Do shouty politicians gain long term votes?Earlier this week an event occurred within the Liberal Democrats that most people might have missed altogether. Two relatively inexperienced Lib Dem MPs, one of who was Chalie Maynard, who I must confess I had never heard of, tried to create a revolt within the parliamentary party which would have led to the replacement of Ed Davey as Leader. The attempt was unsuccessful with the parliamentary party having the usual Lib Dem courteous disagreements in some cases what's Ed came through wholly unscathed. Ed, of course is the most successful Liberal Democrat leader for more than 100 years leading us ... (more) |
The defence of International Law in an age of impunityIn October 2026, the United States imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), the latest escalation in its campaign to undermine and "dismantle" the Court. The US objects to the ICC investigating or prosecuting American nationals and has also opposed its investigation into senior Israeli officials over war crimes in Gaza. The sanctions are troubling not only because they threaten the Court's ability to operate independently, but because they expose a deeper question: does international law apply to everyone, or only to those without power? International law has never been free from hypocrisy. Great powers have often defended ... (more) |
Social care and the triple lockI have read the various posts about Andy Burnham's proposals for social care and the proposed implication for the pensions triple-lock. After some decades of involvement on both issues, I thought my perspective and experience might have some relevance. I was closely involved in the review of pensions including the Turner Review of 2006 and the resultant settlement, leading on to the triple lock in the coalition Government. I was also much engaged in the debate about social care from the campaign which led to the Sutherland Commission, then working with proponents of both majority and minority views on the ... (more) |
Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band: Autumn's ChildIssued in 1967, Safe as Milk was Captain Beefheart's first album. It features a 20-year-old Ry Cooder on guitar - he also wrote some of the arrangements - and this seasonal track closes the album. An anonymous contributor writes on Reddit:Probably my favourite from Safe as Milk. Very normal for a Beefheart song but weird in its own way. Evokes strong feelings of nostalgia. Theramin is used fantastically, vocals are amazing.And Hit the North says:Even the closing track Autumn's Child seemed unpredictable - it appeared to sputter to a halt, petering out like an exhausted toddler who's cried their last ... (more) |
Alex Cole-Hamilton's speech to Scottish ConferenceAlex Cole-Hamilton made his keynote speech to Scottish Conference last weekend. It was a very people centred, practical speech which centred Lib Dems connecting people. Worth mentioning is that he was very positive about immigration: So let me tell you what I mean when I talk about liberty, equality and community. Because as liberals we believe in a Scotland that is open, tolerant and internationalist of outlook. We believe immigration makes this country stronger. Because in Scotland more people die each year than are born. Every person who comes here to nurse, to farm, to teach, to build, is helping ... (more) |
Tom Arms' World ReviewUS Midterm elections Since 2002 the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been observing elections in the U.S. On each occasion—including the hotly debated 2020 presidential elections—it has stamped the votes as "free and fair." The organisation's elections observers, however, will be conspicuous by their absence, from the mid-term elections in a few weeks' time. For the first time the Trump Administration has refused to invite them. The State Department's official reason for the lack of an invitation is that the OSCE "should focus its limited resources on elections where it can have the greatest impact." The ... (more) |
Farage let off Reform staffer accused of racist slurThe Independent reports that Reform UK is facing a fresh crisis after a new undercover sting showed Nigel Farage appearing to let off a mayoral candidate accused of racism. The paper says that secretly filmed footage showed Farage telling his director of communications, Ed Sumner, that the party's mayor candidate for Hampshire and the Solent, Chris Parry, must apologise to David Lammy for a social media post in which he said the then-deputy prime minister should "go home to the Caribbean". However, the apology was a compromise that fell short of what should have happened: The footage cuts to Mr ... (more) |
Stalling an Ambush and protecting more than the countrysideThe Rutland Panther and the Blair government's abandoned plan to build an eco-town in the Harborough District both feature in a new novel, Stalling an Ambush. In a guest post, its author, Emma Lee, introduces the book. My novel Stalling an Ambush is set in and around the village of Stoughton in Leicestershire, where, in 2009, an eco-town of at least 15,000 houses, called Pennbury, was proposed. Pennbury met with strong local opposition. It was on the wrong side of Leicester city for motorway access, would have put extra cars on already congested roads and wasn't even on a bus ... (more) |
Mozart died in 1791. Neil Young believes one 1960s songwriter has the same immortalityFar Out Magazine wins our Headline of the Day Award. The judges are currently soothing their brains by listening to this... (more) |
Ukraine's plight means UK must rearm for war now, and not by ten years' timeCrowds gather to view destruction in an Odesa residential area that included a university student residence (photo: Anna Beria, with thanks). We are possibly reaching the culmination point of Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. After almost five years of warfare, Ukrainian resilience is being put ever more to the test. Ukraine's forces are edging forward, regaining lost land in the Donbas from Russia's armed forces. Not winning on the ground, Putin has declared unlimited warfare on Ukraine's civilian population to terrorise them into submission, destroying critical infrastructure and causing mayhem as winter approaches. Ukraine's position is being further undermined ... (more) |