The Joy of Six 1535"When news of the arrests of the three Ukrainians broke, a rumour soon began to spread online that the alleged perpetrators were, in fact, Ukrainian male sex workers employed by Starmer and that the arson attack was revenge for unpaid bills. Perhaps unsurprisingly, one of the most influential online figures involved in spreading this 'Rent Boys' conspiracy theory was Stephen Lennon." Joe Mulhall and Nick Lowles argue that Tommy Robinson is Putin's useful idiot. Theo Rodwell fears the Liberal Democrats are being held hostage by Conservatives who have lent them their votes. "The mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, announced ... (more) |
That by-electionAt the end of our weekly council by-election reports from ALDC they usually thank the Lib Dem candidates for flying the flag in unwinnable wards. And that is what we must do today. So a big thank you to Jake Austin (Makerfield), Mel Sullivan (Aberdeen South) and Tanvir Ahmad (Arbroath and Broughty Ferry) for putting up with all the hoo-ha and making sure Lib Dems were on the ballot papers. This now provides our readers with an opportunity to discuss the results and their wider implications, in the comments below. * Mary Reid is a contributing editor on Lib Dem ... (more) |
Oakham Town Council has "lost control of everything" according to "worst ever" reportOakham Nub News wins our Headline of the Day Award for a worrying story from Rutland. Ever fair-minded, the judges point out that though the document exposes pervasive administrative backlogs, repeated statutory failures, severe asset mismanagement, and critical operational risks.everything else about the body is tickety-boo. (more) |
Makerfield: we can breathe again.Three cheers for the voters of Makerfield: they have delivered the best possible result. Andy Burnham's resounding majority of over 9 000, with 54% of the vote against Reform's 35%, should puncture Farage's balloon and push talk of his becoming our next prime minister into the realms of fantasy. Reform can't even claim that they were robbed because the even-further-to the-right Restore split their vote. Their candidate received only 7% of the vote so both together were still 12% behind Labour. Congratulations to the Liberal Democrats and Greens (and presumably many Tories) who accurately "read the runes" and had the ... (more) |
Brexit has cut trade in almost every sector of the UK economyThe Independent reports on findings by researchers at the Centre for European Reform think tank that almost every sector of the economy has been hit by Brexit. The paper says that the study found that exports of chemicals and pharmaceuticals have fallen by 21 per cent since the UK left the EU, while those classed as "agrifood" are down 29 per cent: The report argues that many of the economic costs of Brexit stem from Britain's departure from the bloc's single market, suggesting recent calls for a new customs union with the EU would only have a limited impact. Almost ... (more) |
In which my great great grandmother's brother stuffs a ptarmiganI've written before about my great great grandmother's brother Sandy Campbell - about how his dog Sir William Wallace and how the last Tsar of Russia gave him a pair of binoculars. An item in a Dundee Courier (8 May 1973) column by "Craigie" about a laburnum tree in a Carnoustie front garden soon turns to him: Back in those Victorian times Queen Victoria herself an eye for quaint and picturesque effects of this sort. When visiting Loch Muick (near Balmoral) she often had a word on the subject with Sandy Campbell, her stalker at Glasallt Shiel. Sandy had the ... (more) |
Liberal Democrat MP suspended from party after arrestFrom the Guardian website this evening: A Liberal Democrat MP has had the whip suspended pending the outcome of a police investigation, a party spokesperson said. Cameron Thomas was arrested by Gloucestershire police on Wednesday night, it is understood. His office has been contacted for comment. A Lib Dem spokesperson said the party was unable to comment further while an "investigation is ongoing". Thomas's party membership is also understood to have been suspended. The former RAF officer has served as MP for Tewkesbury since the 2024 general election. This is credited to the Press Association and appears to be all ... (more) |
Joseph Wright of Derby: From the Shadows exhibition comes homeAfter six months at the National Gallery in London, the art exhibition Wright of Derby: From the Shadows has come home. It's now being shown at Derby Museum and Art Gallery and will run there until 1 November. Its billing on the Derby Museums website says: Wright of Derby: From the Shadows is the first major exhibition dedicated to the British artist's 'candlelight' paintings. Join us as we celebrate and look again at his most admired works. Illuminated faces gather around a variety of objects, from classical sculptures and scientific instruments to bones, bladders and animals. Through his unflinching scenes ... (more) |
Replacement?Runes of wisdom, rings of power fused in silicon's pale mirror; reflected through a changing line whose alchemy brings nemesis. (more) |
The government's £1bn school sports revamp talks a good game on SEND inclusion. So why are disabled children being benched?The government's headline-grabbing £1 billion overhaul of school sport is wrapped in the shiny vocabulary of modern progressive policy: equity, accessibility, and an explicit promise to end the "fitness postcode lottery." On paper, it looks like a long-overdue victory for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The policy promises a needs-led system where "one-size-fits-all" gym classes are scrapped, replaced by specialist coaches from Paralympics GB, adapted sports like boccia, and a massive facility fund to tear down physical barriers. But talk to any headteacher or parent of a disabled child this week, and the mood is not one ... (more) |