging his heels on how the government will fund rebuilding its military in the face of the growing threat from Russia. A rising crescendo of articles and speeches by ex-military, defence correspondents and experts - and our very own Lib Dem defence spokesperson James MacCleary MP – have been highlighting that the government's Strategic Defence Review remains little more than ... (more) |
'When not if': why the Lib Dems are aiming for secondEarlier in the week I appeared on The Spectator's podcast, Coffee House Shots, alongside Lib Dem MP Al Pinkerton and discussing the party's prospects and ambitions in the local elections. Somehow we cooked up an analogy about the merits of broccoli in politics: Sign up to get the latest news and analysis (more) |
Tom Arms' World ReviewChina The invisible hand of Beijing has been busily pulling the backstage strings to try and organise Iran War peace talks. Pakistan—which has been the lead country in mediation country—is a close ally of China and is clearly coordinating Its honest broker activities with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi who prefers to remain in the shadows. Economically China desperately needs an end to Trump's War. Ninety percent of its oil comes from Iran and, as the world's second largest economy, China needs global stability to maintain growth. At the same time, Chinese President Xi Jinping must be smiling to himself ... (more) |
Military procurement problems, 18th century styleI think this from Gibraltar counts as "technology that didn't work as intended": [IMG: Healy's Mortar, Gibraltar] Photo taken in Gibraltar. If only it didn't also feel like the forerunner of military procurement problems in the succeeding centuries too. UPDATE: For a more positive account of Healy's Mortar, see this account from the government of Gibraltar. (more) |
Theatre: The FallTheatre? Breaking Tunes explains: Hailing from the city of Limerick, Theatre are a rock band formed at the end of 2022 who have made a name for themselves throughout 2023 with their understated and ethereal sound, one which epitomises the guitar melodies of early '90s shoegaze and alternative rock, fused with their own style of unapologetic folk-laden sensibility. With similar sounds to the likes of Lankum, Just Mustard, and Sinead O'Connor, Theatre have spent their time cutting their teeth and making waves as a standout name in Limerick's thriving underground, more recently gaining more attention in Ireland's stronghold Dublin music ... (more) |
Why Cromwell's Statue at Westminster Should Come DownAs Liberal Democrats we like to think of ourselves as champions of liberty and the equal dignity of every person. That is why we should be uneasy with the statue of Oliver Cromwell outside the Houses of Parliament. It is not just a carving in stone. It is a symbol of honour placed at the threshold of our democracy by a state that still chooses to celebrate a man whose rule was built on conquest, massacre and the systematic displacement of entire peoples across Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland. If we take our values seriously, that statue should not be ... (more) |
Majority of voters would rather rejoin the EU than compromise on dealNation Cymru tells us that a recent report has found that voters are more likely to support openly advocating for the UK to rejoin the EU than any "halfway house" deal. The news site adds that the findings come in response to the planned UK-EU reset legislation set to be part of the King's Speech package set out by the Prime Minister on May 13 involving a new law to allow single market rules to be adopted through secondary legislation: The Best for Britain report has used recent YouGov polling to establish that the Government's current plan has broad but ... (more) |