The Earth is healing: The Muppet Show is backThe blurb for this trailer on YouTube says it is "a special event", first being screened on February 4 on Disney+ and ABC. Rhik Samadder has seen it and says in the Guardian: Happily, it hasn't been updated so Fozzie is doing bits on TikTok, or Rowlf protesting about streaming royalties. The guys are still trying to put on that variety show, and it's still all going wrong. (more) |
Latest voting intention and leadership ratings opinion pollsWelcome to my summary of the latest national voting intention polls for the next general election, along with the latest MRP projections and party leadership ratings. If you'd like to find out more about how polls work, how reliable they are and how to make sense of them, check out my book, Polling UnPacked: the History, Uses and Abuses of Political Opinion Polls, or sign up for my weekly email, The Week in Polls: General election voting intention polls PollsterConLabLDGrnRefLab leadFieldwork Survation 20% (+1) 18% (-3) 12% (+1) 12% (+1) 31% (+2) -13% (3rd, vs Ref) 28-29/1 UK Find Out ... (more) |
A toast to the lassies!One of the highlights of the Edinburgh Lib Dems social calendar is the South Edinburgh Burns Supper which I've been going to for probably 15 years now. I have seen Alex Cole-Hamilton dressed as a mouse being chased by one time LDV contributor John Knox reciting the programme To a Mouse. I kid you not. It's always guaranteed to be a good night. If you are ever in Edinburgh, the food at Mortonhall Golf Club is brilliant and the bar prices are incredibly reasonable for a city venue. I thought you might be interested in reading the Toast to the ... (more) |
Evidence beats ideology: What Hampstead Ponds tells us about trans inclusionLast Thursday brought two moments that should settle the trans inclusion debate, if we're willing to listen to evidence. The High Court refused permission for judicial review of Hampstead Heath's trans-inclusive bathing policy. The same day, the City of London published consultation results showing what 38,445 people actually think about it. The media focused on the court ruling, spinning it as women being "denied justice." That's nonsense. Mrs Justice Lieven simply said Sex Matters used the wrong legal procedure – they need a County Court discrimination claim, not judicial review. Standard civil procedure, not conspiracy. The real story is what ... (more) |
Artificial intelligence and the Liberal Democrats: a practical opportunityArtificial intelligence is already shaping how organisations analyse information, plan activity, and communicate. For the Liberal Democrats, AI offers a practical way to work more effectively, engage members better, and understand voters more clearly, while remaining aligned with liberal values. One of the most immediate applications is voting and demographic data. Parties collect large volumes of information through canvassing, surveys, and local engagement. AI can help analyse this data responsibly, identifying trends, emerging concerns, and under-represented voices. Used well, this supports inclusion and improves how policy and messaging reflect real community priorities. AI also has a role in strengthening the ... (more) |
Observations of an Expat: Middies UnitedCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney spoke common sense. The world is changing. Might is right is replacing the rule of law. It is time for the middle powers to lift their heads out of the sand, look around and start discussing international systems that do not involve holding onto the coattails of greater powers. Europe, Japan, Britain, Australia and others have enjoyed the American military and economic umbrella for the past 80 years. They have prospered inside a US-protected system but were largely denied the opportunity to shape their nice, warm American-made cocoon and now can't easily or safely exit ... (more) |
Lord Bonkers' Diary: Lowered head first through a skylightI can't help noticing that Lord Bonkers does spent a great deal of time on roofs with orphans. I wonder what Ofsted makes of this practice. I also wonder if it is connected with a recent news story: Police in Oakham have issued a stern warning to parents and young people after a spike in reports of individuals climbing onto the roofs of buildings across the town. Saturday Looking back over 2025, I remember with particular pleasure the November evening when the Well-Behaved Orphans insisted upon putting Nick Clegg's principles into practice. Earlier in the year, Clegg had told everyone ... (more) |
The Abbey that never wasAs a graduate of Swansea University I have often wondered about the origin of the Abbey, the building where the college's administration is based, and which in the early days hosted most of the teaching that was delivered to the institution's students. In summary, Marino (the house that would become Singleton Abbey) was a house built for Edward King in the latter half of the 1700s: In the early 1800s it was purchased by John Henry Vivian and transformed into the building known as Singleton Abbey (though never actual an Abbey or even a church). Through the 100 years of ... (more) |