Labour turn the screw on higher educationNearly a year ago now, I blogged on the existential crisis facing universities in the UK. I was referring to a Guardian article that reported that nearly one in four leading UK universities are slashing staff numbers and cutting budgets, with up to 10,000 redundancies or job losses. The Guardian quotes the the Institute for Fiscal Studies who say that universities that relied on fees from international students have also been hit by the last government's visa changes, which set off a steep fall in the numbers coming to study in the UK. A freeze on tuition fees has not ... (more) |
Thinking about trains again...Professional training takes me to Croydon in a few weeks time which means navigating our official travel provider's website. And clearly, it's been a while since I've done so because I was surprised today to find that the new one works extremely well, which is not a phrase commonly associated with anything in the public sector and particularly anything contracted out by the public sector. But it rather led me to thinking about trains (aahhh, trains...). Firstly, what very good value a Senior Railcard is at £70 for three years if, like me, you don't drive. I paid mine off ... (more) |
7 January 2026 - today's press releasesLib Dems blast Reform Mayoral Launch for "talking down" London Govt must state if US military seizure of oil tanker was legal under international law ScotRail disruption payments top £3 million Greene responds to watchdog warning on waiting times Welsh Lib Dems raise ongoing red tape hitting Welsh lamb Greene: Pause business rates revaluation Lib Dems blast Reform Mayoral Launch for "talking down" London Responding to a Reform UK press conference, announcing Laila Cunningham as their mayoral candidate, Lib Dem London Spokesperson Luke Taylor MP said: From its history to its culture to its people, London is the greatest city ... (more) |
Following the River Westbourne from Kilburn to ChelseaIt's time for another walk with John Rogers, and it's one of the kind I enjoy the most: a walk that follows one of London's lost rivers. John describes it in his YouTube blurb as a: walking tour of London's lost river Westbourne from Kilburn to Chelsea via Maida Vale, Paddington, Bayswater, Knightsbridge, and Belgravia. The Westbourne is one of London's most celebrated lost rivers and wasn't fully buried until the mid-1800s. Consequently its course is very well documented and is famously carried over Sloane Square tube station in a pipe that can be seen from the platform. John has ... (more) |
It's the lack of taxes on land that's causing small farmers a problemI used to believe that the most damaging intellectual errors were essentialism and reification. These days I'm inclined to think that alliteration trumps them both. Over the holidays I saw two Liberal Democrat MPs calling for the total abolition of the "Family Farm Tax" or the "Unfair Family Farm Tax". And the Welsh Lib Dems have just called for that too. Here's David Chadwick, the Lib Dem MP for Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, quoted in the Abergavenny Chronicle: "The Liberal Democrats were the first to call out and oppose the unfair family farm tax in last year's budget and ... (more) |
What is the point of the Daily Telegraph?The Daily Telegraph asked today, with an air of mockery and condescension, "What is the point of the Liberal Democrats?" It is a question that tells us far more about the Telegraph than about the party it seeks to dismiss. Once a serious conservative newspaper, the Telegraph has increasingly become a vehicle for grievance, culture-war sensationalism, and ideological nostalgia. Its critique of the Liberal Democrats is less an analysis than a reflex: liberalism bad, Europe worse, nuance intolerable. The Liberal Democrats, whatever one thinks of their electoral fortunes, are easy to caricature if one ignores history, policy, and principle. The ... (more) |
Gerry Gable 1937-2026It is with deep sorrow that I heard of the sad news of the passing of Gerry Gable (1937-2026) — a towering figure in the fight against fascism, racism, and the far right in Britain. Gerry devoted his life to defending democratic values and exposing extremism, leaving a legacy that will inspire generations. I first met Gerry during my time as a Liberal Democrat councillor and Parliamentary candidate, when I faced sustained attacks from the British National Party in Epping Forest and Brentwood. One notable moment came when the BNP brought a complaint against me as an Epping Forest Councillor ... (more) |
Julie Covington: Only Women BleedJulie Covington's version of this Alice Cooper song reminds me of a foggy day at Rugby station just before Christmas 1977, but I realise that may not be true for everybody. That year Covington had a number one with Don't Cry for me Argentina and starred in the highly regarded TV series Rock Follies. (more) |
Arrest after £5k found stuffed in man's underpantsBBC News, as so often these days, wins our Headline of the Day Award. (more) |
Maduro and the wrong conclusionsToday's problem is not Maduro. The illegitimate Venezuelan dictator is now out of the game. However, the legitimate government is not in the game either- at least not yet. An optimistic student of realpolitik might take the view that the Americans have learned from Iraq and are not making the mistake of destroying all the Chavista state, which they did with the Iraqi Baathist state after the fall of Saddam Hussein, before Venezuelan democracy can be restored. Since we regard the opposition as the legitimate authorities, and they have not complained about the arrest of Maduro, The US can legitimately ... (more) |