The Walker Brothers: No RegretsBy 1975 the Walker Brothers had got over the evening when they had their shirts ripped off in Market Harborough. You can tell this single is from that era because of the gratuitous guitar solo. (more) |
Tom Gordon MP writes...What should the Liberal Democrats stand for?The public are very well acquainted with what the Liberal Democrats are against - Brexit, Donald Trump, the sewage scandal, and more. But in this new, fragmented and up-for-grabs political landscape, we must ask ourselves: what do we stand for? Last week's King's Speech outlined a raft of new Bills likely to be brought forward in this parliamentary session, and it presents us with the chance to show what bold, modern liberalism looks like in practice. Not 'eco-populism'. Not the politics of fear, hate or division. But a confident liberalism rooted in freedom, fairness, dignity, and the belief that people ... (more) |
Creeting St Peter: like Frank Sinatra, I'm doing it my way...As I noted a few months ago, 2026 is a bit of a transitional year for this bureaucrat. I'm gently stepping back from the world of Parish Councils and, on Monday, there was another key stage in that process as Creeting St Peter Parish Council held its Annual Meeting. I had been flagging up the need for Council to replace me as Chair for some months, although the impression given by my colleagues was of rather wanting the problem to go away. But, when at the meeting, I made it absolutely clear that I would not offer myself for re-election ... (more) |
Liberal Democrats should be the first choice for womenThe recent local elections should have been a moment for honest reflection within the Liberal Democrats. Instead, much of the response has felt overwhelmingly positive, almost detached from the frustrations expressed by many hardworking candidates and activists, particularly in urban areas where our results were deeply disappointing. Optimism has its place in politics, but if we continue to avoid difficult conversations, we risk ignoring the deeper issues steadily weakening our party from within. As Chair of Lib Dem Women, Vice Chair Campaign for Gender Balance, and former Council Group Leader and Leader of the Opposition in Lambeth, I believe one ... (more) |
When even Labour MPs question our voting system it really is time for a changeWhat are we to make of the fact that more than 60 Labour MPs are now asking for the introduction of a proportional system of voting? Probably the fact fact that they are, as a Party facing electoral oblivion might have something to do with it!! Why have they not called for this before? Because it suited them because they had a huge imbalance in the votes cast to seats gained at the last General Election? Why did the Labour leadership ignore the votes of a Labour Conference twice to move to a proportional system? Because they thought that they ... (more) |
Time for the UK to engage with Europe on AI sovereigntyOn Monday evening, a major evidence session of the House of Lords APPG on Artificial Intelligence — of which I am an associate — took place, where it became clear that the question of British and European AI sovereignty is no longer an abstract policy debate but is rapidly becoming a central political priority. The session, organised by the Big Innovation Centre under Professor Birgitte Andersen and chaired by Lord Tim Clement-Jones, brought together policymakers, academics and industry leaders to confront a stark reality: the UK is too dependent on foreign — particularly American — AI infrastructure, platforms and large ... (more) |
Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Elizabeth Shields' Ryedale by-election win[IMG: Josh Babarinde presents award to former MP Elizabeth Shields] Photo credit Yorkshire Liberal Democrats Women became eligible to stand for election to Parliament in 1918 and the first woman Liberal MP was elected in 1921. Yet until 1986, only four women ever sat as Liberal MPs, half of whom were elected at by-elections. Between 1951 and 1986 there were no Liberal women MPs at all. Then came the Ryedale by-election and Elizabeth Shields. Elizabeth joined the Party in 1964 after being canvassed by what she describes as 'an enthusiastic young man' who talked about the Party's values and beliefs ... (more) |
Call for police patrols at Agatha Christie beachOur Headline of the Day Award goes to BBC News. The judges tell me that a housemaid and a retired colonel have already been poisoned, and that Miss Marple fears there will be a third murder. (more) |
A train fare too far?As if the controversies around HS2 weren't bad enough, the Guardian reports that the high-speed railway will now cost up to £102.7bn and trains will not start running between London and Birmingham until as late as 2039, £70bn more and 13 years later than originally promised. The paper adds that the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, said the truncated railway would not be entirely completed until as late as 2043: The figure is the first official estimate of HS2's budget in 2026 prices. Alexander said the total cost would range between £87.7bn and £102.7bn, with only a third of the rise ... (more) |
How many councillors have the Greens lost since the May 2026 elections?Given how popular (and lengthy!) my list of Reform councillor departures after the May 2026 elections is, here is a new list, I have quite a few requests to also keep track of the number of councillors elected under the Green Party banner on 7 May 2026, or in by-elections after that date, who have already departed the party for one reason or another. Note that the first two resigned as councillors in rather different circumstances from the rest of the list. If someone was on the ballot paper as a Green candidate but had been suspended or similar before ... (more) |