The five railway stations of Long EatonHere's another great video from Trekking Exploration- like and subscribe everybody. I've visited the sites four of the five Long Eaton stations he identifies myself. The first would be really useful to the town now, as it;s on the line from Nottingham to St Pancras. The second is the one I haven't visited. The third was in the centre of town - the line is still in use, but only by goods trains. The fourth is Trent Station, one of those large interchange stations in the middle of nowhere that the Midland Railway went in for. Here I have the ... (more) |
Leicestershire Reform councillor tweeted in support of ICE after the shooting of Alex PrettiJoseph Boam, the Remain councillor and former deputy leader of Leicestershire County Council. tweeted an image including the words "I Stand With Ice" after the shooting of the nurse Alex Pretti. As LBC notes, even Donald Trump has so far hesitated to defend the shooting, which saw Preti hit 10 times in five seconds. Not so Leicestershire Reform's 22-year-old boy wonder Boam: Following backlash from his initial tweet, Mr Boam doubled down on his approval for the agency saying: "For the people that don't support ICE - Are you suggesting that the UK should not enforce its immigration law? "When ... (more) |
"Like trying to do geometry with blancmange": My Liberator article on Blue LabourMove over Lord Bonkers: I have an article in the new Liberator (issue 344). You can download the whole issue for free from the magazine's website. Nor for the first time, I am led to reflect on how hoary my cultural touchstones are growing. The first series of Reggie Perrin was originally screened 50 years ago - it's as though there had been a Liberator contributor when I first joined the editorial collective whose articles relied upon his readers having knowledge of comedy from the early Thirties. But don't blame me: I've been waiting for a new generation of young ... (more) |
Mathew on Monday: Illiberal Labour and the War on Local ChoiceOne of the most important questions in politics is a simple one: do those in power trust people to make decisions for themselves? Not to always decide wisely, not to always choose outcomes that ministers like, but to choose at all. Increasingly, this Labour government appears to answer that question with a quiet but unmistakable no. Across justice, democracy, local government, policing, and even its own internal party processes, a consistent pattern is emerging: when local choice becomes inconvenient or risky, it is removed. That should worry anyone who cares about liberal democracy. Let's start with the justice system. Proposals ... (more) |
Labour was right to block Burnham's bid to become an MPIn May 2023, I was elected to Liverpool City Council's Penny Lane Ward for a four-year term. In my mind I signed a contract with my electors to serve them for those four years, in the community, the Town Hall and other places. They in return signed a contract which expected me to do just that. I believe in honouring that contract. Of course there will always be by-elections at all levels. People will die and that seems a reasonable excuse. Others will become ill or members of their family will, or they will lose their job and have to ... (more) |
An eventful weekendPerhaps the most dangerous claim Keir Starmer ever made will turn out to be his General Election slogan, arguing that changing the Labour Party made him well qualified for changing the country. This lies behind the paradox of gaining a huge majority and rapidly losing popularity. And behind that lies our clapped out voting system for Westminster elections. People are in favour of changing the country but the change they want varies hugely. As for changing the Labour Party – is that crucial to how they vote? Do they see it as any of their business? What do they see ... (more) |
Liberator 433 is out!Liberator 433 is out and you can download it for free here: You can also sign up here to be emailed when each new issues comes out: What's in this issue? The War Down the Road From Ukraine Combat medic and conflict studies academic Adam McQuire has been taking aid to some of Ukraine's most dangerous places but finds doors shut when he tries to warn the UK government about modern warfare 1,000 Days, and the Blood Can Be Seen From Space. Sudan is the world's worst – and most ignored – human rights crisis and is being stoked but ... (more) |
Lord Bonkers' Diary: The Duke of Buccleuch is pretty chuffed tooThe new Liberator has dropped - you can download issue 433 free of charge from the magazine's website - which means it's time to start another week in the company of the doyen of Liberal Democrat peers. I worry about the Well-Behaved Orphans: their lives aren't all holidays at Lord Bonkers' favourite Cornish resort Trescothick Bay. Monday Having risen early, I spy a party of Well-Behaved Orphans trudging across the muddy fields. Christmas is not a hectic time on the old estate like the potato harvest is, but there will still be work for them to do. It is gratifying ... (more) |
Lib Dems call for a Rail Passengers' Charter to improve journeys across the UKThe Liberal Democrats introduce a Rail Passengers' Charter Bill in Parliament last week to improve customer experience and enshrine value for money into law. The proposed charter would guarantee standards such as wifi, clean toilets and automatic compensation by law. It would also require adequate seating on journeys longer than 30 minutes and on-board refreshments for trips exceeding two hours. The party's transport spokesperson Olly Glover told the Oxford Mail: "After years of passengers putting up with above-inflation fare increases for poor rail services, it's time to bring the passenger experience into the 21st century. "Customers deserve so much better ... (more) |
Defending Our Future: The Blueprint For The Lib Dems To Modernise and Protect British DemocracyAs Reform continues to lead the polls, we are witnessing a movement that mirrors Trump's MAGA movement in the US, unlawfully arresting, detaining, and sometimes deporting non-white residents, including U.S. citizens and legal residents. What we're seeing from this administration is an attempt to ethnically cleanse the country of non-white people. With the clear ties between Farage and MAGA, Reform is not just any political rival. Their ascent to government would initiate a direct assault on British democratic values. It won't be long before non-white British residents and citizens are targeted in the same way. A Reform government is existentially ... (more) |