The Independent reports that an astonishing 80 per cent of donations to Reform UK in the past 12 months have come from donors or companies recently based overseas. The paper says that an analysis of data from the Electoral Commission shows the amount received from donors who were based abroad in the past two years by Nigel Farage's party dwarfs that of other parties amid growing concern about overseas influence in British politics: In comparison, Labour and the Conservatives received just 0.15 per cent and 3.57 per cent of their donations from people or companies based abroad respectively during the ...
This video from Britannia Unconsidered has a little Shropshire hillporn and rather more folklore. It's Wild Edric and his Hunt that Jenny fears she and Peter are seeing in Malcolm Saville's Seven White Gates - see my recent article on Saville for Lion & Unicorn.
Liberal Democrat Newswire #215came out last week and you can now also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: Welcome to Lib Dem Newswire #215, which takes a look at when the next general election might take place, the problem with fake number plates, what Lib Dems want to do to the House of Lords, and more. First, though, congratulations to the new Lib Dem councillors since last time – Mac Brown, Julie Calder, Lawrence Gillies and Mary Ryan – along ...
It's now six years since we were starting to get over COVID the summer of 2020 brings back so many memories to me. Some of them were incredibly sad: Her Majesty the Queen sitting alone at the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip. People saying goodbye to their loved ones from the other side of a window with a lot without a last chance of a hug or cuddle. Funerals taking place with a maximum of six people permitted to be present. People being extremely lonely in small, confined apartments whilst trying to work from home and teach the kids ...
David Chadwick, the MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, has announced his bid to become the next leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. He has set out plans to rebuild the party around economic growth, enterprise and opportunities for young people, reports the Pembrokeshire Herald. Showing a nice appreciation of the Welsh Liberal Democrats' constitution, the paper says: The 35-year-old ... is the only candidate currently eligible to succeed Ms Dodds, meaning the leadership will not be contested provided he secures the required backing from party members. Under the Welsh Liberal Democrats' internal election rules, leadership candidates must gain ...
A politics of power Recent Liberal Democrat proposals for faster GP appointments, better support for rural and coastal schools, and investment in walking and cycling show our commitment to improving public services. These are important ambitions. Yet improving services does not, by itself, challenge the relationships that leave people powerless: an insecure worker dependent on an employer's goodwill, a tenant afraid to challenge a landlord, or a citizen unable to contest decisions made about their care. Liberal Democrats must ask not only whether services are improving, but whether people have the rights, resources and voice to shape their own lives. ...
West Berkshire Conservative Councillor Paul Dick OBE JP DL has joined the Liberal Democrats. For almost 30 years, Mr Dick was headteacher of Kennet School in Thatcham. At one point he was a "Super Head" and his "top earner" salary was highlighted by the BBC in 2010. He appeared on the BBC's Panorama programme, as noted by the Financial Times. He has been a sitting Justice of the Peace since 1994 and is a Deputy Lieutenant of the Royal County of Berkshire. He has represented Cold Ash and Chieveley ward on West Berkshire Council since 2023. Kennet Radio reports: "I ...
Embed from Getty ImagesHere's some good news from the Guardian. David Hemmings' film of David Bowie's 1978 Isolar II tour will be seen next year, thanks to the present-day director Brett Morgen's painstaking remastering of the footage. As the paper explains: Bowie intended for the footage to be released as a concert film that could, according to his associates, play in nontraditional venues such as concert venues in lieu of him touring himself. After the Isolar II tour, Bowie would not tour again until the 1983 Serious Moonlight run. But the always fast-evolving musician soon became busy with other projects: ...
As noted last Thursday, Lord Shipley gave his valedictory speech in the House of Lords Local Government debate. Here is his speech in full: My Lords, I thank colleagues from across the House for the privilege of working with them over the last 16 years in this Chamber on Bills, on Select Committees and on the general work of this House. Having reached the age of 80, I have decided that the time has come to have a retirement. I thank all the staff of the House for their advice, efficiency and constant good humour. I thank my own Whips' ...
The latest edition of my email newsletter about work in Parliament, A Lord's Eye View, is out and you can also read it in full below. But if you'd like to get future editions emailed direct to you as soon as they are published, sign up now: Welcome to my latest update on work in the House of Lords, which this time takes a look at how HM Treasury have been costing us money by moving slowly to agree a simple increase in fees for vehicle manufacturers. Did someone share this with you? If so, sign up here to get ...
The dates for our Autumn conference at Bournemouth have been announced as follows: Provisional auditorium timings: Saturday 18 September: 09.00-18.00 (Rally 18.30-19.30) Sunday 19 September: 09.00-18.00 Monday 20 September: 09.00-18.00 Tuesday 21 September: 09.00-15.30 (Leader's speech: 14.20-15.30) The latest conference news is here.
Newbury Today brings the news of Paul Dick joining the Lib Dems: A West Berkshire Conservative councillor has defected to the Liberal Democrats. Paul Dick OBE - the ward member for Chieveley and Cold Ash and former long-standing headteacher of Kennet School in Thatcham ... [said]: "I have come to admire the dedication and positivity in the Liberal Democrat administration and am keen to join their forward-thinking team. Sign up to get the latest news and analysis
Rather bizarrely, I have written a number of posts about Torchwood in the past and specifically Ianto's shrine in Cardiff Bay. The latest post was on 8th March, when I reported that the shrine is set to be taken down after nearly two decades. The shrine, which stood at Cardiff Bay, pays tribute to the beloved Torchwood character Ianto Jones, whose untimely death left fans so bereft they created a lasting tribute to him in the location where the series was filmed. Now, Nation Cymru reports that the attraction has been saved - for the time being at least. The ...