I know a lot of my readers won't approve of this, but how else would an English country gentleman spend Boxing Day but riding to hounds? Followers of the field may note a recent change in the quarry his hounds pursue. Boxing Day The bare winter fields. The snifter from the hip flask. The glorious movement of man and horse as one. The music of the hounds. Yes, I love hunting. Traditionally in Rutland we hunt not foxes but Trotskyites, but they are rare indeed these days, what with climate change and the loss of habitat. So this Boxing Day ...
For the longest time, I have regarded myself as a "Jenkinsite". For many in the Lib Dems, they will understand what that means. For those who aren't in the party or aren't as clued up on political history, I'm usually met with the response, "A what?" For the avoidance of doubt, a Jenkinsite is someone who supports the ideas espoused by Roy Jenkins. They usually consist of: Multilateralism Electoral reform Social democracy Social libertarianism Liberal internationalism Pro-European Integration Support for a social market economy Small differences in the extent to which someone believes in each tenet or how they interpret ...
Former Scottish Deputy First Minister Jim Wallace has died at the age of 71 from complications of heart surgery. His death marks the passing of one of the most significant figures in modern Scottish public life: a central architect of devolution, a steady hand in the early years of the Scottish Parliament, and a public servant whose influence was felt across politics, law, faith and civic life. Jim Wallace helped shape not only Scotland's institutions, but the tone and values with which they were first brought into being. Wallace's life in public service was marked by a rare combination of ...
Only the one principal authority council by-elections this week, a contest in Scotland for Bearsden South ward carried out using the alternative vote: Bearsden South (East Dunbartonshire) Council By-Election Result [1st Prefs]: [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 38.1% (+14.9) [IMG: 🎗] SNP: 17.2% (-6.2) [IMG: ➡] RFM: 15.5% (New) [IMG: 🌹] LAB: 14.2% (-1.9) [IMG: 🌍] GRN: 8.1% (+0.9) [IMG: 🌳] CON: 6.2% (-17.0) [IMG: 🧑🧑🧒🧒] SFP: 0.8% (New)No Inds (-4.7, -2.3) as prev.Lib Dem 'Gain' from Con – Stage 5.Changes w/ 2022. — Election Maps UK (@electionmaps.uk) 2026-01-30T00:25:27.280Z Congratulations to the new Liberal Democrat councillor, Ben Langmead and the team. The ...
John Crace has an interesting take in yesterday's column on Kemi Badenoch and her rapidly disintegrating Conservative Party. He says that not content with haemorrhaging MPs to Reform, the Tory leader has decided to drive others into the arms of the Lib Dems: With Keir Starmer away in China, this was a week off for her from prime minister's questions. A slot she would delegate to the even more useless Andrew Griffith. Clearly Badenoch does not welcome any competition so Griffith might get the deputy leader job for good. But Kemi wanted, no, needed attention. Couldn't let a day go ...
Here's the tally of seats changing hands in principal authority council by-elections held between the May 2025 and the May 2026 local elections: Con Lab Lib Dem Green Reform SNP Plaid Ind/ Other Net Con [14] +2 (+2/0) -10 (+2/-12) +2 (+2/0) -20 (+2/-22) -1 (0/-1) – +1 (+2/-1) -26 Lab -2 (0/-2) [15] -4 (0/-4) -6 (0/-6) -28 (0/-28) – – -7 (0/-7) -47 Lib Dem +10 (+12/-2) +4 (+4/0) [32] +2 (+3/-1) -1 (+2/-3) +2 (+2/0) – +3 (+3/0) +20 Grn -2 (0/-2) +6 (+6/0) -2 (+1/-3) [7] +1 (+1/0) – – -1 (0/-1) +2 Ref +20 (+22/-2) ...
To get from Carmarthen to Aberystwyth by train to today you have to go via Newport and Shrewsbury,* a journey that takes seven hours. Until December 1964, there was a direct service between the two. Two years ago, BBC News ran an article about the possibility of it being reopened. While you wait for that, enjoy this film of Carmarthen to Aberystwyth operating with steam locomotives. * Thinking about it, the Heart of Wales line is more direct, but it's slow and there aren't many trains.
I know that everyone reading this will be as shocked and sad as I am to hear of the terrible news that Jim Wallace, a giant of this Party, died today. We send our love to his wife Rosie, and his daughters Helen and Clare. Jim's death was announced by Alex Cole-Hamilton: The Scottish Liberal Democrats today announce with great sadness the passing of Jim Wallace, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, former Deputy First Minister of Scotland and a towering figure of modern Scottish liberalism. Jim Wallace was born in Dumfriesshire and educated at Annan Academy before attending Cambridge and Edinburgh ...
Yesterday I moved this motion at the January meeting of the Liverpool City Council: "This Council remembers the millions of victims of the Ukrainian Famine, known as the Holodomor, inflicted on the Ukrainian nation between 1932 and 1933 by the Soviet regime. It recognises this as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people and calls on His Majesty's Government to do likewise. The Council also supports an annual Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Holodomor on the fourth Saturday of November." It was not actually debated because it did not need to be because it was supported ...
Thu 29th
15:00
After reading this column you will never think of Barbara Cartland in the same way again
Embed from Getty ImagesNot that the men were much better informed: I know one RAF padre who had a straight talk with every man on his station who came to him wanting to get married or in domestic trouble. He said the abysmal ignorance of the average man about women and love was appalling. She also wrote with understanding and compassion about the needs of children, particularly those in public care. In 1945, the death of Dennis O'Neill, a 12-year-old foster child, on a farm in Shropshire had scandalised the nation: How many Dennis O'Neills who don't actually die are ...
On the morning of Friday 5th July 2024 the HMS Lib Dem had never been so full, or so well built. It was in a near perfect position to head out of the harbour; well stocked with policy and a new crew capable of navigating new waters and new challenge. Its main rival reduced to nothing more than a wreck after nine long years of mutiny after mutiny, and crashing into every obvious rock and hidden iceberg it possibly could. HMS Tory was all but sunk. Sure, HMS Labour eclipsed both in terms of size and grandeur but it hadn't ...
Christmas Day at the Hall is a highlight of any year; if nothing else, it's a chance to give some favourite characters a walk-on part. As the the joke about Meadowcroft and his dibber... Yes, I have been watching Up Pompeii! on YouTube. why do you ask? Christmas Day There are those in the House who regard having two peerages as swanking, but I was still happy to invite Earl Russell (but Not His Big Band) for Christmas - there he is enjoying a joke on the stairs with the cheese heiress Paris Stilton and Sister Sid, the penguin rescued ...
What with this and Jubilation T. Cornpone, I'm a big Stubby Kaye fan.
The Guardian reports that Keir Starmer has indicated that he will not U-turn on a controversial move to scrap some jury trials, arguing the move is crucial to delivering justice to victims of misogynist violence. The paper says that the prime minister, who is on a visit to China, said tackling a backlog that was forcing victims of violence against women and girls to lose faith and leave the justice system was a personal "fundamental argument of principle", and suggested he would resist intense pressure from legal experts, rival MPs and members of his own ranks to row back on ...