The Draft Party Strategy is here!I've been so inspired. Up and down the country, members have been feeding into our "Summer of Strategy", the process I launched with the Federal Board to draft a new party strategy. We've had thousands of contributions so far - thank you! Where are we now? Taking your ideas, workshop discussions, and survey answers, the Federal Board has published the first draft of the party strategy. It's now ready for your feedback! A few themes stand out: sharpening our national story and message, turbocharging our social media game to complement our pavement-pounding prowess, and consolidating in our areas of strength ... (more) |
Jonathan Coe on Kenneth Williams, sex and the SixtiesThe novelist Jonathan Coe reviewed The Kenneth Williams Diaries for the London Review of Books when they were first published: Williams found the perfect expression for his personality in the Carry On films - despite their superficially heterosexual orientation - and became such a cherished emblem of sexual insecurity for gay and straight audiences alike. For above all this series represents (and celebrates) a peculiarly English sexuality, one in which an addictive, almost obsessional interest in sex is combined with horror and gaucherie at the prospect of actually performing it. In this respect they preserve a far more accurate record ... (more) |
Count BinFace or a comedian for Clacton?People from outside our Country must think that aliens have landed as Count BinFace announces his intention to stand for Parliament. Count BinFace claims to be a sort of inter-galactic emissary to Earth which would rule him out of standing for anything because he could not legally be on the electoral register!! Of course, Count BinFace is continuing the well-known British trait of extracting the urine from the high and mighty who claim to rule us all. In reality, the candidacy will be in the name of John Harvey a London based comedian and will appear on the ballot paper ... (more) |
Prince Harry visits hospital as brother William plays crazy golf and King Charles examines a penguinThis effort from Sky News, in which the Royal Family plays a starring role, wins it our Headline of the Day Award. Norman Baker will not be happy with the judges. (more) |
Lib Dems come from third to gain seat from GreensThe principal authority council by-elections this week started with a pair on Tuesday: Haslemere (Surrey) Council By-Election Result: [IMG: 🔶] LDM: 47.8% (-2.2) [IMG: 🌳] CON: 32.3% (-10.7) [IMG: 🌍] GRN: 11.3% (New) [IMG: ➡] RFM: 8.6% (New)No LAB (-7.0) as previous.Liberal Democrat HOLD.Changes w/ 2021. — Election Maps UK (@electionmaps.uk) 2026-07-08T15:35:05.631Z For what all this means for the running total of council by-election results since the last May elections, see my council by-elections scorecard here. These by-election results round-ups cover principal authority by-elections as it's only those for which comprehensive results are available. But this week, my eye was ... (more) |
Ex-Labour MP tells of being sidelined to enable Starmer parachutistSwansea Bay News reports that former Swansea West MP Geraint Davies has gone public with an account of how his 22-year parliamentary career ended, telling Swansea residents he was "unfairly and unjustly prevented" from standing for re-election. The news site says that in a statement posted on Facebook on Wednesday, the ex-Labour MP said he wanted to set the record straight "in case there remains any misunderstanding" about his departure from the party after more than 40 years of membership: Mr Davies represented Swansea West from 2010 until 2024, winning four elections, and previously served as MP for Croydon Central. ... (more) |
Reform hold High Fell by 5 votesThe High Fell by-election in Gateshead is a hold for Reform. The results have just come through and, after a recount, Reform clung on by just 5 votes. The overall results are:Reform 564Labour 559Lib Dem 98Conservative 79Green 71TUSC 36High Fell was previously a strong Labour ward. It had been Labour throughout the entire existence of Gateshead Council. Reform took all 3 seats in May. One of 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 [6] – +1 (+3/-2) -1 (0/-1) -2 (+2/-4) -1 (0/-1) – +1 (+2/-1) -2 Lab – [6] – 0 (+2/-2) -5 (0/-5) – – +1 (+1/0) -4 Lib Dem -1 (+2/-3) – [13] +1 (+1/0) – -1 (0/-1) – +1 (+1/0) 0 Grn +1 (+1/0) 0 (+2/-2) -1 (0/-1) [6] – – – – 0 Ref +2 (+4/-2) +5 (+5/0) – – [4] – -1 ... (more) |
Cromford Moor Mine and the legend of the Black RocksAssailed by hay fever, flying insects and stinging nettles, Gareth Icke is our guide for a walk in the hills above the Derwent Valley in Derbyshire/ With that setting, disused lead mines, white spoil heaps and unlikely-sounding local folklore, this video ticks a lot of Liberal England boxes. For more like it, subscribe to The Walk on YouTube. (more) |
Gilbert Adair and when Jacques Derrida came to LoughboroughToday I thought of the writer Gilbert Adair, looked up his Guardian obituary from 2011 and found this gem: He once told us on the arts desk of what had happened when he rang one of his publishers. "You aren't by any chance Red Adair," asked a secretary to whom his name clearly meant nothing. "No," he snapped back, "I'm unread Adair." After I'd shared that on Bluesky, I dug out his book Myths & Memories, a collection of essays about and memories of British culture. In one of the essays, 'Derrida Didn't Come', he writes about a conference at ... (more) |